I was told that Jason Schmidt hit 90 mph on three occasions in the first inning. Most of his pitches were between 87-90 mph in the first inning. After that they weren’t 90 but they weren’t that far off either.
Here’s what Schmidt had to say afterwards:
Q: Physically how did you feel today?
A: I felt good, but wildness has been a factor for a while. It’s not always pretty but I figure out a little bit more each time out. You’ve just got to go through it.
Q: How concerned are you about your velocity?
A: Velocity is the last thing on my mind. I’m just trying to let the ball go and harness what I have. But throwing strikes is the most important thing.
Q: Can you be effective without being a power pitcher?
A: I’ve done both over the years. I don’t think it’s a problem. You just have to throw strikes. You can’t be a power pitcher in the big leagues if you don’t throw strikes. I’d much rather blow it by ’em, that’d be much easier. But I’ve been down both roads. I had shoulder surgery back in 2000 and I threw 86-90 the whole year and went 13-7 and had a really good year. In ’05 I came into camp and I’d lost all my velocity. It took me half the season to figure out what to do with it, but I won 12 or 13 games that year.
Q: You seem upbeat?
A: My arm feels good. I just need to throw strikes. I need more strength, and more command. I’m doing everything different so it’s going to take a while to get the muscle memory.