The Mike Maddux Coaching Tree

[ILuvDaBush]

TUCSON, Ariz. -- D-backs closer Brandon Lyon developed a cut fastball as a way of adding deception to his repertoire of pitches and it seems not only to have worked on the mound, but off it as well.

A lot of media and scouting reports list Lyon as throwing a fastball, slider, curve and change, but in reality he ditched the slider a few years ago in favor of the cutter.

"I used to have more of a slurve," Lyon said, meaning his slider wasn't as hard as most sliders, but not as slow as his curve. "Gradually as I moved into the bullpen I turned it more into a harder slider or whatever and it didn't break as much. Now I grip it differently so it looks more like my four seamer and I can disguise it more."

The effectiveness of the pitch was illustrated for him when he played catch with fellow pitcher Doug Davis last year.

"When he threw his cutter, it looked to me just like his fastball until it all of a sudden moved a little," Lyon said. "The key is now it looks so much like my fastball so it's a little tougher to pick up for hitters. If you can throw that pitch and SPOT IT WELL it's probably one of my best pitches."

Arizona Notes

Mike Maddux taught The Sharpie to throw the cutter (though LOCATING the cutter was another story), and now our former "Ace" is teaching a new disciple how to throw the illustrious gyroball, err, cutter.