Rick Sutcliffe breaks down why he wasn't able to throw a split-finger fastball

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Rahimi & Grote Show 9 min 4 speakers 4 chapters transcribed 2 months ago

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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?

Vinny Rotino 0:00

rahimi harrison grody oh sorry but what's your profanity you said pop of the mind no no you know what that's that's you gotta let it flow our poor producer ray spilled his coffee so thanks for christening our studio over here no no it's okay it's okay middays 10 to 2 on 104.3 the score what's happening

Marshall Harris 0:25

I'm scared.

Vinny Rotino 0:26

I'm so old. I love this song way too much. Russ is snapping his fingers. I am distracted.

Marshall Harris 0:32

I'm scared.

Vinny Rotino 0:33

Okay, so last night, Rick Sutcliffe, I always enjoy when he's on the broadcast on Marquee. He just brings a different vibe. He'll tell you a lot of stuff. He and George Kittle were having fun out there. And then in the middle of all of this, prior to Kittle even being on... Rick Sutcliffe taught us a lot about Jameson Tyone and then ultimately himself in this clip. Take a listen.

Rick Sutcliffe 0:56

And I definitely don't want to jinx him by talking about what he's doing well. But this is something that you remember, Alex. In spring training, he did a late lap, like right at the end of camp, because he wasn't happy with the spin rate and the way things were coming out, his command. And him and Tommy had to be figured out that as he taps that foot, now he won't do it with a man on, but by tapping that foot a couple of times rather than just one real quick one, all of a sudden he was able to get the ball down and keep it out of the air. And just for some of the younger fans who are out there that might not understand, between the two and the four-seam, four-seam, you better have some velo to it.

Rick Sutcliffe 1:33

You need to get it by people or have it in a great spot. When you throw a good two-seamer that has some downward movement, you really don't, you're Greg Maddux. You don't have to locate it. You just have to keep it from getting in the air.

Unknown 1:45

Son, if I were ever to write a book on baseball, it would be called Death of the Two-Seamer because they don't call it a two-seamer anymore. They call it a sinker.

Rick Sutcliffe 1:51

Yeah, yeah.

Unknown 1:52

When did that happen? I think it was after you played, but before you started broadcasting this game.

Rick Sutcliffe 1:58

I didn't have a two-seamer. I wish I would have on days like this.

Unknown 2:02

With a stiff win to left, try to keep the ball down. Lance Rozowski, what do we got? Yeah, you guys talking about two-seamers here. I was talking with Tyone after yesterday's game. One of the big things that he wants to incorporate more is that sinker to both lefties and righties. He just thinks, especially versus right-handed hitters, who we'll see up after Carpenter here. That's a nice little change-up right there, but you see the sinker in particular for him just allows him to keep balls on the ground, allows him to kind of neutralize contact and avoid the barrels, but this is the kick change grip. Have you ever thrown anything like this?

Rick Sutcliffe 2:34

This is a pretty modern concept, no? I didn't really have a change-up, okay, because I wanted to throw a split-finger fastball like Mike Bilecki did, but my fingers are just too fat. And nobody, back then, nobody talked about the kick change because it's actually, it's between your index finger and your ring finger. And, you know, you just couldn't, I couldn't get my fingers wide enough to get the movement that Bilecki got on his forkball, split finger, whatever you want to call it. But this kick change, I'm telling you, my 13-year-old writer, I mean, he's stolen it, and it's probably as good as the one Jameson throws.

Marshall Harris 3:09

I don't know if that was shade or not.

Vinny Rotino 3:11

Poor Rick Sutcliffe. Was that shade?

Russ Dorsey 3:14

I think you're just trying to hype up your kid, man.

Marshall Harris 3:17

Oh, okay.

Russ Dorsey 3:19

Come on, man. You know what a proud parent says. Come on, don't do that. I'm going to give benefit of the doubt there.

Vinny Rotino 3:26

Oh, no. Benefit of the doubt is earned all around in that discussion. Yeah, absolutely. There was so much, though, because he was right about Tyone. He's telling you inside stuff on Tyone that you're not getting anywhere else. And then there is a conversation to be had about that two-seamer because it feels like it's become also like it's still such an effective pitch for lefties. Garrett Crochet comes to mind. But, yeah, the description of it is entirely changed.