Young Phenoms Squaring Off

It is the first night back of Major League acrtion since the All-Star break, much like the first night home from a long vacation. A great sense of comfort and familiarity brings you back to the place where summer nights are written. That is baseball, and this is America's pastime, so lets start off the second half with a bang.

There may be no bigger fan than me of great pitching matchups, especially if it is two young talents going at it. Nothing is better than seeing the players that will be the face of baseball for the next fifteen years.

Tonight in Seattle, the Detroit Tigers and Mariners are beginning their series with Andrew Miller on the hill for Detroit and Felix Hernandez throwing for the M's. I am writing this as I watch Miller effortlessly bring mid-90's heat to the inside and outside corners. Mix in that vicious, Randy-Johnson like slider, and it truly is a stroke of beauty.

The Tigers have the advantage as it is 2-0 in the bottom of the third inning. We have this perception that power must come from a big frame, with a lot of muscle and a big arm. It may be so that most power pitchers are on the bigger side, but they don't have to be and it isn't their extra weight that is allowing them to throw the hell out of a 5 oz. baseball.

Tonight we get to see power and dominance in two very different forms. With Hernandez, you get a big frame that is also very thick. Every pitcher must get their power from their legs, because the arm simply is incapable of delivering that much force. Felix will pump his fastball up the high-90's, but it may be his breaking ball that is his best pitch. The thing is down right nasty, and throwing that in the mid-80's is pretty unfair to say the least. But the thing that stands out about Hernandez, is I simply see a little extra effort being used in his delivery. He really gets after it with the upper body instead of allowing his big lower half to do the work. But I am not one to critique Major League pitchers, so I will do what I normally do which is sit back and marvel at his ability.

With Miller, you get the tall lanky frame and whip like arm. It is obvious that Miller is much more explosive, which creates his enormous velocity. This kid is special and it all comes out so fluid. The ball seems to come out of his hand possessed as it explodes by the hitter and through the strike zone. This should be on the of the games we look back on as a great matchup. Lucky for us, there should be many more like it to come.