Graph of the Day: Wakefield's Knasty Knuckler

by erik on Apr 16, 2009 10:00 AM EDT

Wakefield threw a four-hit, two-run complete game yesterday against Oakland.

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It breaks all over.

by R.J. Anderson on Apr 16, 2009 9:57 AM EDT reply actions

Reminded me of this classic:

http://www.firejoemorgan.com/2007/05/what-eff.html

by Bornin85 on Apr 16, 2009 11:08 AM EDT reply actions

I wonder if there's a way to find patterns in the break of the knuckler.

Are there clusters? Is the distribution different against lefties and righties? Does a difference in speed mean anything? Does it break differently at different parks or at different temperatures? How do the breaks differ from start to start?

Beyond the Boxscore // Calling BJ Upton lazy is lazy.

by Sky Kalkman on Apr 16, 2009 2:58 PM EDT reply actions

Interesting Ideas

I might just have to look into that

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by mlbnotebook on Apr 16, 2009 3:52 PM EDT up reply actions

As a hitter, how are you supposed to hit it?

I would just hope he throws a ball.

-Zach Sanders
MLB Notebook.com
Roto Rat.com

by mlbnotebook on Apr 16, 2009 3:52 PM EDT reply actions

Well, notice all the pitches that DON'T break significantly. Hit those far.

Of course, this is only a rough estimation of Wakefield’s actual trajectories, since his pitches don’t fly according to a nice second-degree equation. They can have jerky and multiple movements/breaks.

Beyond the Boxscore // Calling BJ Upton lazy is lazy.

by Sky Kalkman on Apr 16, 2009 4:59 PM EDT up reply actions

Yep.

Breaking the system.

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by bdalebs on Apr 16, 2009 5:09 PM EDT up reply actions

So essentially is this kind of also a location graph? I’m thinking that he basically just tries to throw the ball right down the plate and essentially this is where the pitch’s movement locates them too? At least roughly.

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by WalrusMan on Apr 16, 2009 5:45 PM EDT up reply actions

Here's his location

Hope I did that right

-Zach Sanders
MLB Notebook.com
Roto Rat.com

by mlbnotebook on Apr 16, 2009 7:09 PM EDT up reply actions

Not really.

It’s comparing where a pitch ending up going compared to where you’d expect a spinless (without knuckling effects) pitch to end up. So a perfectly straight pitch thrown at a right hand hitter’s head and a perfectly straight pitch in the dirt would both be located in the middle of this chart.

Beyond the Boxscore // Calling BJ Upton lazy is lazy.

by Sky Kalkman on Apr 16, 2009 7:42 PM EDT up reply actions