March 03, 2009
Slider or Curve?
Richard Durrett interviews Brandon McCarthy about his change from a curve ball to a slider as his third pitch. McCarthy comes off as very knowledgeable about why he's making the change. On top of that, it's less painful to throw:
Is the slider easier on your arm than the curve? I always thought it was the other way around.
I don't really know in that regard. I just know the way I throw the curve was a lot of work. I don't feel that with the slider. I feel it if I throw a curve and I noticed that last year. All I know is now I don't feel any pain with the slider. I try to throw it just like a fastball. I let the grip throw the pitch and get over it like a fastball and let it work as opposed to really yanking it down the way you have to with the curve ball. I don't know if scientifically that makes sense, but for me it's easier.
There's also a good bit about how it's much easier to fool minor league batters with his curve, and how the slider looks more like his fastball. Brandon says he got in trouble last year when his changeup wasn't working, because batters could see the curve from his arm angle. The slider is more difficult to detect.
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Posted by David Pinto at
12:19 PM
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