Increased velocity may not mean better pitching

Tim Marchman's article today referenced pitchers' velocities continuing to rise. Some expected the opposite to happen perhaps as a result of fewer performance enhancers.

• The very famous Dan Naulty noted an 'increase in velocity' in his pitches at a certain point in time. That phrase was used in headlines around the world as proof that artificial substances really work, get results. That conclusion would not be correct, at least in Dan Naulty's case, based on further study. ie.
• Naulty's other vital pitching stats decreased, rendering his velocity irrelevant. posted here 5/1/08:

'A statistics minded mlblogger looked into it further and found Naulty's performance unchanged by his increased velocity. from mikemac.mlblogs/archives, 2/29/08:

• "Dan Naulty is "the guy who was on (ESPN's) Outside the Lines", his performance was unchanged by his added velocity (I've got this stuff too). Essentially

his minor ERA, WHIP & K/BB ratio took a beating late in the season when he moved up a level (shouldn't it have stayed the same),

• his K/9IP went down. Throughout his Major League career, as he used, gained weight & velocity,

• his BAA & K/9IP got worse each season, his K/BB ratio also took a beating.

His minor league career was normal, his major league career got worse as it went on; please don't tell me that if he didn't use he wouldn't have gotten as far, you cannot prove that."

• It sounds reasonable enough to look into. From 2/29/08, Baseball As I See It, mikemac.mlblogs/archives, 2/2008'

Anyone could have looked the numbers up and correctly dimmed the media spotlight eagerly given to Naulty. But that would've thrown water on one of George Mitchell's key pieces, ie the Naulty confession 'because he wanted to help' (as opposed to passing bad information, smearing names of star players with nothing but innuendo, and getting publicity for a hoped-for book deal-which included creating the false impression that he was on the Yankees 1999 post season roster-which he was not).

• There was no one in big media with enough character to question George Mitchell/MLB whether it be over Naulty or anything else. (sm)

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