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Here's the (new) pitch D'backs' Johnson adding circle change to repertoire
Just what Randy Johnson needs: another weapon in his arsenal. The Diamondbacks' ace left-hander worked on a circle changeup throughout spring training, sometimes even throwing it on full counts or 2-and-1 counts. While he may not yet have quite the confidence to break it out more than a few times per game, Johnson is intent on improving the pitch in order to keep himself in games longer. Arizona manager Bob Brenly said he intends to reduce Johnson's workload this season as compared to last year, especially as measured in the number of pitches he throws. Brenly lifted Johnson after seven innings and 133 pitches in his Opening Night win Tuesday in Los Angeles. Johnson figures if he can get a few quick outs on changeups early in the count, it will help keep his pitch count down and allow him to stay in games. Meanwhile, Diamondbacks teammate Curt Schilling is a man on mission. He's been telling friends he is pushing himself toward a major goal this year: He wants to wrest the Cy Young Award away from Johnson.
Surgery still possible for SirotkaThere is growing fear among the Blue Jays that they are delaying the inevitable with Mike Sirotka, the left-hander who arrived in an offseason trade with the White Sox with a damaged shoulder. Sirotka has been throwing up to 120 feet on flat ground in Florida. The next step is to get him on a mound and see how his arm responds. That could take another three weeks. Only then will Toronto get a better idea if Sirotka will need surgery on the shoulder.
The high strike: here to stay?Many players took a "wait and see"' position in spring training on the intended higher strike zone. Here's a bit of advice for them based on first impressions of the regular season: Get used to it. It's way too early to draw any conclusions on how it will impact the game, but thanks to firm backing of Major League Baseball, umpires appear to be following through on the mandate to call strikes at the belt or an inch or two higher.
One of the more obvious examples was the game called by umpire John Hirschbeck in Puerto Rico between the Rangers and Blue Jays. Hirschbeck has been umpiring for more than 17 years. He's gained a reputation as an umpire who's not afraid to call strikes, especially down and away in the zone. But he caught several hitters off guard Sunday -- especially Texas' Randy Velarde several times -- by calling the so-called high strike while Esteban Loaiza was on the mound for Toronto. Hirschbeck called a consistent, fair game and the "high strikes'' amounted to no more than a half-dozen or so pitches. But he made it clear that hitters can no longer assume that pitch at the belt is a ball. "I know it's an adjustment for John Hirschbeck and he's a low-ball umpire,'' Texas manager Johnny Oates said. "We've got to adjust to him because he's not going to adjust to the hitters.'' The next day, Yankees right-hander Roger Clemens consistently pounded the upper edge of the strike zone with four-seam fastballs to shackle the Royals. Clemens is one of the few pitchers with velocity and movement to pitch up in the zone effectively. And Pat Hentgen, another one of those pitchers who has good life on a high fastball, pitched a gem for Baltimore on Opening Day. Braves pitcher Tom Glavine believes the adjustment period for pitchers and hitters will take probably two or three months. "It's probably going to be a very painful time for a lot of people," said Glavine. "I think you'll see a lot of guys get angry until everybody gets used to what the new strike zone is.''
Offshore drillingPitcher Rick Helling and the Rangers weren't happy about opening the season in a bandbox. Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan measures only 315 and 313 down the foul lines and 339 and 338 near the power alleys. Helling, a fly-ball pitcher, gave up two home runs, neither of which traveled more than 330 feet. "No park in the major leagues is this small,'' Helling said. "Nothing even comes close." Of the first-row homer hit by Tony Batista, Helling said, "That's just a pop up. In every other park I've been in, going back to my [American] Legion park, that ball isn't out.'' Said Oates, who watched Toronto and Texas pop eight home runs in the first four innings of an exhibition game Saturday, "They've compromised the game a little bit with the dimensions.'' Helling made sure to commend Loiaza, who pitched seven innings of one-run ball in the same park. But he also noted that several players on both sides slipped on the artificial turf, noting that the league needs to carefully monitor playing conditions for its annual off-the-mainland openers. "There were obvious issues with the field and with the dimensions,'' he said. Sources said Major League Baseball is leaning toward staging a game next season in Venezuela, though uncertainty over a possible lockout and stadium and security issues have precluded a firm commitment. Sports Illustrated senior writer Tom Verducci covers the baseball beat for the magazine and is a regular contributor to CNNSI.com.
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