Postgame notes: Nova finding success with shorter delivery
Posted by: Chad Jennings - Posted in Misc on Mar 12, 2013 
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Ivan Nova said he arrived in Tampa two weeks before spring training officially started. He said he was throwing at the Yankees minor league complex, and for a couple of days, he didn’t like the way the ball was coming out of his hand. That’s when Nova and Larry Rothschild began working on a slightly altered delivery, one without such a long motion before Nova delivers the ball.
“In the beginning, it was hard,” Nova said. “But now I feel more comfortable. … I’m better down (in the zone), throwing more strikes.”
As you can tell from the picture, Nova isn’t exactly short-arming the ball, but he said he’s concentrating on keeping the action shorter from the moment his hand gets to his hip. Nova said that, from that moment in his delivery, he tries not to overextend to the back. He said he’s always thrown his curveball with that slightly shorter arm action, and now he’s throwing everything that way.
“I think he’s commanded his fastball better and I think he’s had a better downhill plane because of the little adjustment he made with his hands,” Joe Girardi said. “To me that (was) his inconsistency a lot of times last year was his command would get a little bit off. He didn’t walk people, but he didn’t hit his spots. And I’ve seen an improvement in that.”
Nova had a another good start today, giving the Yankees four scoreless innings despite — by his own admission — missing his spots a few times. There were some balls hit hard, but Nova stranded runners at the corners in the third inning, and his defense helped him get out of first-and-third with no one out in the fourth. He’s allowed one run and walked one through nine innings this spring.
“You see what happened last year,” Nova said. “I’m trying to forget. For me, I feel like if I forget what happened last year, this is a new year, a new spring training. I’ve got to do my best here. I’m really enjoying it, this moment right here and the way that I’m pitching right now.”
• Eduardo Nunez was charged with an error on an up-the-middle play and spinning throw that pulled Juan Rivera slightly off the bag at first. It actually wasn’t a horrible play, and it was his second error in 35 chances this spring. “I see positive signs,” Girardi said. “Those spin plays are tough plays. That’s probably the toughest play a shortstop has to make. And that’s something we’ll continue to work on. … (Nunez’s throwing has been) better. Much more consistent.”
• Speaking of throwing, obviously it’s Francisco Cervelli’s throwing that has earned the most attention this spring. “We knew he was capable,” Girardi said. “He got into a couple little funny habits, I think, and he worked hard to break them.”
• Today was the writers’ first chance to ask about the decision to option Austin Romine to Triple-A. As I wrote in the previous post, Girardi made it clear that the Yankees always intended for Cervelli and Chris Stewart to get the bulk of the spring playing time. Romine’s back injury last season, Girardi said, might have cost him a real chance to make the big league roster this spring. “I think that hurt his chances, but he’s got to look at that like it’s a blip in the radar,” Girardi said. “Overcome that, and go play.”
• This game was scoreless until the eighth inning when the Rays botched a potential double play and Bobby Wilson took advantage with a two-run double. The Yankees wound up winning 3-1 in a game that technically included two earned runs, but might have been a 0-0 tie if not for late defensive mistakes.
• Another hit for Ronnier Mustelier, but also an error at third base.
• The Yankees top offensive player was Thomas Neal with two singles, a stolen base and a run. … Gil Velazquez and Walter Ibarra each had a hit in their return from the World Baseball Classic. … Back up from minor league camp, Brett Marshall allowed two hits through 3.2 innings. His one run was unearned. … Juan Rivera had another hit. … Matt Tracy picked up a save.
• Is Derek Jeter still playing shortstop tomorrow? “He’s supposed to,” Girardi said.
• Is Andy Pettitte still starting tomorrow? “Yep,” Girardi said.
• Is Mariano Rivera still pitching tomorrow? “I think, I don’t know,” Girardi said. “I just show up and get a sheet and they tell me who’s playing.” Basically, this was Girardi’s way of saying that — as far as he knows — nothing has changed since yesterday in terms of the three big names scheduled to get in tomorrow’s game. If you’re going to be there tomorrow, you can still expect to see Derek, Andy and Mo.
Associated Press photos
Posted on this previously but in addition to hopefully improving his command with a more repeatable shorter action it could give hitters a split seconded time to see the ball….cleat they were seeing it well before and maybe this will help
Nova down in the zone means more groundballs. I’ll take that any day from him over that high 90s fastball that was getting tattooed. If he does the former, he’s going to be pretty efficient, especially with the slider/curve.
Blake,
The tampa announcers on the radio were saying the RHB of the Rays were getting a real good look at his stuff, and in 2011 and 2012 righties hit him harder than lefties. He had a lot of flyballs today too, so I’m not sure he has it licked yet.
He needs to keep on working on this new delivery and hopefully he doesn’t blow up once real games start.
“The tampa announcers on the radio were saying the RHB of the Rays were getting a real good look at his stuff, and in 2011 and 2012 righties hit him harder than lefties. He had a lot of flyballs today too, so I’m not sure he has it licked yet.”
I’ve only seen him pitch once and I didn’t really notice the difference….only on the slowed down version…..the results have been good so far so hopefully he can jus keep the ball down if nothing else….probably never gonna have a real deceptive delivery
An error for Musty?
Call 1-800-Chipper
I hope to hell tomorrow’s game is being televised. You’d think with Jeter starting at SS, they’d have the decency to put it on the schedule.
Okay, if this doesn’t get to Hal, nothing will. I just saw a lead into a show on MLB entitled “Bronx Bummers. “
jacksquat March 12th, 2013 at 4:57 pm
As a part Irish-American, I object to use of the word “mick” being used as a handle here!
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At least I am not dirty….
MLB, not ESPN? Sounds more like their speed.
I think if the yankees show real faith in Mesa,mustelier,cervelli, etc instead of loading up more crap like Rivera, Diaz. Francisco, and god forbid Derrek lee, the kids will make them look good. Is gotta be hard when you know management has so little faith in you that they want a by who sucked, then retired in 2011…
I don’t see how Mustelier does not make this team. Mesa, I’ve been waiting for years to become a better contact hitter. If he were actually that, he’d have been up long ago, because he is nearly everything else, but that lack is kind of a big deal.
Cervelli’s got the starting job, apparently. But, if history is precedent, they seem to like broken down old nags better than young guys with some kind of future.
Ugh, you people are exhausting… let me clear up a few points:
#1 If JF used the phrase ‘dirty Italian’s just as a one off, I would totally call him on that.. but that’s not what happened AT ALL, the entire context of the discussion placed how the term ‘dirty’ was being employed there.
#2 If trisha, the defender of the ‘chopstick’ and ‘chinker’ comments made during last season, wasn’t the one that called JF a racist, I woulda just never said anything, but that’s some straight up bulls**t so I said I thought it was.
#3 This is the second time the n word has been posted on this blog as a result of conversations about race. Can we get that word banned instead of banning words like c@ncer? Equating the two, in any context, is completely ridiculous in my opinion.
Now…who is excited to watch the multinational USA team play today?
I won’t ever complain about having Shame on my side in anything
shame am i exhausting you?
I won’t ever complain about having Shame on my side in anything
—————————————————————————————————–
I would take her on my side in a New York minute!
Lotta hypocrisy here Chad Jennings.
“If trisha, the defender of the ‘chopstick’ and ‘chinker’ comments made during last season”
Shame, I’d check my facts before you just spit out fiction here to support your position.
It appears that I was very much on board with jerkface and your position on chinker.
trisha – true pinstriped blue October 8th, 2012 at 12:26 pm
And I had no involvement whatsoever in the chopstick controversy.
Find something else to hide behind.
what i find repulsive is use of the N word which i saw in last thread.
in any context it is reprehensible.
all for banning it.
You know what they say about teacher’s classrooms…they take on the personality of the one in charge.
I too agree that Mick should be banned from lohud.
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what! no smiley face?
By the way, I immediately emailed Chad and asked him to remove the post.
Shame,
For what it’s worth before the “n” word was tossed out the way it was, I was composing something to defend/agree with you.
Then J.AP made me understand that Italians in his generation experienced and heard things that frankly I’ve never had to deal with in my lifetime.
I don’t think I’ve ever heard or felt someone was racist towards me in my life for being Italian and I never ever think I have even an inkling of understanding of what some minority groups have gone through so I get where you came from.
Anyway, this is the last I’ll talk about this stuff. I came in here today to catch up on baseball and it was ridiculous and infuriating to see what the conversation had devolved into and how terms that had no place on a baseball blog were being dropped casually into conversation about life anecdotes.
mick…..the eggman or the walrus ???? man, what’s happening here ????
Chad was quick on the trigger to bomb/erase inflammatory comments about sugary beverages yesterday though. Good on you Chad. Love how you weed out the real charged subject matter here.
I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together…
chad doesn’t bother reading the crap that goes on in here anymore…
…but the filter should get off its ass.
Nice to see consistent SP this spring.
Need to see it all season……….all season
Mick, ever think the “filter” is a poster?
Fire the Filter !!!!
Yankee game is on YES tomorrow night.
The filter definitely has its own peculiarities.
The following are words of which it just does not approve!
wh*re
prost*tute
and go figure – can*er
mick……you should be watching women’s tennis right now, very few sporting events for enjoyable. tennis in it’s purest form
I’m sure Chad will remove the post as soon as he sees my email.
Mick, ever think the “filter” is a poster?
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maybe an im-poster.
Mauer is a beast.
Come on Hal, stop being such a puss, open your wallet and go get em!
mauer=ripken=jeter
A tear comes to my eye when I see that Clydesdale ad.
KInda like sending a child off to school for the 1st time.
And with Stevie Nicks singing Landslide in the background,
it reminds me of MTV,
which killed rock n roll on the radio.
mick……you should be watching women’s tennis right now, very few sporting events for enjoyable. tennis in it’s purest form
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whats the over under?
Smashing Pumpkins version of Landslide was better. You haven’t lived until you’ve heard it.
but can they twirl like stevie?
mick….there’s only one stevie nicks. shame erica isn’t here to chime in on this. azarenka hurting, bum ankle.
Best concert I ever heard in person was Tom Petty. Stevie was touring with him but she was sick so they didn’t perform together. Petty was a waterfall of energy that swept over the pavilion. He was just really in tune with every person there and vice versa. I’ve never seen so much positive energy in my life and I’ve been to multiple Barack Obama rallies.
Best concert I never saw in person was Neil Young Live Rust.
Reefer madness for sure
Bambi Vs Godzilla
mick…. not a fan of vika. used to have drinks with tracy austin ( 1987 ) often
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPFxBzlFe94
Pat-Are you the old guy in this one?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YkmoCg80KA
I want Giancarlo
Musty got lost, Musty got lost, Musty got lost
Somewhere down the lin http://www.chatalex.com/