Kazuhisa Makita: His pitches don't register on radar guns...

[Rock Strongo]

not because theyre too fast.

Submariner, 33 years old, from Yaizu, Japan, but get this: His average fastball is 3.5 mph slower than Pedro Florimon's. Pedro Florimon is a utility dude who had to pitch a mop-up inning for the Phillies last week.

Makita's fastball has thus far averaged 80.8 mph. MLB's Gameday application reliably calls it a changeup. He throws a curveball in the mid-50s. It doesn't show up on radar guns. Look at the second pitch here:


After 62 pitches for the Padres this season, your hero Kazuhisa Makita has induced 11 swinging strikes. Meanwhile, in St. Louis, Jordan Hicks -- a 22-year-old phenom whose average fastball is the hardest in the game this season, at 99.7 mph -- has thrown 63 pitches, and he has induced six swinging strikes.

 

[Rock Strongo]

FYI, 91 km is 56 mph

 

[The Q]

Kinda like this guy:

 

[Rock Strongo]

Kinda like this guy:

why they made this monstrosity is beyond me.

 

[batchaps4me]

FYI, 91 km is 56 mph

I am fast enough, strong enough and big enough where it counts. I am just using the wrong units of measurement.

 

[Fountain City Blues]

All this proves to me is he can't drive 55.

 

[Rock Strongo]

All this proves to me is he can't drive 55.

koji redux

(who, btw, has pitched 4 innings of perfect ball in japan)

 

[dougplayer]

give me a bat..i will hit that shit..
MAGA!!!

 

[richig07]

not because theyre too fast.

Submariner, 33 years old, from Yaizu, Japan, but get this: His average fastball is 3.5 mph slower than Pedro Florimon's. Pedro Florimon is a utility dude who had to pitch a mop-up inning for the Phillies last week.

Makita's fastball has thus far averaged 80.8 mph. MLB's Gameday application reliably calls it a changeup. He throws a curveball in the mid-50s. It doesn't show up on radar guns. Look at the second pitch here:


After 62 pitches for the Padres this season, your hero Kazuhisa Makita has induced 11 swinging strikes. Meanwhile, in St. Louis, Jordan Hicks -- a 22-year-old phenom whose average fastball is the hardest in the game this season, at 99.7 mph -- has thrown 63 pitches, and he has induced six swinging strikes.

Look up "Shingo Takatsu"

The White Sox tried this. It worked for a half of a season and he became a fan favorite. After the league saw him a few times - his ass got tuned the fuck up.

2.37 ERA with the White Sox in 2004
5.97 ERA with the White Sox in 2005
Out of baseball in 2006

Shingo Takatsu Stats | Baseball-Reference.com

 

[navamind]

tl;dr: he throws harder than Tim Wakefield and Jamie Moyer

 

[batchaps4me]

He definitely is not Sidd Finch, that is for sure.

 

[Rock Strongo]

Look up "Shingo Takatsu"

The White Sox tried this. It worked for a half of a season and he became a fan favorite. After the league saw him a few times - his ass got tuned the fuck up.

2.37 ERA with the White Sox in 2004
5.97 ERA with the White Sox in 2005
Out of baseball in 2006

Shingo Takatsu Stats | Baseball-Reference.com

lol

11 HR in 36 IP

 

[richig07]

lol

11 HR in 36 IP

He through this weird pitch (forgot the name) that came in around like 50 MPH. I was in high school. Everyone on my team would try to throw it fucking around. It turns out Major Leaguers eventually figure out how to hit 50 MPH pitches really far... who would have thought?

 

[packerzrule]

He through this weird pitch (forgot the name) that came in around like 50 MPH. I was in high school. Everyone on my team would try to throw it fucking around. It turns out Major Leaguers eventually figure out how to hit 50 MPH pitches really far... who would have thought?

Would that be the eephus pitch perhaps?

 

[richig07]

Would that be the eephus pitch perhaps?

Nah. I want to say it was called like a "frisbee" pitch or something. It had a sumbarine release point. It would go up from the arm slot, away from a righty and then drop back into him.