Close call on Unit's 300th

The ball doesn't move that much vertically in the final 18 inches of a 55-foot flight path.

 

A good splitter does, but that wasn't a splitter...

 

I'd even question the splitter. But we'd have to set up a good test to be sure.

 

I found this pretty cool Japanese video on youtube dedicated to the splitty. It's got some footage of Hideo Nomo, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Ichiro. Mike Scott threw a nasty splitter back in the day, with some pretty violent late-breaking movement. Which of course has absolutely nothing to do with this thread!

 

You should read about the amazing experiments that Bucknell professor Arthur Shapiro conducted recently.

Here's a quote from an AP story:

 

No wonder Jesus can't hit it.

 

The picture is kind of worthless for a simple reason: We don't see Dunn's feet.

His right (front) knee is obviously higher than his left (back) knee. Now, as someone argued, his back leg is bent a bit, but what makes the picture worthless is the fact we don't see his feet, thus we can't tell if his front foot is slightly off the ground. Even if it's not off the ground (as most hitters would have their front foot in a ready-to-hit position), his foot is probably up on his toes.

Thus, it's in reality much less cut-and-dried than the picture with the lines would have you believe. Drop that line corresponding with the front knee a couple inches and it becomes much, much closer to a strike.

 

No doubt Tony. Look at the video:


http://mlb.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?content_id=4875541

 

Yup, he clearly picks up the front leg. Using that picture and acting like the front knee is the line is a bit of a fraud.

 

Chef says FUCK YOU ASSHOLES LEAVE THE UMPIRE ALONE!!!!! [/instant nostalgia]

 

I was sitting on my couch in California, knowing that I was going to Phoenix to cover Units next game if he didn't get 300 in DC. I thought for sure I was going for a second, before that gift of a call.

 

Considering the strike zone actually starts at the hollow beneath the knee cap, the bottom line in the above picture is actually in the strike zone.

Furthermore, this is Adam Dunn we're talking about. He would have found a way to strike out in that at bat anyway.