Okie’s Struggles
The recent struggles of Hedeki Okajima are a combination of factors coming together. It is now his second year in the league and both hitters and scouts have more experience with Okajima’s pitches and tendencies. The hitters are beginning to catch up with him, but he is also missing with his pitches. His location has been off and his pitches seem to lack some of the movement that they had last year.
These two issues frequently build off of each other. When the hitters start to have success against you, as a pitcher you might begin to press a little bit. Your confidence can become shaken and you start to guide the ball to home plate. Okie needs to regain his confidence and throw with the ball with the same authority as last year.
July 3rd, 2008 at 1:39 am
Jim, how does Okajima progress as a pitcher, aside from hitting his mark? It seems that pitchers from Japan have brilliant first seasons with the league’s unfamiliarity and therefore, unpredictability, but players quickly catch up with the pitchers and little progression is made? To avoid making a racial point, are careers of Nomo and some of his countrymen the futures with Okajima and Matsuzaka?
July 9th, 2008 at 7:49 am
matt, some time is true , batter do catch up with 2nd year pitchers but look at dice k