(image via SI)
Sports Illustrated devotes some serious space to a well-researched story on the science behind the wacky wobbler, the mythical apparently real gyroball. The story is a bit non-committal on whether Daisuke Matsuzaka can actually throw the pitch, as is the player himself. We personally can't wait for someone to Youtube the video referred to within the excellent story, entitled "18-Year-Old Daisuke Matsuzaka: The Super Rookie's Spirit and Technique".
Click through for additional renderings and a history/explanation of the mysterious pitch.
(UPDATE: It appears the SI story is an abridged version of this more expansive piece. Great stuff.)
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Does it really matter if he can throw it? He's an overpaid myth built from Boras' press machine, who's never pitched on five days rest, with some type of shoulder issue that's going to really limit his ability.
Man, why couldn't the Sox have gotten in on some of that Andy Pettitte action? Things never work out for Theo! He's so cheap and incapable of buiding a rotation, it's hard to fathom that this is going to help his reputation as the worst GM in baseball. He'll surely be run out of town for passing on more desireable free agents.
Posted by: Brad | Friday, January 26, 2007 at 12:40 PM
Wow, Brad sets the standard for preemptive trolling..
Posted by: Lar | Friday, January 26, 2007 at 01:14 PM
Right, Lar.
Let's not make everything into a Yanks/Sox war, Brad, ok?!
Posted by: SF | Friday, January 26, 2007 at 01:16 PM
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Posted by: dc | Friday, January 26, 2007 at 01:58 PM
jesus, panty bunch.
Nevermind the sarcastic joke.
Posted by: Brad | Friday, January 26, 2007 at 02:12 PM
i thought it was funny, but given the double-standard, if i said something similar, i'd have been clobbered by the sf's...oh well...
Posted by: dc | Friday, January 26, 2007 at 02:23 PM
But dc, something simiar said by would have to be about a Yankee player, and we all know that the Yankee roster has no holes or questions marks, so it wouldn't have been nearly as funny. :-)
Posted by: LocklandSF | Friday, January 26, 2007 at 02:32 PM
good one...the yankee roster has more holes than the big dig...i know that...i'm drowning in koolaid...
Posted by: dc | Friday, January 26, 2007 at 02:40 PM
There are some transcripts available from the introduction of Drew today over on BDD. It's a decent conversation from all sides.
Posted by: Brad | Friday, January 26, 2007 at 02:43 PM
zzzzzzzzzzz
Posted by: dc | Friday, January 26, 2007 at 03:37 PM
dc's keyboard must be broken. Or, some of those sour grapes fell on it and got it all wet and nasty.
Posted by: Brad | Friday, January 26, 2007 at 03:42 PM
hee hee [i'll save you some, i know it's your favorite snack]....
Posted by: dc | Friday, January 26, 2007 at 03:53 PM
mmmmm.
Posted by: Brad | Friday, January 26, 2007 at 03:55 PM
damnit. i got in too late for the sour grapes. let me know when the glass house community start the rock throwing contest.
Posted by: sf rod | Friday, January 26, 2007 at 05:11 PM
...plenty to go around for all of us sfrod...i may make some w[h]ine...
Posted by: dc | Friday, January 26, 2007 at 08:06 PM
The physics involved in generating a well-thrown gyro shouldn't surprise anyone. What would be really impressive would be a machine that could duplicate any given throw. It wouldn't take much to build anyhow. Something for mythbusters...
Posted by: Baseball Tickets | Monday, February 12, 2007 at 04:30 PM
Also, FREAKING AWESOME simulations.
Posted by: Baseball Tickets | Monday, February 12, 2007 at 04:32 PM