The Enigma: C.C. in April

[Nerfherders]

C.C. Sabathia has proven that he is still one of the elite starting pitchers in the game, right up there with Webb, Santana, and the rest. After the big trade to the Brewers and the unbelievable lines he has been throwing out there since, it is easy to forget about his first four starts:

0-3, 18 IP, 27 ER, 14 BB, 14 K, 5 HR, 13.50 ERA, 2.56 WHIP

Since, 20 Starts:

11-5, 152.33 IP, 35 ER, 31 BB, 152 K, 10 HR, 2.07 ERA, 0.99 WHIP

So my question to you is what happened to CC during those four starts? What made him suddenly revert back to his old form? It is very strange to see a pitcher of Sabathia's skill get blown up like that over 4 straight starts and then suddenly go back to normal, even better than normal.

I heard a rumor that he might have been tipping his pitches and the coaches corrected him. Does anyone know if this is true?

[BigZ38]

It's April, it is cold. Guys are still getting the quirks worked out of their system. Bad Aprils happen to good pitchers and hitters every year, it is just part of the game

[The Artful Dodger]

I heard a rumor that he might have been tipping his pitches and the coaches corrected him. Does anyone know if this is true?

I think so. Velocity-wise, CC wasn't terribly different from last year but his location or the lack thereof was (leading to walks or HR's). Because of his velocity being relatively at the same level, fatigue of logging in a career high in IP last season probably wasn't the main reason for his April troubles.

[The Cow]

He was tipping his pitches.

The Cow

[markj11]

He was tipping his pitches.

The Cow

Tipping pitches doesn't make you walk guys. I say it is b/c he is not in good shape and it takes him a while to get into pitching shape.

[TheA'sFatLeadoffMan]

He was tipping his pitches.

The Cow

Tipping pitches doesn't make you walk guys. I say it is b/c he is not in good shape and it takes him a while to get into pitching shape.

It doesn't have to be just one reason most things rarely are.

[neoforce]

He was tipping his pitches.

The Cow

Tipping pitches doesn't make you walk guys. I say it is b/c he is not in good shape and it takes him a while to get into pitching shape.

Actually, tipping pitches can lead to more walks. If the batter knows a breaking ball is coming, and it starts off low in the strike zone, you can hold off and let it break into the dirt. Without tipping, maybe you swing and miss thinking it was going to be a strike.

But i do agree things like this are often multiple causes.

[stumpak]

Tipping pitches or not he had a similar episode of getting shredded for a month straight in 2005 (I think, maybe it was 2006). So it was not like this never happened before.

[JTWood]

When you're a guy with filthy breaking stuff that starts in the zone and ends out of it, tipping pitches absolutely will lead to walks.