For those of you who can't see yourself when standing in front of the mirror (my odd way of saying that you don't notice the obvious), Josh Beckett is not pitching well entirely due to his injured oblique. When a core muscle (any stomach or back muscle) is injured, it limits twisting and bending. So the arm can throw it hard, but the ball doesn't move as well and just doesn't go quite as hard because there is less bodily torque.
I know it is complicated, but it is rather obvious when he is pitching that he is not turning as well. I think it is more pronounced when he is in the stretch because there is more reliance on core than in the wind-up (which takes more advantage of leg muscle).
I hope you enjoyed our Biology lesson of the day.
Yaros
Thank you Dr. Yaros!
ReplyDeleteI wonder if he'll get the start in Game 6.