Clare called me late yesterday
afternoon with news on “our friend Michael,” that being White Sox pitching
phenom Michael Kopech. Appearing in a
game for the first time since Tommy John surgery in September of 2018, Kopech
threw his first pitch at 100 mph. His
second offering clocked in at 101, followed by 100, followed by 101. All told, Kopech went one inning against the
Rangers, throwing 11 pitches. Six of
them registered at or above 100 mph.
Kopech, who turns 24 at the end of
next month, said he was “a little geeked.” By that I think he meant “pumped,” in which
case, yes, the young man was certainly geeked.
Kopech also insisted to reporters that, despite evidence to the
contrary, “I’m not going to try to be a power pitcher. I’m going to try to be a pitcher.” Potato, potahto.
I’ll give Kopech this—he doesn’t
feel the need for speed anymore, and he may sense that it can get in the way of
performance. Consider that Nolan Ryan,
the all-time strikeout leader in MLB history, had a modest winning percentage
of .526. Then again, Randy Johnson, in
second place, won 64.6 percent of his decisions. Here’s hoping Kopech models himself more
along the lines of the Big Unit.
My daughter always loved hitting
fastballs, whether thrown by male or female pitchers. I imagine that deep down inside, she wonders
how she would fare against the likes of Michael Kopech. If only there were some way to find out.
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