Chart Observations: 8/8 MIL @ HOU

1) Manny Parra: 107 pitches. 9 strikes swinging. 5 Fastballs (2 in 1st, 4th, 5th, 6th), 4 Splitters (2nd, 4th, 2 in 5th)

• Parra came from an over the top release with a fastball that has a little tail on righties, a power 11-5 curve with average depth, a change with some fade from righties with sink and a split with good diving action. He will throw his change in any count.

1st: FB (91-94), CU (85), Split (83-85)

2nd: FB (90-93), CU (84-85), CB (77), Split (83)

3rd: FB (91-93), CU (84-85), CB (76), Split (82)

4th: FB (90-95), CU (83-85), CB (74-76), Split (83-84)

5th: FB (90-95), CU (82), CB (72), Split (82-84)

6th: FB (87-93), CU (85), CB (72), Split (81)

2) Mike Hampton: 48 pitches. 2 strikes swinging. 2 Cutters (1st, 2nd)

• Hampton came from a high 3/4 release with a fastball with a little run in on lefties, a cutter that looks like a slider with 11-5 movement, a change with good fade from righties with good sink, a big breaking 11-5 curve with solid depth. He was leaving his change up and on his armside. He left the game with an injury, again.

1st: FB (83-91), Cut (84-87), CU (77-79)

2nd: FB (84-91), Cut (84-88), CU (77-78), CB (73-78)

3) Yorman Bazardo: 41 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Fastball.

• Bazardo is a 6-2, 220 pound righty. The 25 year old has a medium frame that is maxed out. He came from a high 3/4, almost 3/4 release. His fastball has good run in on righties with good sink. His slider is a 2-7 offering with slightly above average bite. His change has some fade from lefties with good sink that he will throw to righties. The change is his out pitch. He is a better fit as a starter then a reliever due to all his offerings being slightly average. He will struggle as a reliever.

3rd: FB (89-93), CU (82-84), SL (81-85)

4) Wesley Wright: 61 pitches. 4 strikes swinging. 2 Fastballs (4th, 6th), Changeup (5th), Slider (6th)

• Wright is a 5-11, 175 pound lefty. The 24 year old has a small frame that can add more muscle everywhere. He came from anywhere form a high 3/4 to 3/4 release. His curveball is a 11-5 offering with slightly above average depth. His fastball has some run in on lefties. His slider is a 10-4 offering with good late bite. His change has some fade from righties with sink. He looks to have the look to be a solid middle reliever eventually.

4th: FB (91-94), CB (79-82), SL (85-86)

5th: FB (90-93), CB (80-83), SL (85-86), CU (86)

6th: FB (91-94), CB (80-81), SL (83-87), CU (85-86)

5) Claudio Vargas: 23 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Fastball (7th)

• Vargas came from a 3/4 release and showed a fastball with some run in on righties and a 2-7 slider with solid bite.

6th: FB (89-92)

7th: FB (90-93), SL (80-82)

6) Tim Byrdak: 38 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Fastball (7th)

• Byrdak came from an over the top release with a fastball with some run in on righties, a change that moves like his fastball with a little sink, a 11-5 slider with solid bite and a 11-5 curve with some depth that he will hang.

7th: FB (85-92), SL (82-84), CU (81-84), CB (77)

8th: FB (89-91), SL (79-83), CU (80-85)

7) Chris Smith: 17 pitches. 1 strike swinging. Changeup.

• Smith came from an over the top release and showed a fastball with good run in on righties with good sink and a change with some fade from lefties with sink that he will throw to righties.

8th: FB (87-90), CU (74-76)

8) Alberto Arias: 16 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Arias came from a 3/4 release and showed a fastball with good run in on righties with sink and a power 12-6 curve with solid depth.

9th: FB (93-95), CB (81-84)

9) Mike Burns: 12 pitches. 0 strikes swinging.

• Burns came from an over the top release with a straight 4-seam fastball and a 2-7 slider with below average bite.

9th: FB (89-92), SL (79-82)

HOU @ ARI

• Dan Haren (the subject of a debate on here, just glad there was some convo for a little, cough POST COMMENTS cough) was back on the hill and he comes from an over the top release. His curveball is a 12-6 with good depth, his fastball shows good fade and sink, his split shows plus dive and is a pitch he typically buries for his out pitch and his cutter has good late cut and a little sink. All his pitches are above average and they play up due to his plus-plus command, as he may have left 3 or 4 pitches in the middle of the plate all night. Still a really good # 2 starter in my eyes. If there is a modern pitcher that is comparable to Greg Maddux, your looking at him.

1st: FB (90-91), CB (77-79), Split (86), Cut (84-88)

2nd: FB (89-91), CB (77-78), Split (83), Cut (86-87)

3rd: FB (90-91), CB (77-79), Split (84), Cut (85-87)

4th: FB (90-92), CB (78-79), Split (82-84), Cut (85-88)

5th: FB (90-91), CB (78-79), Cut (85-87)

6th: FB (90-93), CB (76-79), Cut (85-88)

7th: FB (88-90), CB (76), Cut (84-86)

8th: FB (88-91), CB (77), Cut (85-88)

9th: FB (89-92), CB (76), Cut (84-88)

• Mike Hampton, a 5-10, 195 pound 36 year old opposed him. The lefty has a small frame that can add a little more muscle, but likely won't. He comes from a high 3/4 release and has a larger repetoire then most. He throws a straight 4-seam, a 2-seam with good fade and sink, a cutter that moves like a SL and is a 11-4 type pitch, a curveball that is an 11-5 pitch with good depth and a change with sink and fade similar to his 2-seam. He is a tough guy to chart, let alone try and pick out pitches at full speed, but below is my best attempt at him.

1st: 4-Seam (87-89), 2-Seam (84-85), CB (76-77), CU (78-82), Cut (85-87)

2nd: 4 (87-90), 2 (84-86), CB (79), CU (80-82), Cut (85-86)

3rd: 4 (87-91), 2 (83-85), CB (78), CU (78-82), Cut (87)

4th: 4 (86-89), 2 (82-85), CU (77), Cut (83-88)

5th: 4 (87-88), 2 (81), CU (78-79), Cut (82-86)

• Brandon Backe finished the game and came from a high 3/4 release showing a fastball with a little fade, a change with good fade and some sink that he threw only to Stephen Drew (scouting report out on him maybe, as this was the first time Backe threw changes in the outings I have done for him), a hard 12-6 slider and a curve with similar movement but a bigger break. His cutter movement is hard to see from the naked eye and looks to be fairly marginal.

6th: FB (89-90), SL (80-81), CB (75-77), CU (81-82), Cut (87-88)

7th: FB (88-90), SL (81), CB (75-76), Cut (87-88)

8th: FB (86-90), SL (81-82), CB (71-76), CU (83)

Tomorrow will be a day from hell. I have a chart, a doubleheader for baseball and a 10 o clock score. Crap.

As always, if there are any pitchers/hitters you would like me to see, give me a game date and I will check it out on off days and provide an extra report (Will - Masterson start?)