No matter what Baltimore Orioles fans complain about, GM Dan Duquette is sticking with his beliefs about his young pitchers’ development.
Some backstory: it’s been noted all season that Orioles top pitching prospect Dylan Bundy has been forbidden to throw his cutter this season. Bundy has told the organization that the cutter is his best pitch, but Duquette believes that working on the development of that pitch will hinder Bundy’s growth on other pitches.
“First of all, the cut fastball, we don’t like it as a pitch, OK?,” Duquette told MASNSports.com’s Steve Melewski. “And we don’t like it for young pitchers because it takes away from the development of their curveball, which is a better pitch long-term and also, the velocity of their fastball. So we encourage development of an overhand breaking ball that has depth along with command of their fastball and, of course, velocity and movement will get the hitter out.”
When you think cutter, you think Mariano Rivera. The future Hall of Fame closer has made a career off one effective pitch. It’s tough to stomach the Orioles taking away such a powerful threat from Bundy. But Duquette explains the enigma that is Mo.
“That’s a fastball. That’s a fastball. That’s his only pitch, he’s a one-pitch wonder. It’s his fastball,” Duquette said. “Name me all the pitchers in the big leagues that make a living with a cut fastball? Rivera’s is a fastball. It moves.”
I hear you, DD. And I’m glad to see the Birds GM sticking with his plan.
somebody ruffled his feathers
So the GM who has been out of baseball for 10 years and is not a pitching coach is taking away the #1 pitch for a budding star? And he calls the greatest reliever in baseball, Mo Rivera a one pitch wonder.
Big Fella…Slight correction…DD wasn’t “out of baseball”, he was busy adding to his Resume by running baseball camps for high school kids or something like that…Let’s give the guy credit for all the work he put in over the last decade! 🙂
Big Al,
I don’t take that as a slight to Rivera. I think everyone in baseball knows Rivera has made a living on that one particular pitch and don’t believe that he would contest that. It’s just like they’re aren’t many knuckleballers, doesn’t take anything away from a guy like Dickey though to say he’s made a living on that one particular pitch.
There’s no question Rivera is as dominant a pitcher has ever been while relying on a cut fastball — provided he’s only asked to pitch an inning at a time. Do you want to see Bundy groomed to be a dominant starter or a dominant closer? The pitch works for Rivera, but he’s an apple and I believe Bundy is an orange. Hopefully an orange that mows them down 7 innings at time.