Fast Ball

The Cincinnati Reds have what might be the best secret weapon in baseball. That weapon is Aroldis Chapman.

The young Cuban born pitcher was clocked at a mind-blowing 105mph. That’s right, 105.

Now I know it’s one thing to throw a ball that fast, usually if anyone can even get close to that they throw the ball wildly and with no control. Not Chapman. He was blowing away hitters in his last appearance in Triple A ball, getting three straight swinging strikeouts in his only inning of work.

So far the only concern I have about Chapman is how long it will be before he gets hurt. Throwing 105 put’s a lot of stress on an arm and with the way pitchers drop like flies now-a-days I wouldn’t be surprised to see Chapman become a victim of an arm injury. I’m curious to see how the Reds handle the situation. Do they set up a Joba Rules type of system? Did that even really work?

He is used as a relief pitcher and if the injury to the Nationals’ Stephen Strasburg taught Dusty Baker and the Reds anything it is that they should move Chapman along with extreme caution.

You can be certain the Chapman will be called up to the Majors once the roster expands to 40 players come September. Only then will we see if he has what it takes to pitch against the best baseball players in the world. Till then all we really know is that the kid can throw gas.

This is actually the last time you see the ball until it's in the catcher's mitt

One Love,

Julian

P.S. Is Tim Cowlishaw the most hated sportswriter in New York right now? I vote yes.

P.P.S. Jim Edmonds had hands down the best catch in recent memory (second to that Japanese guy Nick wrote about). Unfortunately, like Nick, I can’t find the video.

He starts pitching at around the 1:50 mark.

Tags: Aroldis Chapman, Edmonds, Fastball, Reds