There's been some hand-wringing about the speed with which Perez has been throwing the ball this spring. I see no cause for alarm. Could he be hurt? Sure. But any pitcher could be hurt. This is a different case than, say, when a finesse pitcher suddenly loses velocity mid-season. Why? Oliver Perez is a pitcher who struggles to achieve consistent mechanics. We all know that. He's wild. When he's consistent and in control of himself, he's effective. When he brings the dipsy-doodle deliveries and loses his composure, he's awful. Does it not make sense for him to take something off the fastball, to slow the whole delivery, to help establish good habits? Of course. We all do this; it's a stage in the learning curve. Once he has the good habits, then he can increase the violence with which he hurls that thing. The test will be whether or not he can maintain good, consistent mechanics while throwing with all the force he can muster.
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