And then, every once in a while, that pitch gets away, which always plants in a hitter's mind that when you're that big, you're not going to throw every pitch right where you want to. That unspoken menace transcends the mere heater at the neck. It reaches into the opposing dugout, where a manager is forced to play with one hand tied behind his back. Well, when you first start, it's a little different, but once you get a handle on the physical side of it, going out every fifth day with him is more mentally challenging for a catcher, just to keep him calmed down. He gets caught up in the emotion a lot and can be very intense out there.
Quick starts guarantee little.
Martinez went 10-8 after winning his first seven starts in 1997 but still won his first Cy Young. Johnson is a different species. He has surpassed Sandy Koufax's career win total, by two, as well as his strikeout total, by 372, in 16 fewer innings. He also never has pitched better than right now. I'm enjoying where I am now, believe it or not.