Wang Improving His Changeup

From Kat O'Brien:

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Chien-Ming Wang has won 19 games each of the past two years, but he's still tweaking his repertoire in an attempt to get better.

Wang is working on his changeup, and he threw it about four times yesterday in the Yankees' 9-3 win over the.

"Now they have to think about a changeup, a sinker and a slider," catcher Jose Molina said. "They don't know what thing he's going to throw."

Pitching coach Dave Eiland said improving the changeup is a big focus. As for why he wants to make the changeup an option, Wang said: "Everybody sees sinkers hard. The changeup is soft."

George A. King III had this on Wang's change of pace:

"Winning 19 games is all well and good but you have to change," pitching coach Dave Eiland said of Wang's willingness to make the change-up an out pitch that can be used eight to 10 percent of the time.

From the Wang himself:

"Today the change-up was good and the slider was working," said Wang, who used the slider to strike out Pat Burrell looking. In two scoreless innings, Wang allowed a hit and fanned one.

"[AL East teams], you are going to see them four or five times so you have to make adjustments because they will make adjustments on you," Girardi said. ...

..."You can continue to develop the change-up and continue to locate better," Girardi said. "There are a lot of different things you can do but he is pretty polished."

Wang said he deleted the Cleveland nightmare (0-2; 19.06 ERA) and Girardi hasn't recognized signs otherwise.

"I have not seen that; I don't think it did," Girardi said of Wang still nursing a hangover. "He struggled a little bit; so did Cy Young last year, C.C. Sabathia. It's going to happen."

Eiland is already showing why he's going to be a very good pitching coach. With an improved changeup Wang should strike out more batters, and now, like Molina said, hitters can't sit on his sinker anymore. Having three effective pitches should make Wang that much better. Can you say 20 wins?