Erickson continues to struggle, search for some solutions

Author:  Jim Souhan

Source:  Minneapolis Star Tribune, April 27, 1994

Twins pitcher Scott Erickson, who will start tonight against Milwaukee, is 9-24 since mid-September 1992, including 1-3 this season with a 7.48 ERA.    Pitching coach Dick Such insists that Erickson is throwing about as well as he did when he was a 20-game winner in 1991. Other baseball people have suggested that Erickson no longer keeps his sinking fastball low in the strike zone, and that he needs to use his fledgling changeup more to make his fastball and slider more effective.

"Everybody has a theory," Such said. "When a guy throws 90 miles per hour and is around the plate, I don't know what else he can do. He works hard and goes at hitters. There are no easy answers. He's gotten key strikeouts at times, he's gotten a lot of ground balls, and a lot of them just haven't gone at people.

"Playing in the Metrodome, he's had a lot of balls bounce off the hard dirt or turf and bounce right over a fielder's head."

Such said he has worked with Erickson on a few things. "We're staying after the off-speed pitch and location and staying back and staying on top of the ball," Such said. "But it's all pretty basic stuff."

Manager Tom Kelly just wants to see results. "He's not done too well," Kelly said. "I'm sure he'd say the same thing. He can do better. He just doesn't have it together yet. I hope he gets it together soon.

"He's pitched well at times, in some tough situations, but some of the innings in between have not been too good. We're looking for consistency throughout the game. . . . He has to throw some more strikes and be more effective in the strike zone."

Thanks to Debbie for sending me this article

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