djm305 Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/basebal...story?track=rss Nolasco OK with splits BY JUAN C. RODRIGUEZ | South Florida Sun-Sentinel April 24, 2008 ATLANTA - The Pirates' telecast Tuesday night zoomed in on Ricky Nolasco's grip at one point. It clearly showed Nolasco's index and middle finger spread wide over the ball before he threw a pitch that plummeted as it reached the plate. No doubt about it. Nolasco was throwing a split-finger fastball. He worked on the pitch during spring training and it turns out he throws a nice one. "I always thought I would have a pretty good feel for it," Nolasco said. "With the split, I'm pretty dominant with these two fingers [index and middle]. I felt I could just throw it without trying to baby it like a regular circle change." The split has replaced the changeup in Nolasco's arsenal. It should prove a particularly effective weapon against left-handers, who hit .338 off him in 2006 when he appeared in 35 games (22 starts). Nolasco is just as likely to start a hitter with a split as he is to throw it on a full count. He has compared notes with Lee Gardner and others who throw it, and tried out a few different grips, including the traditional middle and index fingers along the horseshoe part of the seams. "It's pretty much something I just need to get over for strikes and keep down," Nolasco said. "As long as I stay through it, it's got some pretty good drop there at the end." Among the drawbacks is it's a tough pitch on the elbow. Nolasco spent most of last season sidelined with elbow inflammation and didn't experiment with it then, but he has no reservations about throwing it now. "I'm 100 percent healthy," he said. "As long as I'm throwing it right, I'll be fine." Vintage Cantu Third baseman Jorge Cantu entered Wednesday's game among the team's hottest hitters. He drove in both runs in the Marlins' 3-2 loss Tuesday, including one with a solo homer, and was 10 for his past 17 (.588) through Tuesday, raising his average to a season-high .338. His offensive performance is familiar to a few of his teammates. Pitchers Mark Hendrickson and Doug Waechter played with Cantu in 2005, when he hit 28 homers and knocked in 117 for Tampa Bay. "This is reminiscent of what he did that year," Waechter said. "That whole year he was just locked in. When a player gets locked in it's usually for a two-month period. He lasted all year with it." Cantu has been able to keep some off-field issues from becoming a distraction. A Pinellas County Court judge recently denied St. Petersburg resident Nanci Michelle Ikerd's request for a temporary protection order, according to agent Steve Canter. Wednesday, after a hearing was held on the matter, Canter reiterated allegations that his client verbally threatened and bruised Ikerd's arm in February were false. Ikerd has the right to continue pursuing the issue and a continuance was granted until May 7. Trophy fish Director of media relations Matt Roebuck rejoined the team in Atlanta two days after completing the Boston Marathon. Marlins coaches, players and staff had a surprise waiting for him. Half the team emerged and presented Roebuck with a five-foot trophy commemorating his accomplishment. Luis Gonzalez, who sponsored Roebuck, tried to chide him into taking a lap around Turner Field with the trophy, prompting Roebuck to say, "I can barely walk." My question is, why doesn't he use it more? It looked like a pretty nice pitch when he threw it. He can use this an an out pitch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marlins2003 Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 I read it earlier. I liked it right up to where is says it can be harmful to the elbow. :banghead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legacyofCangelosi Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 I don't see why its replacing the changeup. If he has a split added to his arsenal, why not also continue to incorporate changeups. The more pitches the better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djm305 Posted April 24, 2008 Author Share Posted April 24, 2008 I don't see why its replacing the changeup. If he has a split added to his arsenal, why not also continue to incorporate changeups. The more pitches the better. I think because the splitter is almost the same speed as his changeup. They are too similar? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soflasports Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 I don't see why its replacing the changeup. If he has a split added to his arsenal, why not also continue to incorporate changeups. The more pitches the better. I think because the splitter is almost the same speed as his changeup. They are too similar? That's correct, the split finger is a similar pitch to the changeup, and should actually be called a splitfinger change, as its a change of pace pitch. The fact that you are splitting your fingers accross the ball allows you to throw it with max effort yet the ball arrives to the plate 8-12 mph less than your fastball. He really needs to throw this more, and use it against righties too. Righties are sitting on the big curve. I also noticed Nolasco has come up with a second variation of his big loopy curve, which acts more like a slider. Tighter curve and more side to side motion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rydawg Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 I don't see why its replacing the changeup. If he has a split added to his arsenal, why not also continue to incorporate changeups. The more pitches the better. I think because the splitter is almost the same speed as his changeup. They are too similar? That's correct, the split finger is a similar pitch to the changeup, and should actually be called a splitfinger change, as its a change of pace pitch. The fact that you are splitting your fingers accross the ball allows you to throw it with max effort yet the ball arrives to the plate 8-12 mph less than your fastball. He really needs to throw this more, and use it against righties too. Righties are sitting on the big curve. I also noticed Nolasco has come up with a second variation of his big loopy curve, which acts more like a slider. Tighter curve and more side to side motion. Well for that matter, anything that is not a fastball is a change-up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbethan Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 I don't see why its replacing the changeup. If he has a split added to his arsenal, why not also continue to incorporate changeups. The more pitches the better. I think because the splitter is almost the same speed as his changeup. They are too similar? That's correct, the split finger is a similar pitch to the changeup, and should actually be called a splitfinger change, as its a change of pace pitch. The fact that you are splitting your fingers accross the ball allows you to throw it with max effort yet the ball arrives to the plate 8-12 mph less than your fastball. He really needs to throw this more, and use it against righties too. Righties are sitting on the big curve. I also noticed Nolasco has come up with a second variation of his big loopy curve, which acts more like a slider. Tighter curve and more side to side motion. Well for that matter, anything that is not a fastball is a change-up. Hehe. That's true. Should we call it a 2-seam changeup? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geemoney Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 Never hear anyone say forkball anymore. They are awesome. I taught myself how to throw it in High School. Unfortunately, I wasn't a pitcher so I never used it in a game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PitchingWinsGames Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 Never hear anyone say forkball anymore. To be fair, a forkball is a little different from a splitter, a little slower and a little more movement... :thumbup Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Girardi Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 Just have Nolasco learn the screw ball, problem solve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PitchingWinsGames Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 Never hear anyone say forkball anymore. To be fair, a forkball is a little different from a splitter, a little slower and a little more movement... :thumbup Yeah, but nobody throws the damn thing. I miss it. I saw Bryan Harvey throw it when I was in 6th grade and thought I might try and add it to my repertoire while the other guys practiced throwing knuckle balls that didn't do anything. I tried throwing it in highschool, but my command was usually bad enough without trying to throw anything that required snapping my wrist, so I was afraid of trying to throw it in a game since I figured it would just end up 20 feet from homeplate. If memory serves me, the only active pitcher that throws it is Jose Contreras Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbethan Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 Never hear anyone say forkball anymore. To be fair, a forkball is a little different from a splitter, a little slower and a little more movement... :thumbup Yeah, but nobody throws the damn thing. I miss it. I saw Bryan Harvey throw it when I was in 6th grade and thought I might try and add it to my repertoire while the other guys practiced throwing knuckle balls that didn't do anything. I tried throwing it in highschool, but my command was usually bad enough without trying to throw anything that required snapping my wrist, so I was afraid of trying to throw it in a game since I figured it would just end up 20 feet from homeplate. If memory serves me, the only active pitcher that throws it is Jose Contreras I'm gonna have to google this. I shouldn't be bothered by not knowing who throws a forkball, but now I am. And this started out as a f*cking joke. I hate it when I do this. Doesn't Nomo throw one? And I think Wang does everyonce in a while as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PitchingWinsGames Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 Yeah, I always forget about Nomo, he's faded into obscurity hasn't he... and Wang probably does. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tee Ball Bunt Machine Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 Wikipedia lists the following forkballers: Nomo, Contreras, Wang, Edwar Ramirez(NYY) and Kazumi Saitoh (Japanese league pitcher). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flasportsfan88 Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 I always thought the forkball was the offspeed and the split finger was a fastball. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PitchingWinsGames Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 I always thought the forkball was the offspeed and the split finger was a fastball. they're both "offspeed" because they're slower than a fastball... but the forkball IS slower than the split... the split has fastball rotation, but the topspin on the ball slows it down nonetheless Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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