New York Mets’ manager Terry Collins happy with Johan Santana even after defeat - MLB Update
One of the biggest disappointments occurs to a pitcher when he is ahead in the count and yet ends on being thrashed for runs. Batters are at the mercy of pitchers when they are 0-2 down on the count and what happened to Santana today in a game against Detroit
Tigers that he boggled even when in the lead.
At times, pitchers over-complicate the easiest of the things, trying to trick the batters they go on making false judgments about swings and thus pay a heavy price in the end. Same was the case with Santana today, as he admitted himself later.
“I was landing on my heel instead of landing flat,” Santana said. “All of a sudden, the ball cut. ... Little details like that make a big difference.”
Surprisingly, manager Terry Collins is pleased with the way he threw 65 pitches tirelessly, albeit for hits and runs and believes that only if he gets his command right he will be as dangerous for batters as he has always been.
“Everything was encouraging,” the manager said. “That was the most he’s thrown in who knows how long? After 45 he started to get the ball up a little bit and his command just wasn’t there ... but when he starts to compete, all the other things kick in.”
In the face of a hammering, he kept throwing at around 91 mph while never showing any sign of fatigue. Even impressive was his consistency of throwing continuously for a long time at almost the same place.
He will utter after the game that even if he had to send 100 throws, his muscle was ready. That’s what comforted manager most as now he can stretch his plans in an easier way as to when and how to provide relief to his starters.
More pitches a single player can throw, more at ease will the manager be about using his ace appropriately.
As a matter of fact, Spring Training is more about focusing on areas one is most weak at and plugging the same than about results. If Santana’s aim was figuring out his muscles and checking them as to what extent they can support him during the season, he
seems to have done so.
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