Toy Cannon
11-19-2006, 11:39 AM
Lefty's sidearm style baffling hitters in Arizona Fall League
http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/app/news/article.jsp?ymd=20061116&content_id=144850&vkey=news_l119&fext=.jsp&sid=l119
It's impossible to get comfortable facing Clay Rapada.
"When batters are coming to the plate and see him, that's the last thing they want to see is a sidearm lefty," catcher Jake Fox said of Rapada, a young left-handed pitcher in the Cubs' system. "It's funny the number of comments you get. 'Are you serious? I have to face this? Can you guys switch?'"
Rapada has a unique delivery that could help him get to the big leagues. He and Fox were teammates in Class A Lansing, and were reunited on the Mesa Solar Sox in the Arizona Fall League.
"He's finally starting to come into his own with his pitching style," Fox said of Rapada in an interview in Mesa, Ariz. "When he first started, he was way down underneath and still trying to get used to it. Now, he's found a middle ground with his release point and I think it's become a lot more comfortable, which to me is helping him with his success. When you get comfortable, then you worry about what's happening and not what you're doing."
Hitters don't feel at ease when they see the 6-foot 5-inch slender lefty staring down at them. At Double-A West Tenn this year, Rapada was 3-2 with 21 saves and a 0.82 ERA in 33 games, striking out 45 over 43 2/3 innings. Batters struggled to hit .192 against him. He was promoted to Triple-A Iowa in late June, and was 3-2 with a 3.04 ERA in 28 games, striking out 21 over 23 2/3 innings.
"Not too many guys like facing pitchers like me," Rapada said.
Through Wednesday, Rapada was 1-1 with a 2.63 ERA in 15 games for the Solar Sox, and had 16 K's in 13 2/3 innings. He has walked three, and finished seven games, but had no saves.
"He's got a really bright future," said Pat Listach, who was Rapada's manager at West Tenn and again in the AFL.
The plan was for Rapada to work on developing a more consistent breaking ball in the AFL. Alan Dunn, who was the pitching coach at Iowa, sees plenty of upside for the young lefty.
"Obviously with that delivery, he has that deception, which can be difficult for left-handed hitters," Dunn said. "He throws a slider and a changeup, and he does a good job of throwing strikes. The thing he has to do a better job at is throwing quality strikes."
Rapada had the oppotunity to face some of the top prospects in other organizations in the AFL, which wrapped up this week. He noted the quick bats that all the hitters have.
"You learn how to pitch real quick and find the zones where they don't hit the ball well," Rapada said.
One of the things Dunn wanted Rapada to work on in the AFL was getting left-handed hitters out. That likely would be his role in the big leagues.
"I've had my fair share of success, but when I was in Triple-A, I was told to focus on lefties, and I think I over-emphasized it," Rapada said. "Every now and then, I'd give up a clutch hit to a lefty and that was the frustrating part."
At Iowa, lefties hit .243 (9-for-37) off Rapada while right-handers hit .360 (18-for-50). At West Tenn, lefties hit .206 off him while righties struggled to bat .189.
New York Mets reliever Chad Bradford is a successful sidearm pitcher now in the big leagues. How would Rapada describe his own style?
"I'm a mix between a sidearm, submarine, somewhere in that area, and throw a pretty heavy ball," Rapada said. "I can go pretty low."
As low as Bradford?
"He's scraping the dirt -- I'm a little higher than he is," Rapada said.
The lefty made the transition from what is a more normal, over-the-top throwing motion to the sidearm in 2003, and says it's more comfortable.
"In the beginning, some body parts would ache more than others," he said, noting his back would hurt from the strange delivery. "I've been able to adjust my workouts and have been fine ever since."
He did go on the disabled list briefly this past season because of a sprained flexor tendon in his middle finger, an injury similar to what Cubs pitcher Sean Marshall experienced. Rapada was shut down for a week, then resumed his throwing program and felt he got into a good groove when he returned. He was used as the West Tenn closer, more by default than design.
"I think down the road, I'd like to close," Rapada said. "I like being a setup pitcher -- whatever gets me there."
And "there," in case you didn't figure it out, is the big leagues.
"I do like [being the closer]," Rapada said. "You know when you're going to pitch. You get to lock in a little better. You're kind of on edge."
Being on edge is how Rapada hopes hitters will react when they see his funky delivery.
http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/app/news/article.jsp?ymd=20061116&content_id=144850&vkey=news_l119&fext=.jsp&sid=l119
It's impossible to get comfortable facing Clay Rapada.
"When batters are coming to the plate and see him, that's the last thing they want to see is a sidearm lefty," catcher Jake Fox said of Rapada, a young left-handed pitcher in the Cubs' system. "It's funny the number of comments you get. 'Are you serious? I have to face this? Can you guys switch?'"
Rapada has a unique delivery that could help him get to the big leagues. He and Fox were teammates in Class A Lansing, and were reunited on the Mesa Solar Sox in the Arizona Fall League.
"He's finally starting to come into his own with his pitching style," Fox said of Rapada in an interview in Mesa, Ariz. "When he first started, he was way down underneath and still trying to get used to it. Now, he's found a middle ground with his release point and I think it's become a lot more comfortable, which to me is helping him with his success. When you get comfortable, then you worry about what's happening and not what you're doing."
Hitters don't feel at ease when they see the 6-foot 5-inch slender lefty staring down at them. At Double-A West Tenn this year, Rapada was 3-2 with 21 saves and a 0.82 ERA in 33 games, striking out 45 over 43 2/3 innings. Batters struggled to hit .192 against him. He was promoted to Triple-A Iowa in late June, and was 3-2 with a 3.04 ERA in 28 games, striking out 21 over 23 2/3 innings.
"Not too many guys like facing pitchers like me," Rapada said.
Through Wednesday, Rapada was 1-1 with a 2.63 ERA in 15 games for the Solar Sox, and had 16 K's in 13 2/3 innings. He has walked three, and finished seven games, but had no saves.
"He's got a really bright future," said Pat Listach, who was Rapada's manager at West Tenn and again in the AFL.
The plan was for Rapada to work on developing a more consistent breaking ball in the AFL. Alan Dunn, who was the pitching coach at Iowa, sees plenty of upside for the young lefty.
"Obviously with that delivery, he has that deception, which can be difficult for left-handed hitters," Dunn said. "He throws a slider and a changeup, and he does a good job of throwing strikes. The thing he has to do a better job at is throwing quality strikes."
Rapada had the oppotunity to face some of the top prospects in other organizations in the AFL, which wrapped up this week. He noted the quick bats that all the hitters have.
"You learn how to pitch real quick and find the zones where they don't hit the ball well," Rapada said.
One of the things Dunn wanted Rapada to work on in the AFL was getting left-handed hitters out. That likely would be his role in the big leagues.
"I've had my fair share of success, but when I was in Triple-A, I was told to focus on lefties, and I think I over-emphasized it," Rapada said. "Every now and then, I'd give up a clutch hit to a lefty and that was the frustrating part."
At Iowa, lefties hit .243 (9-for-37) off Rapada while right-handers hit .360 (18-for-50). At West Tenn, lefties hit .206 off him while righties struggled to bat .189.
New York Mets reliever Chad Bradford is a successful sidearm pitcher now in the big leagues. How would Rapada describe his own style?
"I'm a mix between a sidearm, submarine, somewhere in that area, and throw a pretty heavy ball," Rapada said. "I can go pretty low."
As low as Bradford?
"He's scraping the dirt -- I'm a little higher than he is," Rapada said.
The lefty made the transition from what is a more normal, over-the-top throwing motion to the sidearm in 2003, and says it's more comfortable.
"In the beginning, some body parts would ache more than others," he said, noting his back would hurt from the strange delivery. "I've been able to adjust my workouts and have been fine ever since."
He did go on the disabled list briefly this past season because of a sprained flexor tendon in his middle finger, an injury similar to what Cubs pitcher Sean Marshall experienced. Rapada was shut down for a week, then resumed his throwing program and felt he got into a good groove when he returned. He was used as the West Tenn closer, more by default than design.
"I think down the road, I'd like to close," Rapada said. "I like being a setup pitcher -- whatever gets me there."
And "there," in case you didn't figure it out, is the big leagues.
"I do like [being the closer]," Rapada said. "You know when you're going to pitch. You get to lock in a little better. You're kind of on edge."
Being on edge is how Rapada hopes hitters will react when they see his funky delivery.