San Francisco right-hander Brian Wilson plans to add a changeup
to his repertoire this spring, the better to keep hitters off his
99 mph fastball
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — San Francisco right-hander Brian Wilson plans to add a changeup to his repertoire this spring, the better to keep hitters off his 99 mph fastball.
Wilson is confident it will be successful, which is no surprise. It is that mentality that defines the way he does his job as the Giants closer.
“When I feel good, it feels like no one is going to sniff anything I throw,” Wilson said. “But I feel like that every time I pitch. When I give up a hit, the guy’s lucky … You get after (hitters) like you own them. I mean, sure you respect them. But as far as the battle goes, you have to know you are going to win that battle.”
Wilson, 27, won enough of those battles to record 41 saves in his first full season as the Giants closer last season, joining Rod Beck and Robb Nen as the only pitchers in franchise history to have at least 40 saves in a season. Beck has the franchise record with 48, while Nen hit 40 four times.
Wilson made the NL All-Star team, but his 3-2 record included a 4.62 ERA and six failed save conversions, and his sole reliance on his superior fastball seemed to make for long outs and longer at-bats. He averaged 19 pitches per inning in 2008, the most among major leagues closers.
“As the season goes on, the hitters get to know you. They adjust,” San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said. “When you have a good fastball like he does, you are going to pitch off it. That doesn’t change. What he can do is come up with a changeup or the slider to mix up the speeds a little bit and give the hitter a different look.”
Wilson threw mostly changeups in his bullpen session Wednesday and seems to understand its value.
“I pitched all last year with just a fastball and did pretty well, but now I can incorporate something else,” he said. “Of course a pitcher needs a second pitch. You don’t want too many pitches. If you have too many pitches, you start second-guessing yourself. But to have a pitch to show every once in a while, so (hitters) know you can throw it any time is not so bad, I guess.”
Catcher Bengie Molina praised Wilson’s desire to take the ball in any situation. At the same time, Molina said it would be good for Wilson to have another pitch to accompany his fastball “just to have a backup plan in case there is a day your fastball is not moving the way you want it to.”
Wilson called his 2008 season “all right.” He wants much more.
“I don’t care about stats,” he said. “I figure my job is to come in in the ninth inning and to go 1-2-3, to be perfect every outing. It’s one of the most demanding jobs there is. You have to be perfect every time. It’s hard to do, but it can be done.”
Notes: Giants hitters took live batting practice for the first time this spring Thursday, with reigning NL Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum and Barry Zito among the pitchers throwing. “Tim looked great,” Molina said. “Zito looked amazing. For both of them, the control was there.” Lincecum did not get a swing from his hitters, all content to track the ball out of his hand and into Molina’s mitt. … Left-hander Noah Lowry threw a bullpen session for the first time this spring Thursday after first throwing off flat ground. If his left scapula responds well, he will throw off a mound in a day or two, Bochy said. “He had good stuff, good velocity,” Bochy said, adding that he did not want to tie Lowry to a spring timetable. … The Giants open the regular season against Milwaukee on April 7, and Bochy acknowledged it will be a little strange to see long-time San Diego closer Trevor Hoffman with an “M” on his hat. Bochy and Hoffman spent 12 years together with the Padres, from 1995-2006. Noting that the Brewers recently re-signed Eric Gagne, Bochy added, “I never thought I’d see Hoffy and Gagne on the same team.” The two closers were rivals for years in the NL West when Gagne was with Los Angeles.
