Have found myself really studying various pitcher's deliveries of late........Verlander, NC's Robert Woodard, and this morning am watching this Japanese kid, Okajima in the Sox-Giants game. The kid has a remarkable ERA and they were saying how hitters claim to have a very hard time picking up the ball from Okajima. The kid doesn't throw hard.
I'd really like to hear thoughts on WHAT this guy is doing that seems so deceiving to the hitter. My inexpert eyes have picked up on a couple of things that may or may not be of importance.
1) Throwing arm seems to come from behind his back and over the top, so ball is well-hidden until release.
2) His follow-through is so aggressive....and makes it seem like the ball should be coming in much harder than it does, each and every time.
Thoughts?
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