WPCNR PRESS BOX. By Bob and Jenny Petrucci. October 11, 2005: First, we’re Yankees fans. I (Bob) did not accurately predict the result of the playoff series… picking the Angels in 4…primarily because the Angels depend less upon the “Bust ‘Em Inside” pitching philosophy (BEIPP) than the Yankees do (which was/is almost all the time).
On last night’s broadcast, even announcer Tim McCarver (with whom we almost never agree) said, when Garrett Anderson was batting, that he doesn’t understand why the Yankees try to pitch inside like that, especially when the hitter is looking inside. (As many of you may remember our published article last year (“Swinging in Reverse”), that’s exactly why in our view the Red Sox beat the Yankees. Seems the Yankees did not learn from that experience.)
We also feel, because of this BEIPP prevalence, that ERAs, HRs and RBIs are so high.
How much worse could it possibly be to concentrate on knee-thigh high fastballs on the outside part of the plate, especially sinking. (with occasional inside and down, knee-high curveballs and under the hands fastballs to set them up…completing most batters’ weak points of the periphery triangle)?
Nope, makes no sense.
Accurate Prediction on the Giambino
As many of you know, at this season’s start, we published our view that Giambi would hit about 25-30 HRs, with about a 260-70 BA and about 80-85 RBIs..all depending upon how many pitchers pitched him inside straight balls. The more they did, we said, they higher the numbers. His season-end numbers were 32 HRs. 271 BA, 87 RBIs. Not bad a prediction (but there’s more later). In the playoffs, he had 6 hits (singles and doubles), numerous walks and no home runs.
During the season, Giambi hit zero home runs on outside fastballs. We think, moreover, that his first hit on an outside pitch (though an offspeed one) came in the Yankees 11-7 home playoff loss. That hit was a slow dribbler that managed to get through because of an overshift. (He may also have had a bunt down the third base line during the season…an overshift tradeoff that many teams would take).
Inside Pitch Not a Good Thing to Throw.
Here’s the stunning part about his numbers this year…Virtually every single hit (and every home run) came from inside, non-sinking pitches (knee high to gut high…fastballs and some up hanging curveballs). Case in point: In the Angels’ Playoffs, 5 of Giambi’s 6 hits were on belt-high fastballs/hanging curveballs…over the inside part of the plate. .
In other words, for the most part, he was pitched primarily in the only zone that his swing permitted max contact (and there is a specific reason for this. If you want to know, just call).
Why he (and other similar-swing batters) isn’t pitched fastballs over the outside part of the plate (until he proved he could hit them) is astounding.
Pitching Outside the Key.
Key: His mechanism simply won’t allow him to catch up to them (and often not reach them). It takes considerable time, on such a swing, to open the entire front side (which also causes a “spin out” which pulls him away from outside pitches and contracts his swing arc/reach. On a particular swing recently, his front shoulder was pointing or past directly behind him, when his bat missed the ball. Can you imagine a professional golfer hitting a 300 yard drive that way? They are basically square at impact.).
Still, considerable credit must be given to Giambi for his comeback from the trials and tribulations of last year…and for the swing changes that he did make…especially from the early part of the season when he was literally trying to drive his left fist/arm (facing down) straight at the pitcher. Where he got that from is beyond us. We don’t recall Giambi doing that with Oakland.
In our view, he utimately changed that swing…and we think due primarily to A-Rod’s influence. Still, Giambi has a way to go before he recaptures the powerful, smooth swing of Oakland years past. He is on the right track though (as, we feel, he has made 2 of the 3 needed corrections; 1 more will allow him to reach the outside pitches). By the way, we think his numbers should be closer to 50 HRs, 300 BA, 125 RBIs.
Why Yankee Pitchers Are Inconsistent
Recently, someone asked us why the Yankees’ pitchers can’t seem to do the job. Here are parts of our answer:
… First our published article from last year still applies. (See CitizeNetReporter Archives). They (the Yankees) didn’t move from it…they can get away with pitching the second tier teams inside non-sinkers but not the good teams. That’s the reason why the RS beat the Yankees last year.
In short, the main problem (somewhat excusable last year but not this year) in the playoffs (and we don’t know who fosters/ok’s it) is the Yankees’ “Bust ‘Em Inside” pitching philosophy (or BEIPP). The alleged (and we say unsubstantiated) reason is that they don’t want the opposition to extend their arms That’s exactly what they should want most batters these days to do (If you want to know why, just call).
You watch any hit by the opposition (and by the Yankees) and you will see that the vast majority of them are on straight or off-speed hanging pitches…on the inside half of the plate from knee to gut high…that don’t sink.
Only Baseball Knows or Doesn’t Want to Know.
Anyway, we have emailed, called, faxed the Yankees for 2+ years telling them all this. We even emailed Francessa (Mike) and other radio people. No response. Not even a “thanks for your email”. Nothing. We even mentioned it to someone we know whom we are told knows Joe Torre… nothing, After all, what could we present civilians know, right?
And so they continue with their BEIPP…it didn’t even work for RJ (Randy Johnson). (Note: Tonight, he pitched mostly outside (even then he needed to be careful with side-armish sweeping curveballs) with far better results. Last night, Leiter pitched the outside part of the plate really well against 2 batters…and then “inexplicably” went inside.)
Inability to Hit a Spot. Refusal to Buck Baseball Tradition.
Why…because in our view, it’s the philosophy…the approach…not so much the pitchers. (Note: It’s hard to believe that professional baseball pitchers cannot hit the glove over the outside part of the plate with 85 mph fastballs (even sinking). That’s like “Tryout Day 1” stuff.)
In our view, the solution is really simple: throw curveballs/sinkers in and down, over and off the inside part of the plate…throw high heat under the hands…and then hard heat over the outside part of the plate knee to belt high..sinking even better (weakest point of the periphery triangle). And you keep doing it until the opposition proves, beyond doubt, that they can consistently hit that outside pitch (Dunk singles, dribblers and bunts don’t count). Only 2-3 Yankees can touch the outside…with some power or consistency.
And there is a technical, mechanical reason for this (per our swing research project). And we tried repeatedly to tell the Yankees, through many sources and ways.
They were not listening…again.
Thanks for reading. Your comments are always appreciated.
Bob and Jenny
