Fun from Chris Jaffe at The Hardball Times today: 2012’s most exciting and incredible games.
It not only highlights the games themselves, but talks a bit about what makes a game wild: close-and-late? Comebacks? No-hitters? Big swings and constant lead changes? All of that really.
Jaffe puts them on a point scale and tries to quantify the excitement. Which, yes, I admit plays into stathead stereotypes, but we’ll let it pass because Jaffe’s good at what he does.
One likely wouldn’t guess it based on his strikeout rate, but Cardinals reliever Jordan Hicks is one of the hardest-throwing pitchers in the game. The right-hander hit 105 MPH on the radar gun twice during Sunday’s appearance against the Phillies, according to Statcast.
Hicks was asked if he could throw harder than 105 MPH. He said, “I surprised myself yesterday (when he reached (103.8 MPH), I surprised myself today. We’ll see.”
Hicks got the final four outs of Sunday’s 5-1 victory over the Phillies. He walked two and struck out one. He carries a 2.05 ERA but has only nine strikeouts and 16 walks in 22 innings this season.
