Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja on Twitter) recently did an interview with Mets pitcher Marcus Stroman about pitch grips. Towards the end of Stroman’s discussion about his sinker — including how he throws it, how he developed it, and where it’s at now — he tells the story of when he first threw it.
With Rangers outfielder Shin Soo-Choo at the plate, full count, fifth inning, and his Blue Jays up 2-0, Stroman’s catcher implored him to throw his sinker. To that point, Stroman had never thrown a sinker in a game, let alone such a high-leverage situation.