Guidry Trying To Get Mariano To Change

Yankees pitching coach, Ron Guidry, has been encouraging Mariano to throw his changeup in game situations. Mariano has been working on throwing his changeup during practice sessions.

The advantages of adding a changeup to Mo's repertoire are significant. With his deadly cut fastball, two-seamer, and four-seamer all shooting in on batters in the 90s, an 80 mph changeup would throw batters off balance, no longer giving them the opportunity to sit back and time their swings for Mo's hard stuff.

Mariano Rivera actually used a changeup on a regular basis when he was a minor league pitcher. When he got to the big leagues, he stuck to his best pitch - his cutter. And no one can argue with his track record.

But Guidry feels that the key to Mariano maintaining his dominance for the next few years is to give batters something extra to think about, especially as Mariano begins to lose a mile or two off his cut fastball as his body continues to age.

So far, Mariano hasn't thrown a changeup in a game situation. But if Guidry's coaching takes effect, don't be surprised if Mo begins to change soon.

- Joshua
InsideTheYankees.com