SAN FRANCISCO — Keone Kela couldn't throw his changeup for a strike in the Pirates' bullpen. So, Euclides Rojas grabbed a ball and gave his newest reliever the recipe to one of the most effective pitches in the history of the sport.
Rojas, the Pirates' bullpen coach, formed a circle around the ball with his right thumb and index finger, demonstrating to Kela exactly how Pedro Martinez, a Hall of Fame and three-time Cy Young Award winner, threw what many former players call the best changeup ever.
Kela grabbed the ball from Rojas, stepped back on the mound and unleashed one for a strike. The pitch, Kela said, could be the answer to a problem that plagued him even when he saved 24 games for the Rangers this season.
"I need something else against lefties," Kela told DKPittsburghSports.com. "Or even if I come in and need a ground ball. Instead of these guys sitting and waiting for a 96, 97 fastball, or that curveball, I can throw something that’s in between to catch them off-guard and get that rollover."
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