Jordan Walden

Cardinals IN THE CLASSROOM! JORDAN WALDEN Over the past few seasons, the St. Louis Cardinals have developed a bullpen that has been the envy of the rest of Major League Baseball. After joining the team in November as part of a multi-player trade, TAKA YANAGIMOTO/ST. LOUIS CARDINALS hard-throwing Jordan Walden has become yet the latest weapon for Manager Mike Matheny out of the pen. Walden has pitched previously with the Los Angeles Angels In April of 2011, his rst full season with the Angels, Walden and most recently with the Atlanta Braves. He was an All-Star became the team’s closer and just three months later, he as a rookie with the Angels in 2011 while recording 32 saves earned selection to his rst All-Star Game, replacing the injured that year. He spent the past two seasons in Atlanta, recording a Mariano Rivera on the American League roster. 3.15 earned run average while striking out 116 batters in just 97 “Growing up the goal is always to be an All-Star, win the World innings during those two years. He surrendered just 72 hits in Series,” he said. “Going into the year I was just trying to be part of those 97 frames and was used primarily as a set-up man for the the team, and staying healthy and being in the bullpen. Braves. His fastball has been known to surpass 100 mph, but “I really couldn’t believe it at rst,” Walden continued. “A his unique throwing style also turns heads. rookie making the All-Star team really never crossed my mind. A native of Fort Worth, Texas, Walden has an unusual I had a couple bad outings here and there, so I really didn’t pitching style that features a ‘hop’ in the middle of his windup, expect to be an All-Star, but thank God for the players who and for a brief second both of his feet are actually airborne voted and voted me in.” before he delivers to the plate. This spring – and most springs – Although he’s yet to claim another All-Star roster spot, his Walden has been working to adjust that delivery. “I work on it numbers have remained stellar, with perhaps 2014 his best every year to get rid of it and it does hurt me sometimes, too,” season, statistically speaking. Last year, Walden had a 2.88 ERA Walden told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “I’m a big boy and for the Braves, striking out 62 batters while allowing just 33 hits jumping on my hip takes a toll on your body. It’s kind of hard to in 50 innings, recording a team-best 20 holds. If Walden can put change it, but I’m trying to modify it so that I can play longer.” up those kinds of numbers in his rst year with the Cardinals, Matheny, though, has said that he’s comfortable with the it will certainly translate to success for the team’s bullpen in way Walden delivers to the plate. “I don’t want him hurting 2015 and beyond. himself if you start making radical changes,” Matheny said. “I Written by Mike Kern don’t see us doing much tinkering until he needs it or wants it.” Whether Walden maintains his unique delivery or becomes accustomed to a more traditional one is yet to be seen, but the results of his rst ve seasons in the major leagues certainly aren’t up for debate. His career earned-run average is 3.10 over the span of 231 regular-season games. He’s thrown 211.2 total innings with 254 strikeouts and only 92 walks. Walden reached the postseason once, with the Braves in 2013. TAKA YANAGIMOTO/ST. LOUIS CARDINALS How can pitchers throw a ball over 100 mph? It’s Now we will calculate Walden’s momentum. Now, step forward while throwing. Did the ball physics, speci cally momentum. Momentum can Let’s assume that the mass of a baseball is go farther? be de ned as “mass in motion.” The momentum of 0.145kg and a 100 mph fastball travels at 44 Let’s go major league and put your weight on an object depends on both its velocity and mass. meters per second. your back leg and thrust forward while throwing the Although Walden’s pitching motion is unusual, he The equation is: ball. Did it go even farther? Building momentum up produces momentum much the same way that all Momentum = mass x velocity through the large muscle mass helps, doesn’t it? pitchers do. Pitchers build momentum by transferring Momentum = 0.145 x 44 Watch videos of Walden and other Cardinals weight onto the back leg and then thrusting forward. 6.38 = 0.145 x 44 pitchers to observe their pitching styles. See if This uses the large mass of their legs and hips. The Simple, right! emulating their styles improves your distance. momentum is then transferred up through the torso, Are you ready to build some momentum of And remember, it’s just simple physics … down the arms, and into the ngers as the ball is your own? Do the following experiment by yourself and a lot of practice! pitched. Fingers alone don’t have much mass, so a or with friends. Remember to be a scientist and ball thrown with only the ngers doesn’t go very far. measure and record your tests. By involving the whole body and building up from Draw a line on the ground. Stand with your toes the large mass rst, a pitcher can throw a 100 mph on the line and throw a baseball with just your arm fastball. See, simple physics! and hand. .

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