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Inside the Game: Body Language

With some pitchers, you can tune into a game for one pitch and see a camera shot of the pitcher and know exactly from the body language that it's a bad day.

Derek Lowe was like that.

So is the Mariners' Jeff Weaver.

Yesterday the enigmatic right-hander, who hadn't pitched since March 31, could not find the plate in the first inning. His first six pitches were out of the strike zone. And his control was spotty, at best, throughout the inning.

As each pitch missed, Weaver, his shoulders slumped, would turn and look into the dugout as if pleading that either he wanted to get in out of the cold or he was upset the plate umpire was squeezing him.

Pitching coach Rafael Chavez did make a visit at one point, but manager Mike Hargrove, whose Mariners hadn't played since last Wednesday because of snowouts in Cleveland, resisted the urge to get up a reliever in the bullpen, clearly hoping Weaver could shake off the rust.

That is, until Coco Crisp yanked Weaver's 43rd pitch inside the first-base line for a ground-rule, two-run double, putting Boston on top, 4-0. At that point, left-hander Jake Woods began throwing.

Weaver finally ended the inning on his 47th pitch (only 22 of which were strikes), retiring Dustin Pedroia on a fly ball to left.

Weaver's body language didn't get any better in the second inning. He dejectedly walked around the mound as Julio Lugo and Kevin Youkilis led off with doubles into the left-field corner. And when J.D. Drew's one-handed fly ball to center floated into the seats for a two-run homer and a 7-0 Sox lead, Weaver, hands on hips in disbelief the ball had gone out, once again stared into the Mariners' dugout, seeking the hook or sympathy.

Neither came. He finished the inning as Woods continued to throw in the bullpen, as he had been doing all inning.

-- STEVEN KRASNER

Posted by Steven Krasner  at 2:29 PM to Krasner | Permalink

Comments

John | April 10, 2007 2:44 PM link