Radar Gun Love Can Undermine Young Pitchers Like Michael Pineda

Perhaps you heard the news that Michael Pineda, the Yankees' prized acquisition from the Mariners, did not leave his fastball in Seattle. The 23-year-old right-hander, who is an intimidating 6'7" and 280 pounds, reportedly topped out at 94 miles per hour on the radar gun in his second spring training appearance.

He reached only a modest 92 mph in his Yankee debut.

The Yankees appear to be doing all the right things with Pineda. They are not putting unrealistic expectations on him; they are working with him to develop a change-up to compliment his overpowering fastball and slider.

But the best thing they can do is hide the radar gun when Pineda pitches. A fastball that reaches the mid-90s will catch the eye of scouts the way a good-looking guy or girl will entice a Hollywood talent scout. Eventually, however, it's about whether you can act or are just another pretty face.

The same is true for power pitchers. Like real estate, it's all about location, location, location. Baseball history is filled with stories about guys who threw hard but couldn't find home plate.

In reaching 94 mph, Pineda also allowed four hits and one run in two-and-two-thirds innings, walking three and throwing a wild pitch. Those are A.J. Burnett numbers.

Major league hitters can catch up with 100 mph fastballs if a pitcher doesn't have more in his repertoire. And most good hitters will tell you they would rather face a guy throwing three-digit heat than a pitcher throwing in the low 90s with great movement on his pitches.

Aroldis Chapman, the hard-throwing 24-year-old lefty on the Cincinnati Reds, is currently credited with the radar-gun record, although that is an argument for another day. He reached 105 mph in September of 2010 pitching in relief.

Here is all you need to know about how relatively inconsequential a radar-gun reading can be: The pitch was inside and called a ball.

Joel Zumaya is a radar-gun horror story. He made 171 appearances for the Tigers in his first five seasons, but missed all of last season because of Tommy John surgery and re-injured his elbow again this spring in Minnesota Twins camp.

Zumaya had clocked 104 mph with his fastball.

There have been great fastball pitchers like Sandy Koufax, Nolan Ryan, Bob Feller and Bob Gibson who threw hard, but no one appeared fixated on their mph only how many games they won.

Koufax and Ryan, in particular, achieved greatness when they learned how to control their fastball and how to pitch.

So let's hope the Yankees mean it when they say that they are giving Pineda time to develop as a complete pitcher. Let's hope that Yankee fans can keep from glancing at the read-outs posted on scoreboards or in TV graphics.

Teams can do themselves a favor and impose their own radar-gun law. Use it privately to monitor their pitchers, but keep it our of public view.

Pitchers are paid to win games; not qualify for Daytona.