Spring Training 2012: Cleveland Indians Pitcher Derek Lowe on Sinker

The first stop on my annual Spring Training Tour took me to Scottsdale for the San Francisco Giants and the Cleveland Indians. Derek Lowe is one of the veterans of the young Cleveland Indians. The 38-year old starting pitcher is the oldest player on the team, but one of the most accomplished big leagers. Lowe, who debuted with the Seattle Mariners in 1997, has also played with the Red Sox, Dodgers, and Braves during his 15 year career in the Major Leagues. I watched his start against the San Francisco Giants last Wednesday, and later attended his meeting with the media. One of the things Lowe discussed was his signature sinker ball, a pitch that his helped him succeed in the big leagues. Here is the video of Lowe discussing the origins of his sinker. 

Before Lowe mastered the sinker, he was your typical 92 mile per hour fastball thrower. He reminisced back to his earlier days as a pitcher and taught me a new word to describe his sinker's movement, a "skosh."

Near the end of his media session, Lowe was asked if he cared where he pitched in the Indians' starting rotation. Opening Day has not been kind to Lowe over the years, so his answer might be a little different than you would expect.