Barry Zito, of the Oakland Athletics, owned the fourth-slowest fastball in the American League last year. At 85.8 MPH, it’s nothing to write home about; nonetheless, this past December, the San Francisco Giants signed him to what has become the biggest deal in baseball history for a pitcher: $126 million for 7 years.

Zito is the countercurrent to the fastball culture baseball enthusiasts bask in today.

 

Instead of having his pitching arm catch fire by letting loose, Zito is the type that will beat a hitter with strategy: setting him up, outsmarting him, and throwing him what he wouldn’t expect. In a time and age where everything is so centered around who will pitch triple digits during a game, it’s players like Zito that stand out for their lack of importance in how fast he can throw a baseball. Compare that to one Brad Lidge of the Houston Astros, whose fastest pitch in 2006 was 102 MPH. The decision as to who you would choose to be the pitcher for your team will rely solely on how you coach, but it can’t be denied that fans, commentators and the media are so fascinated by these numbers that it’s become the norm. One can’t imagine life without the pitch speed popping up on the screen after every throw.

The fastball fascination is not new: back in 1988, Dodgers pitcher Jay Howell formed the “Brain-Dead Heavers,” a club that had six conditions for any aspiring member:

1)      No change-ups

2)      Throw as hard as you can

3)      Change speeds by throwing harder

4)      Absolutely no location

5)      Little (to no) attention paid to mechanics

6)      Never read the scouting reports.

Times are different now. When you factor in weight training, performance-enhancing drugs or the fact of evolution, it should be of no surprise to see high school graduates who are 6”5 tall and over 200 pounds. When you get that big, a lot of raw power comes with it as well.

Even though the message that pitchers like Zito transmit, that of being resourceful at the mount instead of a power thrower, gets lost during broadcast when the Little League World Series in

Williamsport, Pa., posts gun readings after every pitch on ESPN. Little-known stories still float around dugouts across the country, though, like that of Frank Tanana, who drastically shifted gears from power throws to being the Indiana Jones of pitchers after arm surgery. Adaptability was his game. Hopefully this season will see a shift in focus towards mechanics and location, not velocity. All bets are off when the regular season of the MLB begins, and you can wager on all exhibition games now at Bestlinesports.com!