Johnny Cueto stops, whoas, wiggles with it before throwing pitch
Johnny Cueto stops and wiggles while throwing pitch
Pitching is a game of minor adjustments and tweaks used to disarm the batter: Moving the ball in and out, up and down, changing speeds, adding and subtracting velocity and trying to hide the ball until the very last second. And they are all, to some degree, successful, even though batters continue to get hits.
NL Final Vote candidate Johnny Cueto may have discovered the secret to never allowing a bloop or blast ever again: the power of boogie.
In the seventh inning of Tuesday's start against the Nationals, Cueto spun and wiggled once, twice, three times. His shoulders got into the groove and the musical beat of the universe flew through him. Naturally, Ian Desmond was dumbfounded and could only watch as the ball floated by.
The tactic clearly paid off. Cueto threw a two-hit shutout complete with 11 strikeouts. Not bad for the future Dancing with the Stars contestant.