This is the second time I’ve read this recently, I think the other time was an espn article.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/tonyblengino/2020/02/12/the-reds-luis-castillo-throws-the-best-changeup-in-baseball/#10fb976e32f6

Mario Soto had one of the all time great changeup pitches. Whenever you have a guy who can throw close to 100 mph then toss a changeup that looks like a FB coming and the bottom just falls out it's deadly. Castillo is right up there with Soto in that respect. Hopefully Castillo's arm lasts longer than Soto's.

I was at an in season baseball camp run by the Reds coaches shortly before I moved to Alaska in 1976. It was on an off day and Joe Morgan, Pete Rose, Dave Concepcion, Cesar Geronimo and Bill Plummer were there for short little bits along with some other players that I didn't know at the time. They were there for the coaches to show you "How a Big Leaguer does it". Most just did what the coaches told them to do and said nothing but I remember Joe Morgan and Bill Plummer teaching groups as if we were their students. They were constantly teaching and explaining while they were there, most were there for about 20-30 minutes of the four hour camp. I was never grouped with Pete Rose but he did walk by our set and stopped and interacted with a couple of kids as he slowly moved by our group that was waiting for the next stage.

We were waiting for some supposed hot shot minor leaguer because his translator was finishing up with either Geronimo or Concepcion. They must be impressed with him to bring him up from the minor leagues just to speak through a translator at a Reds camp for kids. That was the day that a soon to be 9 year old vinyl spinner learned how to throw a circle change from Mario Soto through a translator. It took me three years of practicing to find the release point until I could consistently throw it for a strike, but it is simply an awesome pitch. It's the closest thing that I've ever had to a screwball and it's a natural looking pitch that has movement with a change of speed, which is great the second and third times through the lineup. I was almost always strictly fastball and curveball/slider the first time through the lineup and I stayed in that pitch sequence the second time through the lineup until I got into a jam. I saved the circle change for when I needed a strikeout or weak contact.

That's kind of the root of when I ragged on Castillo in the past for being a chicken shit pitcher. He takes himself out of games by constantly throwing his change up out of the strike zone. He runs up his pitch count and his walks because he nibbles too much when he would probably still fool them if he threw it for a strike.

Dude.

Luis.

La Peidra.

You have the best change up in baseball. You don't need to make them chase EVERY pitch. Throw it for a strike more often . . . especially when the batter has a 3-1, 3-2 count and you'll see more 7th and 8th innings of ball games.

I meet Fred Norman at one of those camps and he was showing how to throw a screw ball then added, "Don't try this kids. It'll screw up your arm." Of course I didn't listen to the last part and learned to throw the screw ball and it does leave you with an aching arm for awhile after throwing it a few times..  It was still my out pitch when I needed it. Some call it a backward curve, but it does stress the muscles and ligaments.. Always fun to see hitters look silly trying to hit it when it works though..

(02-22-2020, 07:24 AM)Forever Spinning Vinyl Wrote: That's kind of the root of when I ragged on Castillo in the past for being a chicken shit pitcher. He takes himself out of games by constantly throwing his change up out of the strike zone. He runs up his pitch count and his walks because he nibbles too much when he would probably still fool them if he threw it for a strike.

Dude.

Luis.

La Peidra.

You have the best change up in baseball. You don't need to make them chase EVERY pitch. Throw it for a strike more often . . . especially when the batter has a 3-1, 3-2 count and you'll see more 7th and 8th innings of ball games.

Agree

Early in the season up to about All Star break Castillo got away with pitching out of the zone way more than he ever should have. He had a ton of swings at balls out of zone, many way out. And he fell in love with that pitching style, It came back to bite him. Batters started figuring out they could just leave bat on shoulder and get a walk. Castillo was 7th in MLB with 79 walks.

I sure hope the pitching coach helps him figure out when to spot those pitches out of zone.

(02-22-2020, 01:37 AM)grampahol Wrote:  Hopefully Castillo's arm lasts longer than Soto's.

It should.  Major league teams don't use pitchers like they used to.

The four seasons from '82 through '85 Soto was third in the majors in complete games (53) and 4th in innings pitched (1025).

Over the last 4 seasons no pitcher has more than 10 complete games or 870 innings pitched.

(02-25-2020, 12:53 PM)fredtoast Wrote: It should.  Major league teams don't use pitchers like they used to.

The four seasons from '82 through '85 Soto was third in the majors in complete games (53) and 4th in innings pitched (1025).

Over the last 4 seasons no pitcher has more than 10 complete games or 870 innings pitched.

Oh absolutely he should, but pitchers sometimes just fall apart for no apparent reason like anyone else. The days of guys like Soto carrying a team are over. Heck, back in the day guys like Sachel Page threw back to back complete games in double headers..and he did that for a long time. The dirty little secret is bullpen pitchers are all failed starters.. They go to bullpens because they just can't go more than an inning or two before falling apart..