Marmol and his reluctance to throw a fastball on a 3-2 count

[ChiCubsfan0502]

Someone answer this for me. Why does Carlos continue to only throw the slider on 3-1 and 3-2 counts? He has been walking a ton of batters on his slider when a fastball is in order. Is it he has no confidence in throwing the heat for a strike?

 

Certainly teams are scouting him and if the hitter knows a 3-1 slider is coming, they are going to be better prepared to smoke it, especially if he keeps hanging them.

 

Len Kapser, are you here? Anyone else want to chime in?

[SouthSideRyan]

He has better control of the slider. He hasn't really been hanging it. When he's had trouble it's been that he hasn't thrown strikes, not that he's getting hit hard.

[GoCubsGo1679625768]

I'm just glad he throwing his slider for strikes more.

[ChiCubsfan0502]

He has better control of the slider. He hasn't really been hanging it. When he's had trouble it's been that he hasn't thrown strikes, not that he's getting hit hard.

 

But if he continues to throw only that pitch when it's 3-1 and 3-2, teams are going to know it's coming. It's becoming easily predictable that he is going to throw that pitch in that situation. Doesn't he have to blow them away with mids 90's heat once in a while?

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Anyone who wants to swing at a slider on 3-1, especially one as good as Marmol's, is going to enjoy a weak groundout, pop out, or whiff, even if he knows it's coming.

[bukie]

It seems that teams have adjusted to Marmol by largely never swinging at the slider and waiting for a mistake fastball. As long as Marmol can throw the slider for strikes, he's unstoppable.

[Sammy Sofa]

It seems that teams have adjusted to Marmol by largely never swinging at the slider and waiting for a mistake fastball. As long as Marmol can throw the slider for strikes, he's unstoppable.

 

Exactly. He's prone to throw his fastball "bad" far more often than the slider.

[CubsBears29]

It seems that teams have adjusted to Marmol by largely never swinging at the slider and waiting for a mistake fastball. As long as Marmol can throw the slider for strikes, he's unstoppable.

 

Can't disagree.

 

But when he's not hitting his spots, or the opposition isn't chasing, he can get into big jams; aka, tonight's 9th inning.

[Magnetic Curses]

It seems that teams have adjusted to Marmol by largely never swinging at the slider and waiting for a mistake fastball. As long as Marmol can throw the slider for strikes, he's unstoppable.

 

Can't disagree.

 

But when he's not hitting his spots, or the opposition isn't chasing, he can get into big jams; aka, tonight's 9th inning.

 

i don't understand why you want marmol to throw more fastballs. it's his fastball that gets hit hard.

 

do you want him to just plate a fastball so he can give up a home run? this doesn't make sense.

[woodchip2153]

Pitch Type by Count  	
                  Fastball	        Curve
Count          Total   Percent   Total  Percent
0-0	          102	  51.78     95     48.22
0-1	           40	  48.19	  43	  51.81
0-2	           18	  42.86	  24	  57.14
1-0	           59	  56.73	  45	  43.27
1-1	           37	  44.05	  47	  55.95
1-2	           27	  36.49	  47	  63.51
2-0	           26	  56.52	  20	  43.48
2-1	           29	  51.79	  27	  48.21
2-2	           24	  28.92	  59	  71.08
3-0	           14	  93.33	   1	   6.67
3-1	           12	  54.55	  10	  45.45
3-2	           18	  38.3	   29	  61.7

 

link

[Jon]

Ooh, another new toy to play with. Thanks, woodchip.

[woodchip2153]

Ooh, another new toy to play with. Thanks, woodchip.

 

yea I found it through this link in The Hardball Times Live. It's an interview with Josh Kalk who has written a couple of articles for THT using Pitchf/x.

 

It has successfully kept me from doing work this morning, which is always a good thing on a Friday.

[shnsajax]

Pitch Type by Count  	
                  Fastball	        Curve
Count          Total   Percent   Total  Percent
0-0	          102	  51.78     95     48.22
0-1	           40	  48.19	  43	  51.81
0-2	           18	  42.86	  24	  57.14
1-0	           59	  56.73	  45	  43.27
1-1	           37	  44.05	  47	  55.95
1-2	           27	  36.49	  47	  63.51
2-0	           26	  56.52	  20	  43.48
2-1	           29	  51.79	  27	  48.21
2-2	           24	  28.92	  59	  71.08
3-0	           14	  93.33	   1	   6.67
3-1	           12	  54.55	  10	  45.45
3-2	           18	  38.3	   29	  61.7

 

link

 

Its clear that's his out pitch, but he does throw a good amount of fastballs

[Ivy.n.Denver]

He really reminds me of Farnsworth right now except with a better slider and a slower fastball.

 

Farnsy could'nt get his fastball over for strikes so he'd throw the slider

[Roast]

He really reminds me of Farnsworth right now except with a better slider and a slower fastball.

 

Farnsy could'nt get his fastball over for strikes so he'd throw the slider

Eh, that's about the only thing they have in common. Farnsworth's slider isn't even in the same realm as Marmol's. And Marmols fastball is a good 4-5 MPH slower on average.

[Jon]

Ooh, another new toy to play with. Thanks, woodchip.

 

yea I found it through this link in The Hardball Times Live. It's an interview with Josh Kalk who has written a couple of articles for THT using Pitchf/x.

 

It has successfully kept me from doing work this morning, which is always a good thing on a Friday.

That's a pretty cool interview. Post any others like that in the future if you come across them.

 

Here's one snippet relevant for everyone:

That said, privately this is something I have looked at and I can tell you that the differences between umpires are very small and they are extremely accurate. I also caution you when watching local broadcasts and ESPN when they show things like K-ZONE and the ball is shown off the plate but called a strike that these systems are only checking the ball as it crosses the front of home plate. MLB rules state that if any part of the ball touches any part of the plate it is a strike so if the ball is close and is moving towards the plate it can easily touch the plate at some other point than the front. This is especially true with sidearmers who come at hitters from a wide angle.

[ChiCubsfan0502]

Lots of fastballs from Carlos tonight. I like it! You have to keep them honest by throwing some heat once in a while.

[ChiCubsfan0502]

 

i don't understand why you want marmol to throw more fastballs. it's his fastball that gets hit hard.

 

do you want him to just plate a fastball so he can give up a home run? this doesn't make sense.

 

 

Seems Soto and Marmol saw what I saw. :thumbsup: Interesting that his numbers have been dominant again since he started throwing more heat.

 

http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080820&content_id=3340911&vkey=news_chc&fext=.jsp&c_id=chc

 

The change didn't happen at the break. Marmol and catcher Geovany Soto actually began talking about mixing in more fastballs before the break because it seemed as if hitters had figured out the right-hander's slider.

 

"He's been pitching real good with his fastball," Soto said. "Before the first half ended, he was using the slider a little more, and teams were starting to hit him a little bit. Now he uses his fastball more. He's got two pitches instead of one.

 

"They sit on the fastball, he throws a slider," Soto said. "When he throws sliders, they're looking fastballs. It's a good plan. He's got a good enough slider and fastball, and neither is easy to hit".

[Ding Dong Johnson]

be careful so you don't pull a muscle trying to pat yourself on the back

[CuseCubFan69]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I think Soto is an above average intellegent baseball player. He knows the flow and pitchers very well at a young age.

[El Ridda]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I think Soto is an above average intellegent baseball player. He knows the flow and pitchers very well at a young age.

 

I actually think he is just blessed with above average intelligence overall. For such a young guy to have such command over calling the game and handling the staff, and to speak such perfect English and give such articulate answers in interviews is very impressive. Sign Geo up for MENSA!

[David]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I think Soto is an above average intellegent baseball player. He knows the flow and pitchers very well at a young age.

 

I actually think he is just blessed with above average intelligence overall. For such a young guy to have such command over calling the game and handling the staff, and to speak such perfect English and give such articulate answers in interviews is very impressive. Sign Geo up for MENSA!

 

English is actually fairly widely spoken in Puerto Rico. I think it's actually mandatory in school there.

 

But he does seem like a smart guy.

[El Ridda]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I think Soto is an above average intellegent baseball player. He knows the flow and pitchers very well at a young age.

 

I actually think he is just blessed with above average intelligence overall. For such a young guy to have such command over calling the game and handling the staff, and to speak such perfect English and give such articulate answers in interviews is very impressive. Sign Geo up for MENSA!

 

English is actually fairly widely spoken in Puerto Rico. I think it's actually mandatory in school there.

 

But he does seem like a smart guy.

 

True that, but I took Spanish throughout school and cannot speak it nearly as well as GEO speaks English when I visit family abroad. That said, he has lived in the US for over 5 years, but still. What impresses me the most about GEO's English is he has a very diverse vocabulary.