If you’ve been watching Ray Black’s minor league career, you’ve noticed two issues that were keeping him from the majors. The first, which we talked about on Tuesday, is the injuries. The second has been walks. Black’s walk totals his first year in Augusta were a little high (4 BB/9), but nothing that he couldn’t work on. His walk totals the next couple years, in San Jose and Richmond (around 9 BB/9), were an issue. But if you ask him, the walks and the injuries were always closely related.
“The further you’re away from the mound, the more difficult it becomes to repeat mechanics,” Black said.