Batista's Change?
From Baker's Blog:
Now, because he won't say what it is and it has only been one game, there is not necessarily any validity to this. I've also been told on this website and others that it is difficult/near impossible for a pitcher to learn something new (other than a new pitch) after throwing for so many years. But the thought of a pitcher - any pitcher, good or bad - figuring out a new way to pitch is something I find exciting. Here's hoping it exists.Miguel Batista says a new discovery is what led him to toss 7 2/3 scoreless innings and strike out eight.
Batista won't say what the discovery was. He isn't sure it's going to work again. But he sounds excited about it. He should be. His velocity wasn't there today, but the Angels were still swining through his pitches all afternoon.
"I might have found something that I wish I might have found years ago in my career,'' Batista said. "I don't know if I'm right yet. It's going to take me at least four or five more starts to figure out if it's going to be able to work as good as I believe it might work.
"And if it does, I might be able to pitch another five years.''
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47 comments
Comments
He was tutored by Brian Bannister on sabremetrics
by cwel87 on Apr 21, 2008 12:10 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Please god, let this be true.
...and now I'm here
by CapSea on Apr 21, 2008 12:13 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Batista...
Washburn’s change
Silva’s splitter
We’ll see.
by Matthew on Apr 21, 2008 12:20 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Better news than we heard last year.
No matter how false. At least they’re learning to lie better.
...and now I'm here
by CapSea on Apr 21, 2008 12:38 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I thought the Washburn shit was perpetuated by Krueger
With a cursory glance, this has been shown to be bunk.
Fans are typically idiots.
by The Typical Idiot Fan on Apr 21, 2008 4:10 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
"It's something to make hitters see hard fastball when you don't have the hard fastball."
From Hickey’s article. Did anyone notice any changes in his delivery?
by A Public Alias on Apr 21, 2008 12:49 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
what could it have been
lets go through the possibilities:
-paid off umps to widen zone
-made latex ‘batista’ facemask so Johnny Cuet could pass for him
-roids
-flash tits to batter before delivery to throw off timing/concentration/will to live
-borrowed K-rod’s hat (or just his rosin bag)
the artist formerly known as Mere Tantalisers.
by Bearskin Rugburn on Apr 21, 2008 8:43 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
I personally liked "Mere Tantalisers"
Didn’t see how the name made sense or was at all relevant, but it seemed clever.
by qrsouther on Apr 21, 2008 9:04 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
it is an anagram for
seattle mariners. Changed the name because I am hoping the team will do more than pretend to be a contender in July.
the artist formerly known as Mere Tantalisers.
by Bearskin Rugburn on Apr 21, 2008 9:42 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Woah
How is everyone here so good with that and I’m not.
by qrsouther on Apr 21, 2008 10:58 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
there's a website that spits out all the possibilities
google anagram and you’ll hit it. Its just a pain to scroll through the thousands of useless ones.
My best one to date-
Oakland Athletics = Shit-caked anal lot
the artist formerly known as Mere Tantalisers.
by Bearskin Rugburn on Apr 21, 2008 11:01 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Thank you for the enlightenment
My name = Risque Hot Nun, or Hero Quits Nun.
Sound scandalous. I promise I won’t post any more findings for fear of OD.
by qrsouther on Apr 21, 2008 5:10 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
it's the internets
just google “anagram generator” and you’ll be good at it too.
But don’t. Anagrams are the haiku of 2008. Overdone, overplayed.
Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.
by pdb on Apr 21, 2008 11:01 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
pfft
Poetry with form is so establishment.
Barry Bonds died for your sins.
by JI on Apr 21, 2008 11:25 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
poetry without form
is prose.
the artist formerly known as Mere Tantalisers.
by Bearskin Rugburn on Apr 21, 2008 11:37 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
not neccesailiy
Barry Bonds died for your sins.
by JI on Apr 21, 2008 1:02 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I vote for
sestinas. Easy, fun, no need for burdensome rhyme
the artist formerly known as Mere Tantalisers.
by Bearskin Rugburn on Apr 21, 2008 11:36 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Sestinas are complicated and gimmicky.
Just go with good old fashioned imagism.
so much depends
upon
a red wheel
barrow
glazed with rain
water
beside the white
chickens.
William Carlos Williams is the man.
by Liebkartoffel on Apr 21, 2008 2:08 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Who needs form
Poetry
to verbalize with
out
boundaries
Who needs
structure;
ruLEs
(Boo!)
poetry.
Ill Ligitamus Non Carberendum
by PositivePaul on Apr 21, 2008 3:43 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Title: I love summer
Blood curdling screams of horror and love
Surrounded by thousands of happy, everlasting bunny rabbits
Squashing them to my amusement and dismay
“Mother!” I cried
A well of darkness flows unkempt
Igniting the flame in the sea of my soul
Molesting my fantasies into nightmares
Belying the powers that are unknown
Chasing the end of a colorless rainbow
Illuminated by the candy rope in the tunnel
Rabid kittens gnaw internally
Meowing softly to the music
My scabbed heart sweats pus
A diuretic page of my thoughts
Expressionless chickens mock me
Efficient chaos ruling nothing
Indecisive ‘societies’ of war
Vanity lies in the grooves of the make believe
Shards of thought, slicing deeper
I love you too, Pippin
...and now I'm here
by CapSea on Apr 21, 2008 3:56 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

the artist formerly known as Mere Tantalisers.
by Bearskin Rugburn on Apr 21, 2008 6:51 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Short version of the story here:
http://librocrat.blogspot.com/2008/04/i-love-summer.html
We were posting fake poetry. It reminded me of that one.
...and now I'm here
by CapSea on Apr 21, 2008 7:06 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
oh look, something from
ee cummings?
bad jokes about cummings’ name in 3 2 1….
the artist formerly known as Mere Tantalisers.
by Bearskin Rugburn on Apr 21, 2008 6:34 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
[something about Coach eating kleenex]
Barry Bonds died for your sins.
by JI on Apr 21, 2008 7:51 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
what is complicated about a sestina?
much better than a sonnet if you ask me as English is not an easily rhymed language not being inflected and all. Or maybe it is too easy to rhyme and after a millenium of English literature most of the good ones have been worn out. Imagism is all well and good, but can be contained in a formal poem (and you’ll notice some slant rhyme in the one above).
the artist formerly known as Mere Tantalisers.
by Bearskin Rugburn on Apr 21, 2008 6:33 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I bet it's something random and new agey
Bikram yoga on his off days?
by sammy on Apr 21, 2008 10:46 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Deepak Chopra's "The Magic of Healing Music."
...and now I'm here
by CapSea on Apr 21, 2008 11:55 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

the other angels fan [formerly newlocal]
by Eyebrows on Apr 21, 2008 1:02 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
This happens from time to time.
Roy Halladay insists that he changed the way he threw his cutter last year based on some advice from backup catcher Sal Fasano , and it made him better.
by Llewdor on Apr 21, 2008 11:08 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
More proof that Fasano is a badass.
We don't negotiate with terrorists.
by Mariner John on Apr 21, 2008 10:01 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Slower pitches? Longer career?
Obviously he’s been talking to RA.
Formerly Alaskan, until Alaska showed up at the SB Nation switch. Thanks for nothing, Alaska!
by The Alaskan on Apr 21, 2008 11:33 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs
You know...
I wasn’t sure, but man a few of his pitches definitely looked like they might’ve at least been inspired by a knuckleball.
Ill Ligitamus Non Carberendum
by PositivePaul on Apr 21, 2008 1:24 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
What did Mussina throw, a knuckle curve or something?
Maybe it’s some variant of that. Although Beluga’s quote made it sound more like a change in his delivery to “hide” the ball better. He said the change made is fastball look “harder”.
I like midgets more than I should.
by Thingray on Apr 21, 2008 4:08 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
Hmmm I actually noticed that
it seemed like he was trying to stay closed longer, at least from the windup. If he actually has been successful in figuring out how to hide the ball a little better, that could be great news for the team.
by seattlebruin on Apr 21, 2008 4:44 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
What's Batista's swinging strike % the last few years?
And where can you find such data? I’ve been looking through Fangraphs…
by Fett42 on Apr 21, 2008 6:57 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs
Baseball-Reference
click on Show Pitch Data Summary.
by Jeff Sullivan on Apr 21, 2008 7:02 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs
I love this data so much
And my god Pedro Martinez was fucking amazing
by Fett42 on Apr 21, 2008 7:27 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

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