While the line from George Kirby’s start against Milwaukee won’t jump off the page, Kirby himself was delighted in it – and not just because of how he pitched, effortlessly mixing his pitches so much that Statcast couldn’t keep up (those splitters? Changeups, actually. And the fastball clocking in at 94? A cutter.).
But it’s not a new pitch that’s got Kirby smiling. Rather, it’s a small device clipped to his belt that allows him to call his own pitches.
“[Knizner] called a good game. I got this thing on my belt now, though, so I can kind of call pitches when I want to,” he grinned.
Once again, while Cal Raleigh is away at the WBC, his pitchers are taking some time to try something new out. For Kirby, though, it cuts deeper. Calling his own pitches is an idea that Kirby has toyed with before and dismissed, but came back to this off-season, talking it over with pitching coach Pete Woodworth. Kirby is obsessed with throwing his pitches with “conviction”, something he’s been honing in on since last year, and being able to have ownership at times over his pitch calling is something he feels will help him in that pursuit.
“It’s just a way for me to have more conviction in some of my pitches. Something that I really want to throw instead of shaking 20 times to get to the one, you press it and go from there.”
It’s not every pitch – Kirby said he only did it 8-10 times during his outing on Sunday and that he’s “still learning where the buttons are” – so it’s not like Kirby is putting his catchers out of a job. But it’s something that allows him to feel even more invested in his outings. He feels like it will encourage him to lock in even more and read hitters’ swings so he can be more attuned to which pitches are performing especially well on a certain day.
“I think it’s a way for me to settle in my game a little better. I feel like there’s always a pitch or two where like, oh, I wish I didn’t throw that. And that’s kind of the worst thing to do mentally. I feel like, when I’ve got this thing [said with a loving pat to the transmitter], if I have something in my head, I’m going to call it right there. I don’t want to play the mental game of, oh, I should have thrown the curveball there, or the slider there, or whatever it may be.”
For Kirby, who emphasizes the mental side of the game so much, it’s an exciting way to tap into the mind-body connection.
“I just think having it locks me in even more, and then I’m more in control and therefore more convicted and confident.”
That sounds very good for George Kirby – and very scary for the hitters who will face him this season.
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