My favorite thing from the Wes Johnson Presser...

[preachermatt83]

Was when Coach Johnson said he likes to "Hyper-Personalize". That is something I can't believe Cohen went for. If a guys stregnth is not low and away we don't have to throw low and away. Pitch with that personal pitchers strengths being used. Loved it. BTW watch Dakota Hudson put up an all-american year with Wes.

[preachermatt83]

Also, TATUM has the legnth and body to throw 95. If he ever threw 95 he would be almost unhittable with his ability to locate.

[Jacksondevildog]

It's amazing the shift in pitching psychology between coaches. Butch Thompson was all about getting to the lower part of the strike zone with spin and sink in Wes Johnson just wants to throw the piss out of the ball. I doubt we sign anymore 5'9" lefties from some obscure school throwing 83 miles an hour because they have dynamic spin.

[MSUDawg4Life]

He might want to throw the piss out of the ball low and away.

Throwing with velocity doesn't mean lack of control.

[Jacksondevildog]

I don't disagree at all. My point is the difference in mentality of the type of Arm that you're looking for.

[MabenMaroon]

The thing about high velocity pitches is that the ball goes farther when you hit 'em

[Todd4State]

The thing about high velocity pitches is that the ball goes farther when you hit 'em

Not if you locate it well. Velocity also means less reaction time for the hitters. 10ths of seconds are HUGE when hitting.

[I seen it dawg]

On the surface I love it. Can't wait to see how our pitchers react. I hope they are like starved caged beasts.

[Jacksondevildog]

This.
I guess the next old school ass thing someone will say on here is that our hitters need to get their back elbow up and squish the bug while they "swing hard".


Not if you locate it well. Velocity also means less reaction time for the hitters. 10ths of seconds are HUGE when hitting.

[I seen it dawg]

This.
I guess the next old school ass thing someone will say on here is that our hitters need to get their back elbow up and squish the bug while they "swing hard".

Wait a minute. That's not what you do?

[Jacksondevildog]

In theory. Minus the back elbow. But that's daddy ball lingo. I sit here and watch a guy for the Mets throwing 98. I'm glad that we will have a guy throwing 96 for MSU this year and we won't **** with his arm slot and make him a relief guy.
Wait a minute. That's not what you do?

[I seen it dawg]

In theory. Minus the back elbow. But that's daddy ball lingo. I sit here and watch a guy for the Mets throwing 98. I'm glad that we will have a guy throwing 96 for MSU this year and we won't **** with his arm slot and make him a relief guy.

I wish Reynolds would have told verducci to stfu arguing with me about bringing the lefty. It was the perfect move as seen by the k and the pop out. A sportswriter should never argue with a former player about strategy.

[Todd4State]

#Savethebugs

And I thought it was the right move too based on how Syndergaard ripped him in his last at bat. The stage was too big for Ventura tonight and giving up another hit to their pitcher might have messed him up for awhile.

[smootness]

I think you guys are going a little overboard on some of the generalizations. Thompson doesn't just go after a bunch of little junk ball pitchers, and Johnson isn't about raring back and throwing as hard as you can with little concern for anything else.

I'm sure both would tell you you let guys pitch to their strengths. I do think we'll probably prioritize velocity a little more than we have to this point, but we have plenty of guys on the team right now who throw really hard. Velocity is fine, but it's not the primary thing that separates pitchers.

[Blackout]

I wish Reynolds would have told verducci to stfu arguing with me about bringing the lefty. It was the perfect move as seen by the k and the pop out. A sportswriter should never argue with a former player about strategy.

Unless it's Joe Morgan. Who as fate would have it is one of the most underrated players ever.

[shoeless joe]

I wish Reynolds would have told verducci to stfu arguing with me about bringing the lefty. It was the perfect move as seen by the k and the pop out. A sportswriter should never argue with a former player about strategy.

Absofrikinlutely.

I want guys with experience breaking down the intricacies of the game. Not some sportswriter...or softball player for that matter.

[War Machine Dawg]

I wish Reynolds would have told verducci to stfu arguing with me about bringing the lefty. It was the perfect move as seen by the k and the pop out. A sportswriter should never argue with a former player about strategy.

Except that Reynolds is a complete idiot now. He's regressed in the last 15 years.

[Bully13]

The thing about high velocity pitches is that the ball goes farther when you hit 'em

No.

[KB21]

My favorite thing that was said during the presser is when he mentioned that he knows a lot of scouts in this area, and when he took the job, he was getting messages from these scouts saying that there is 16 arms on this team they are watching who throw 90+.

[smootness]

No.

Actually, yes. If hit the same way, a faster pitch will be hit farther.

[gravedigger]

I think you guys are going a little overboard on some of the generalizations. Thompson doesn't just go after a bunch of little junk ball pitchers, and Johnson isn't about raring back and throwing as hard as you can with little concern for anything else.

I'm sure both would tell you you let guys pitch to their strengths. I do think we'll probably prioritize velocity a little more than we have to this point, but we have plenty of guys on the team right now who throw really hard. Velocity is fine, but it's not the primary thing that separates pitchers.

Thank you for that. I know Butch and his family and know why he coached the way he did the last few years. At dudy noble, with the bats and balls, it made sense. So much so we achieved a level of pitching we never have seen. With the ball change, our offensive philosophy, and the kids we had on staff it was pretty easy to tell butch or anyone else was going to struggle this past year.

Ill give you all a little secret. Dudy noble, currently sits in a type of wind tunnel. It got created with the palmeiro center and for the sake of brevity, make a wind blowing out to right actually have a greater force at the plate to blow in from right.

The new stadium's elevation and design will reverse that. Balls will soon start flying out of dudy noble again and it wont be the fence move that creates it. Our new pitching coach will have a challenge on his hand in a couple of years.

And we disnt just lose a great pitching coach. We lost a great bulldog family

The Thompsons will be missed.

[KB21]

Thank you for that. I know Butch and his family and know why he coached the way he did the last few years. At dudy noble, with the bats and balls, it made sense. So much so we achieved a level of pitching we never have seen. With the ball change, our offensive philosophy, and the kids we had on staff it was pretty easy to tell butch or anyone else was going to struggle this past year.

Ill give you all a little secret. Dudy noble, currently sits in a type of wind tunnel. It got created with the palmeiro center and for the sake of brevity, make a wind blowing out to right actually have a greater force at the plate to blow in from right.

The new stadium's elevation and design will reverse that. Balls will soon start flying out of dudy noble again and it wont be the fence move that creates it. Our new pitching coach will have a challenge on his hand in a couple of years.

And we disnt just lose a great pitching coach. We lost a great bulldog family

The Thompsons will be missed.

Good post.

People also act like Butch didn't recruit power arms. Wes Johnson said that he had 5 messages from scouts after word broke that he was taking the job about MSU's arms. MSU has 16 pitchers that can throw 90+. Those guys were recruited by Butch.

[I seen it dawg]

Thank you for that. I know Butch and his family and know why he coached the way he did the last few years. At dudy noble, with the bats and balls, it made sense. So much so we achieved a level of pitching we never have seen. With the ball change, our offensive philosophy, and the kids we had on staff it was pretty easy to tell butch or anyone else was going to struggle this past year.

Ill give you all a little secret. Dudy noble, currently sits in a type of wind tunnel. It got created with the palmeiro center and for the sake of brevity, make a wind blowing out to right actually have a greater force at the plate to blow in from right.

The new stadium's elevation and design will reverse that. Balls will soon start flying out of dudy noble again and it wont be the fence move that creates it. Our new pitching coach will have a challenge on his hand in a couple of years.

And we disnt just lose a great pitching coach. We lost a great bulldog family

The Thompsons will be missed.

Great guy and great family I'm sure. Was a good bulldog. I would wish him luck but he's going to Auburn so I won't. And come on...calling the Wes Johnson that played here awhile back and coaching baseball at East Webster and congratulating him for getting the job?...priceless

[Jacksondevildog]

No one questions that Butch Thompson is a good coach or even a finer person. All that I mentioned in my post before was our mentality of what we are looking for in a pitching staff has changed. We are now looking to develop power arms instead of trying to run a somewhat gimmicky pitching staff with different arm angles and trying to induce ground balls for the double play. We now want guys that are big strong and throw really hard.

[Coach34]

.calling the Wes Johnson that played here awhile back and coaching baseball at East Webster and congratulating him for getting the job?...priceless

Thats hilarious.

[WPS]

He coached former Arkansas pitcher DJ Baxendale in high school. Great coach. I know a lot of people who know him and think he'll be a head coach one day.

[WeWonItAll(Most)]

No one questions that Butch Thompson is a good coach or even a finer person. All that I mentioned in my post before was our mentality of what we are looking for in a pitching staff has changed. We are now looking to develop power arms instead of trying to run a somewhat gimmicky pitching staff with different arm angles and trying to induce ground balls for the double play. We now want guys that are big strong and throw really hard.
I've always envied the massive pitchers we face when we play Vandy, LSU, South Carolina and Florida

[smootness]

No one questions that Butch Thompson is a good coach or even a finer person. All that I mentioned in my post before was our mentality of what we are looking for in a pitching staff has changed. We are now looking to develop power arms instead of trying to run a somewhat gimmicky pitching staff with different arm angles and trying to induce ground balls for the double play. We now want guys that are big strong and throw really hard.

But we have done that more in the past than you seem to think, and we were already making the change. Hudson, Houston, Tatum, Sexton, Brown, etc...these are not gimmicky guys. Several are big and strong, some aren't, but they all throw really hard.

[MabenMaroon]

The thing about high velocity pitches is that the ball goes farther when you hit 'em

Oops!! Forgot my **'s and LOL. Kind of a personal inside joke with me, I made the "ball goes farther " comment to my wife back in the summer when were watching an Astros game. Forgot who the pitcher was, but he was brought in in relief and the announcers were talking about his incredible 98+ mph heater and the very first pitch he threw was 99 mph and Correa crushed it for one of the longest moon shots he hit this year.