from Amazon
Friday, September 09, 2011
Curveball as first pitch to start the game
This rarely happens, and when it does, no one swings at it:
Going back to 2009, PITCHfx has identified 83 first pitches as curveballs, or 0.6%. Of those 83 first-pitch curveballs, batters have swung at just three of them. Of those three swings, two have resulted in fouls, and one has resulted in a home run - Ichiro’s swing, last night.
...
That’s a first-pitch curveball, a little out of the zone. Not only did Ichiro swing at it - Ichiro made contact, and obliterated the pitch into the right field stands. Said Hochevar:“The first-pitch curveball to Ichiro, I don’t even know what to say about that one,” Hochevar said. “The [first pitch] of the game—it was a good pitch and he hit it eight rows deep. I’ve never seen it, I’ve never had it happen. I normally don’t throw first-pitch curveballs in a game, but what do you do?”
