Bob Melvin Talks Curveballs, Both Past and Present

The FanGraphs Newsletter, May 4, 2022 [READ IN BROWSER]( May 4, 2022 Hi there! [Bob Melvin]( is more than a little familiar with curveballs. Now in his 19th season at the helm of a big-league club, the 60-year-old San Diego Padres manager logged over 2,000 plate appearances and was behind the dish for more than 4,600 innings during his playing career. Seeing action with seven different teams from 1985 to ’94, he caught numerous hurlers whose repertoires included plus benders. Which pitchers have featured the most-impressive curveballs Melvin caught, attempted to hit, and that he’s viewed from his vantage point in the dugout? Moreover, how do the shapes and velocities of present-day curveballs compare to those of his playing days? Melvin did his best to answer those questions when the Padres visited Pittsburgh’s PNC Park over the weekend. LEARN MORE: [Bob Melvin Talks Curveballs, Both Past and Present, by David Laurila]( [Robinson Canó Reaches the End of the Road in Queens]( The Mets decide that they would prefer to pay Canó $40 million not to play for them. | by Dan Szymborski [Good Luck Hitting Ryan Helsley's Fastball]( You'll need it. | by Ben Clemens [After Years of Struggle in San Diego, Eric Hosmer Is Suddenly Red Hot]( The Padres have spent much of the last year trying to get out from under the first baseman's big contract, but for the moment it's paying off. | by Jay Jaffe [Tuesday Prospect Notes: 5/3/2022]( Notes on prospects from the Braves, Cardinals, Marlins, Mets, and Royals systems. | by Eric Longenhagen [The Yankees Are Good Despite Their Plate Discipline (Or Lack Thereof)]( This year's Yankees haven't exhibited the best swing decisions, but that hasn't stopped their burning bats – but will it? | by Justin Choi 🎧 [EFFECTIVELY WILD EPISODE 1844: Grill the Umpire]( The Mug in white! [ORDER HERE]( [What the heck is going on with the baseball? Everything you need to know about MLB's scoring drought]( via ESPN [How Verlander is defying age, TJ]( by David Adler, MLB.com [Twins rotation formed an immediate bond that’s paying off, leading American League]( by Brittany Ghiroli, The Athletic ($) [It's Still Hard to Trust MLB Can Solve The Problems it Makes]( by Marc Normandin, Baseball Prospectus ($) [@fangraphs]( [FanGraphs]( [FanGraphs]( [RSS]( [FORWARD]( [SUBSCRIBE]( Copyright © 2022 FanGraphs Inc, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to the FanGraphs Newsletter. Our mailing address is: FanGraphs Inc 1200 N Hartford St. Apt 312Arlington, Va 22201 [Add us to your address book]( Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](