Does Johnson even have any other pitches besides a fastball?

[docjj]

Seriously...8 straight 95 MPH fastballs, until Saltamacchia finally got hold of one....


Ever hear of a breaking ball????

[CSPitt17130]

Seriously. Why does Johnson get a pass?

(What's Wieters hitting now?)

[legmason]

I don't have much of a problem with it if it continues to get the awesome results he's gotten so far, tonight not included of course.

[Matt P]

He's been doing this all year. 14/15 is pretty good nobody is perfect.

[docjj]

No pitcher can maintain success throwing only 1 pitch. You must have a second offering to mix it up.

[Aaron]

First of all, it wasn't eight straight 95 MPH fastballs, the pitch right before the homerun was an 88 MPH change up. Second, I'll rather have JJ get beat using his best pitch, the fastball, as opposed to leaving a change up up in the zone or by hanging a curveball. Lastly, and I don't know if this is the case or not, but maybe the book on Saltamacchia is hard stuff away. Here are just a few things to keep in mind before running JJ out of town after one blown save.

[docjj]

Saltalamacchia is a dead fastball hitter. I saw him crush a 98 MPH Fernando Rodney heater for a game winning HR once. The book on him is off-speed stuff away.

[birdwatcher55]

I thought JJ overdid the fastball as well but in his defense he has a nice slider and a decent change. In that situation I would have thrown a change to Salty who I'm sure was thinking fastball all the way

[osforlife]

This kinda thread bugs me. You wouldn't have had any problem with his 8 straight fastballs(if that is even true) if Salty swung and missed on the pitch he hit out. Of course we look back on it and say he should have thrown a breaking pitch because hindsight is 20/20. Seriously, Johnson is the least of our worries. He's been one of the best closers in the game if not the best. The man made...what, 20 saves in a row? We can't expect him to be shutdown every time he goes out.

[ofahn]

This kinda thread bugs me. You wouldn't have had any problem with his 8 straight fastballs(if that is even true) if Salty swung and missed on the pitch he hit out. Of course we look back on it and say he should have thrown a breaking pitch because hindsight is 20/20. Seriously, Johnson is the least of our worries. He's been one of the best closers in the game if not the best. The man made...what, 20 saves in a row? We can't expect him to be shutdown every time he goes out.

Jim Johnson earned my respect last night. He got beat on his best pitch and, instead of sulking about it or losing his temper and smashing things, he practically held a gun to Buck's head and demanded the chance to go out in the Tenth and finish the game.

IMO THAT'S a ball player.

[osforlife]

This kinda thread bugs me. You wouldn't have had any problem with his 8 straight fastballs(if that is even true) if Salty swung and missed on the pitch he hit out. Of course we look back on it and say he should have thrown a breaking pitch because hindsight is 20/20. Seriously, Johnson is the least of our worries. He's been one of the best closers in the game if not the best. The man made...what, 20 saves in a row? We can't expect him to be shutdown every time he goes out.

Jim Johnson earned my respect last night. He got beat on his best pitch and, instead of sulking about it or losing his temper and smashing things, he practically held a gun to Buck's head and demanded the chance to go out in the Tenth and finish the game.

IMO THAT'S a ball player.

just the kind of attitude you want you're closer to have.

[birdwatcher55]

Kind of funny but if you watched last night he went more offspeed to Salty. He looked like he was a bit gassed after Tuesday. Nice win however

[mikezpen]

Johnson was once a starter, and I've heard he has 3 or 4 pitches. But as a closer he doesn't need them.The fastball has great velocity and movement, so he can probably get by with it almost exclusively. Just show them another pitch from time to time.

Supposedly Mariano Rivera throws his cutter almost every pitch, and he's the best there is so....