Arakaki and the others

我去年一整年沒看新垣渚投球，發現新垣渚已不是2005年那只靠fastball、slider在NPB爭兇鬥狠的two-pitch pitcher。arsenal多加了顆高速滑球、cutter。雖有不少人認為這只是名稱上的差別，但就我個人的認知，這兩顆球並不能混為一談。

我之前已提過，新垣渚slider投出來的話，plus沒有問題。硬要挑毛病的話，就是球速慢了點，5/31這場大概投在124~129km/h，最慢122km/h。
fastball穩定投在143~147km/h，最快153km/h，最慢142km/h，均速145.3km/h。這球速在NPB已夠殺了~

新垣渚的高速滑球的變化幅度、軌跡皆較相似於傳統的slider，跟松坂的gyroball也滿像的。
至於cutter的變化幅度明顯小於高速滑球，不過速度較快。另外有趣的是，新垣渚也會double-spin mechanics。就這場而言，投在140km/h以上、變化幅度較不明顯地我大都歸類於cutter。變化幅度較大、投在137~140km/h，被我認定為高速滑球的機率很高。換句話說，我是根據變化幅度的差別來判斷這兩顆球路。

說了一堆，不如直接看影片吧！

新垣渚的高速滑球、double-spin mechanics
http://www.sfu.ca/~thwang/slider-like%20cutter.mpg

http://www.sfu.ca/~thwang/mechanics.mpg

最近我意外發現川上憲伸以及朴明桓都會double-spin mechanics。不過川上的cutter很鳥，高速滑球的球速 + cutter的變化幅度。
朴明桓則是使用double-spin mechanics來投slider，127~134km/h不等，勉強有50分。他也有顆fork-like slider的球路。從慢動作來看，是slider的握法。特別的是出手瞬間時，手腕會往下扣。
看來double-spin並不是松坂的專利，但要投出速度、變化幅度兼顧的魔球，那還是要看天份的~

Doc is back?

Roy Halladay pitched seven solid shut-out innings, while striking out seven and allowing only six hits. Halladay usually is the one who has dominating stuff. His velocity appeared to be down throughout the early season. Halladay also notched his one hundred career wins in his return from an appendectomy. Although Halladay has regained some of his lost velocity, he didn’t have his best stuff. Nevertheless, it was clearly enough to shut down Ozzie's boys. His fastball was sitting at 89~92 mph with fierce sink and late movement. Halladay’s delivery is effortless and somewhat deceptive, which makes it more difficult to pick up. Halladay showed excellent command of his fastball, cutter and sweeping curveball in his return. If you ask me, I have to say that Doc wasn’t himself out there. He can use his 92~94mph sinker to hitters on both sides of plates and utilize his cutter against left-handed hitters. The cutter breaks in toward the hands of lefties 5 or 6 inches when Doc is on top of his game. In fact, his cut fastball features a wipeout action that has more break than a slider of many modest pitchers. Halladay is a competitor and should be hitting his prime; however, it remains to be seen if he can regain the 92-94 mph sinker he showed in previous years.