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SABRMATT sez:
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Hey Doc...you OK? Usually you'd be all about posting a six part series dissecting the martial arts majesty of Kuma's 7 innings of glory or commenting on the bullpen remake and Dipoto's willingness to keep fiddling until he gets it right, etc!
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Taking questions 1-4 in order, my own opinions are:
1. I'm more than OK, in the broadest sense of the word. In the short-term sense of the word, I've got to figure out where the spellchecker is, so I can get the word "short" correct ... :-)
That's to the denizen's benefit. He gets a rough-hewn product that is by its nature more candid. mwahahaha
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2. HISASHI IWAKUMA
The softer he tosses, the better he gets. At this point, he's reminding me of a knuckleballer.
Typical 4th inning, 87 MPH low-away, the batter grits his teeth, WHY did I let that go. 83 MPH shuuto blurps in knee high, the dude swings out of his shoes, the ball drops a good foot-and-a-half just as he swings. 87 away again, batter surprised at such a feeble offering, late, fouls it back. Slider just off the plate. Stinging 90 fastball just over the plate, foul-tip it back. Shuuto breaks way inside. And now....drumroll ... 87 MPH right down the middle, batter freezes.
Haven't checked Brooks, but some of those splitfingers dove way below gravity. And just from the knees to the shins. Dry spitballs that would rival Felix' best ever.
The ball just flits and dives all over at a comfortable hitting speed, and 'Kuma knows when batters are overeager, and it's about the most extreme example I've ever seen of "pitchability" in place of talent. Maddux and Moyer had much better stuff than this.
But! The first two innings, before he had them confused, I honestly couldn't understand how an 87-MPH fastball got by the hitter in a 2-0, 3-1 count. Dr. D feels bad watching the flitballs at this point, for exactly the same reason he feels bad watching Steve Cishek try to nibble. It's not so bad over the course of seven innings, with percentages working in there for you.
It's a cliche, but "he knows how to pitch" does apply to a select few 30-something starting pitchers. 'Kuma has an almost supernatural feel for what he can get away with, and in pitcher's counts particularly.
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The physical appearance of this, has become less like ballet from the loge box and more like the dentist's drill from a distance of 6". But since June, 'Kuma is 10-3, 3.39. How much longer will the flitballs hold them off? For one more game, or for 100. Enter your office pool choice below.
Yes there's a big martial arts principle, Enter when Pulled, Turn when Entered. Boxers stop-hit when the windup is too long; they dodge and only then cross-counter the quick jab. Kuma pulls the string and goes off the plate when the batter is greedy. When the batter is confused he stings them with 90. If there's anybody who's got Bruce Lee's "broken rhythm" grooved in, this is your guy. :- )
Another one: before attempting to take another's balance, you'd best be able to maintain your own. Iwakuma has the grace (and therefore command) of a Jamie Moyer.
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As a #3 starter on a playoff club, behind K-Pax #1 and behind Felix #2 who is currently underrated, Iwakuma is cool by me. The big number for Kuma is 2.0 walks, meaning you have got to beat him. The homer number is 1.24, which means it's not at all out of the question, but you'll have to work to get there, and you do have the Safeco Walls backin' him up. The K number is 6.9, meaning he's got just enough to keep you honest.
Objectively speaking, the biggest intangible is that he's got the heart of a samurai, so even if he's using a couple of couple of short katana against your two-handed sword, it's a whale of a fight. I'm fine with Hisashi in the 3 hole, especially now that he's in trim. Subjectively speaking, he needs something in the stadium honoring him :- )
He's thrown two beauties in a row, 4 in the last 6, and has a perfectly viable shot at 20 wins this year. Love seeing the #3 get to twenty.
My $0.02,
Jeff
