Quote: Santana’s Moonwalking Changeup
According to the New York Post, Johan Santana will throw his first batting practice session today for the Mets.
Santana, speaking about when he knew his change-up could ‘Moonwalk,’ in a section from this month’s ESPN: The Magazine…
“As a reliever with the Twins, I had a changeup I wasn’t able to throw very often. But in 2002 I started the season in Triple-A, and I worked with Edmonton pitching coach Bobby Cuellar. He was the one who had me focus on my changeup and learn to trust all my pitches. That’s where everything started. I would get into a 3-0 counts and make myself throw a change. Situations like those are how I became confident in the pitch, because I had choice but to throw a strike. From there it’s gotten more and more consistent, and that’s why I’m in big leagues.”
…thanks to the invaluable Peter Wade for the text…
To get a sense of what it’s like to face Santana’s change-up, check out this video from the Star-Tribune.
To subscribe to ESPN: The Magazine, go here.
To learn more about the Moonwalk, go to 1982.
By the way, at Dugout Central, Jim Dilk takes a closer look at the winners and losers of the Santana trade with the Twins.
