At least Matt Barnes is honest.
Some pitchers would downplay the quest for higher radar gun readings. Not Barnes.
"This year do I want to hit it? Yeah, absolutely," he told WEEI.com. "Who doesn't? I would like to hit 100 (mph) this year."
He's close. Very close.
According to BrooksBaseball.net, Barnes has come tantalizing close to reaching triple-digits. His hardest pitch registered came on May 23 against the Rays (99.50 mph), with a fastball he threw in Seattle (99.50 mph) not far behind. On July 4 in Washington, the righty clocked in at 99.45 mph, with his latest outing, Friday night in Detroit, displaying a 99.12 mph pitch.
"Sometimes I throw a ball that didn't feel great and it's 98. It's just when everything clicks," he explained. "I just try and throw it harder, honestly. I don't tell myself to stay back more or speed up the arm. I just try and throw it harder."
Barnes has made some adjustments that have helped both his velocity and breaking ball, resulting in perhaps the best run of his career. In his last 12 outings the reliever has allowed just one run on six hits over 12 1/3 innings, striking out 24 and waking six.
"This year it's just a difference in mechanical stuff," he said. "I feel like I'm using my legs a lot more this year. The arm slot is lower and allowing me to rotate on the ball faster. Last year it was more of a side step so I lost some of my lower half."
The other bit of honesty exuded by Barnes? He will be watching those radar gun readings to see if that "100" pops up.
"I think everybody does," he said when asked if he sneaks looks at the stadiums' velocity measurements. "If they tell you they don't they're a liar."
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