Yankees' Chapman Does It Again, Tops 105 On The Radar Gun
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- You can't hit what you can't see.
That seems to be the consensus whenever Aroldis Chapman takes the mound.
Sure, opposing batters sometimes get a decent piece of a mistake thrown by the Yankees' closer, but when he really puts the pedal down, you can forget about it.
Such was the case Monday night in the opener of a pivotal series against the first-place Orioles. On in the ninth to protect a one-run lead in what would eventually be a 2-1 victory, Chapman topped out at 105.7 mph against J.J. Hardy. The offering came on the heels of a 104.9 mph effort on the previous pitch.
Chapman just kind of shrugged when asked about his insane velocity.
"I felt fine. I felt normal, just a little more loose, I guess. But not unlike any other day," the 28-year-old Cuban said.
Chapman set what is believed to be a major league record for fastest pitch when he hit 105.8 mph during a game with Cincinnati Reds back in 2010, according to BrooksBaseball.net. It is important to note, however, that radar gun speeds have been disputed over the years.
But there is no denying the fact that Chapman has consistently thrown harder than any pitcher in baseball over the last several seasons.
"I can't really say I've ever seen an arm that quick, and it's impressive," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.
"It's unbelievable what he does on the mound," Yankees catcher Brian McCann added. "If you catch it right, you are fine; if you don't, you are in trouble."
Orioles starting pitcher Kevin Gausman was a bit more colorful in his assessment of Chapman.
"That guy's a freak," he said.
Chapman, who is currently 3-0 with a 2.22 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 28 1/3 innings, spanning 29 appearances, will be a free agent after the season, but in the interim could end up being the most sought-after pitcher by teams looking to make a postseason run. That's because the Yankees (46-46) could very well be sellers before the Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline.
"It is something I don't worry about," Chapman said about the possibility of being traded. "My job is to help the team win. It is something I have no control over.''
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Monday's victory was the Bombers' second straight, and moved them within 7 1/2 games of Baltimore in the AL East and five back for the second wild-card spot, but they have not won more than two in a row since taking three straight from June 22-25.
If the Yankees do wave the white flag on their season, they will figure to unload veteran outfielder Carlos Beltran, and may look to move the contracts of several of their other high-priced players, including reliever Andrew Miller and starter CC Sabathia.
