http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ge-fullcount061609&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

Could Harper be derailed on fast track?

By Gordon Edes, Yahoo! Sports June 17

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Wang moment in time: The Yankees have remained baffled at why Chien-Ming Wang(notes) hasn’t regained the form that made him a 19-game winner in both 2006 and 2007 before injuries sidelined him last season. Here are the observations of statistical analyst Ari Kaplan of Ariball.com:

• Wang’s arm slots are consistent within games, but not from game to game. Starting mid-April, his arm slot for all of his pitches has dropped over a half a foot, from a high of 6 feet, 6 inches off the ground to only 6 feet, 1 inch in his last start.

• The velocity on all his pitches increased from April through May. His slider, for example, increased from an average of 83 mph to 85. The combination of dropping arm slot and increasing velocity can indicate control and mechanical issues.

• Wang got ahead in the count 65 percent of the time in April, but only 46 in May.

• Wang has been throwing sliders three times as often since mid-April, while relying much less on his splitter.

• Since mid-April, Wang has allowed groundballs nearly three times as often – and many are turning into singles. Interestingly, he has allowed only one-third as many line drives in May as in April, an indication a change in fortunes might be coming.

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