In the Tokyo dome in March, you can hear the postal code for the ball.
101 miles per hour.
Pop music from the mask glove looked like gunshots.
100 miles per hour.
Rocky Sasaki He was almost raising his left leg to his head, extending to the bottom of the front side of the rope, and allowing the exit when a white skin was shouting from his hand.
100 miles per hour.
For a brief moment, at the beginning of his career in the Bibli League in the league, it seemed as if the possibility of the emergence of the Japanese phenomenon has already achieved one of its most important goals.
100 miles per hour.
during For the first time in MLB in JapanSasaki hit 100 mph speeds on each of the first four stadiums in the Grand League. In the first half in that match on March 19 against Chicago Al-Ashbar, it exceeded 99 miles per hour eight times in the framework of 1-2-3.
As for a young Nami jug that came to the specializations that were installed in this season to improve the speed of fast football, it was a promising early sign-a clear indication that after a slight decrease in Vastbaall Velo during his last season in Japan, 6-feet-length properties are still of half-three ownership.
“Speed”, manager Dave Roberts He said that day, “It was good.”
The first four Rocky Sasaki stadiums were the first MLB against Chicago Cubs in the Tokyo Dome in March at least 100 miles per hour. It has not reached that speed since then.
(Robert Gotier / Los Angeles Times)
Almost two months later, in one of the most confused developments in Evading“A successful start for this season, Sasaki did not come close to flirting with 100 miles per hour again.
Instead, on a sample of seven volatile matches after the team returned from Japan, Sasaki struggled to throw the ball strongly, as it was 96 miles per hour with four columns throughout this season while he was sometimes descending to a range of 92-93 miles per hour.
“It is not a perfect situation,” the club coach Mark before He said. “It is clear that the fast ball will not carry the area in 93 with great effectiveness.”
For some jugs, this will not be to press a problem. Even in the era of rapidly high ball speeds around this sport, sitting in the mid -1990s is still higher than the average main league.
However, SASAKI needs a distinct speed (in addition to a fixed matter) to make his heater competitive. Because, despite all other raw natural talents, there is not much natural deception on the field.
Unlike the best fast balls in this sport, Sasaki does not throw his four enthusiasm in turn or a “vertical break” (stadium properties that can give fast balls an increased illusion during its barrel towards the painting). While others can miss the bats at less than the average, the Sasaki’s Four -seamer has an easy-to-reach shape.
As a result, the fast ball has always been based on the speed that abandoned the eye-which required an elite radar readings to detonate the opponents.
“The speed allows this margin of error,” said Prime last week. It is clear that this is not present [right now]”
When evaluating the overwhelming start of Sasaki for the season – he has 4.72 pm and 1.485 whip in its first eight eight, where he only recorded 34 ⅓ with only 24 passes and 22 walking – the most obvious red flag was to perform a fast ball.
To date, his brand break has been an effective weapon, as it has achieved average beating. The slimming scrolling bar was a good secondary option, as opponents were attending three compared to 12 interviews while appearing on 33 % of fluctuations.
On the other hand, Sasaki’s ball, on the other hand, was vulnerable to the improving multiplication level that he faced in the major league championships, which led to four columns between the eligible MLB beginners.
It was granted, that the lack of Sasaki’s leadership has shown in such struggles, leaving him often on unfavorable strikes as the opponents are better to finish errors.
“I think men are in Fastbaall because it is the only thing that may be in the region more than anything else,” said Prea. “This is due to his ability to throw other stadiums for strikes, be able to mix, and perhaps balance with the three.”
However, since the first appearance feeds adrenaline in his country of origin, Sasaki did not even get one fast ball of 99 miles per hour. In that same period, he cleared 27 failures in the eclipse 94 miles. Every week, the speed of the decimal fast ball has become a biggest chat point about its matches. But so far, some answers have been embodied on how to fix it.
“I am still in the process of discovering this radical cause [is]Sasaki said through the translator Will Will at the end of last week, after Arizona Diamondbacks operated a heater of 94.9 miles per hour in A. Four aspects, the beginning of five This is his worst picnic for this year.
“[I’m] “Work with my coach, and talking to people about this, I am not completely sure and I can’t really determine the only reason,” Sasaki added.
The Dodgers training team faced the same puzzle this year, struggling to determine the reason for the presence of a very crucial element for Sasaki’s success – the speed of the fast ball was the focus point during the free Sasak “The mission of homework” On how they planned to improve it – it was out of advertising during the start of the rising season.
He previously admitted that there is “clearly some of the delivery things” that “still trying to work” at the present time. After fighting with the wild driving in its first few manifestations, Sasaki and the team also discussed whether the connection is a little with the intensity of his sands can help him locate the stadiums on the plate.
However, mechanics alone do not explain why the Sasaki fast ball decreased in the nineties low of some of the year’s extensions, before a confrontation.
Although Sasaki’s leadership has improved somewhat while throwing it less at a lower speed, he insisted on all of him and Pray Filo did not drop this intentionally.
“For us, it’s always,” if it is 100 or if he is 98 years old, then this is good, if it is easier to control or something like that. “We have this conversation,” said Sport. “But nothing was so much.”
Given that Sasaki has not shown any signs of any physical disease, it is possible that he can suffer from the problem of condemnation on the field in his new environment in MLB, and may lack internal confidence to allow the fast ball constantly at maximum speeds.
“We return to the drawing board every week with him. We are trying to talk to him about some things, some ideas,” said Berri. “But in the end, he works through his operation, and we are only trying to support him with everything we can.”
To this point, this process did not include adding a different variety of a more suitable fast ball in generating a soft connection, such as SEAMER or Cuteter. Sasaki repeatedly said that his primary goal is to hone his primary arsenal for the fast ball.
“There were many conversations about many different things,” said Spur. “Once again, we go every week with him, and we are trying to shed light on the things that we think will be some improvement. But in the end, again, I think he is trying to try to put him under him, and to be comfortable with what he is doing.”
In fact, the evaders still argue that all this is part of the long-term development arc in Sassaki-unavoidable pain for the star who, despite all That surrounded his signatureHe reached the majors as a recognized work under progress.
“He is definitely talented,” said Roberts. “But there is a termination school. This is something we were ready for. I know it is difficult for him to embrace complete success, but this is a difficult role.”
When the fast ball in Sasaki rose, he also got results. On the heaters that were thrown at 97 miles per hour or above, opponents fight.
“It will make adjustments to how the hunger strikes respond,” said Roberts. “I think you know this by doing this here.”
But until this happens, the fast Sasaki ball begins to return to the levels of the nineties of the last century or 100 miles per hour in which it is flashing in Japan, you can wait for more struggles. More growth pain may have to bear.
