Atomic RoadRunners | Andrew Flynn’s High-Energy Fantasy Baseball

The Hardball Times did some analysis of Brett Myers’ split-personality season, and came to some interesting conclusions, which aren’t all bad:

Brett Myers started three games for the Phillies in the postseason and his team won each time. This was a far cry from the way Myers was pitching before the Phillies sent him to Triple-A at the beginning of July. In his first 17 starts of the season, he posted an ugly 5.84 ERA, with some poor peripherals showing this wasn’t a fluke.

After a few weeks in the minors, Myers was called up and pitched much better, posting a 3.49 ERA with a significantly better walk rate in his 14 starts down the stretch. What did Myers change that made such a difference? Many times you hear a manager say that a pitcher needs to work on a few things, but what really is going on? I’ll shed some light on what Myers was working on and how his stuff changed in his return.

Let’s start with an overview of Brett Myers’ repertoire. Myers is one of the few pitchers in the big leagues who throws (at least) five pitches frequently: four-seam fastball, sinker, slider, curve and change-up. Here is a look at his movement chart.

Myers’ fastball is very over-the-top, with little horizontal movement but good “rise.” When he is right, he is throwing this pitch in the lower to mid 90s. He also throws a sinker that has better horizontal movement than it actually sinks and he throws this pitch in the upper 80s, touching 90 on the gun.

While Myers’ fastball returned to form after his trip to Triple-A, what really made the difference for him was how he used his pitches. His slider, which doesn’t have great movement, took a back seat to his curve ball, which is an excellent pitch, especially in strikeout situations. While he was a threat to throw any of his five pitches on any count before going to the minors, he kept the ball moving away from batters upon returning.

While hitters had a better idea of what Myers might throw, he was able to beat them with his stuff because he was using his pitches better. By keeping the ball moving away from hitters, he kept them off balance and unable to square him up.

The Tigers have shown some initial interest in Lyon, the MLB.com Hot Stove Blog reports. The Tigers have also shown interest in former Nationals closer Chad Cordero as well. The Tigers are looking for some short term bullpen help as the team has 2008 first-round draft pick Ryan Perry as their closer of the future, and Joel Zumaya could work his way back in to the running for the closing gig if he can stay healthy. (Rotowire)

Agent Jonathan Maurer said Wednesday that he expects the Diamondbacks to re-initiate contract talks with Brandon Webb this offseason. However, Maurer said that the $54 million extension Arizona previously had on the table “wouldn’t work today.” He also suggested that the Diamondbacks may look to trade Webb if they can’t work out a deal, but the two sides were on the verge of an agreement just a few months ago and he’s under the team’s control through 2010. No reason was given for the last-minute change of course during the season, but Webb could win his second Cy Young award in three years after an excellent 2008 season. Webb’s productivity over the last three seasons could command an annual salary in the $18-20 million range, ultimately pricing him out of the D-Backs’ plans given the number of young players they’ll eventually need to commit to. (Rotoworld, Rotowire)