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Lugnuts left-hander finding his niche in Lansing

Rapada's sidearm style of pitching creates advantage

July 15, 2004
Lansing Lugnuts pitcher Clay Rapada delivers a pitch with his unique sidearm style to a Clinton LumberKings batter, July 1, at Oldsmobile Park. Lansing lost the game, 5-1. —

Lansing Lunguts catcher Jake Fox almost winces when he talks about the first time that he caught one of Clay Rapada's pitches in practice.

Fox has caught many pitchers in his two years with the Chicago Cubs organization, but he said the first one from Rapada will forever remain ingrained in his memory.

"It was just a little slider, but when I went down to block it, the ball moved and hit me in the chest," Fox said.

"He's got that trajectory that moves the ball all over the place and makes him so tough to catch, but it's also what makes him so good."

Rapada, a 6-foot-5, 185-pound relief pitcher, has become well-known around the league for his tough pitches. Boasting a 2.24 ERA and 57 strikeouts in 52.1 innings this season, Rapada has developed into one of top pitchers in Lansing's bullpen.

The lanky Rapada throws in a style called sidearm. It is different from regular pitches, that are released from the top and thrown down, instead sidearm is thrown in a drop position where the release is on the side of the body.

"Throwing sidearm is really just about a different angle," Rapada said. "So many batters get used to seeing pitchers from the same release point and this is a different movement and angle so it changes up their look."

Facing a sidearmer can be tough for a batter because they are uncommon, but the Chesapeake, Va., native is even more unusual - he's also a lefty.

"There aren't too many left-handed sidearmers," Rapada said.

"I know from facing sidearmers in the past that it's harder to hit against them so it's definitely an advantage for me."

The 2004 Midwest League All-star has not always thrown sidearm. He used the technique a little bit in college but was placed in a starter role when he joined the Lugnuts mid-season in 2003, and put his sidearm days on the shelf.

After a few mediocre starts, Lansing pitching coach Mike Anderson mentioned changing Rapada's release in casual conversation and it was accepted with open arms.

"Clay told me how he had tried it in college so one day we had him try it out a bit in practice," Anderson said.

"It looked great and the change was just dramatic immediately."

Rapada became a left-handed specialist for the Lugnuts, late last season, and a pivotal role player in the Lugnuts playoff run for the 2003 Midwest League Championship. Anderson said that Rapada's ability to succeed under pressure has made him a valuable asset to the team.

"This year he's obviously improved even more and he's been outstanding for us all season," Anderson said.

"In those pressure situations, he's come out on top more often than not and the real key is that we see the same guy if it's not pressure or it is pressure.

"That says a lot about him on the inside, his makeup and what type of player he can be."

Along with the changes suggested by his coaches, Rapada said that it's his family that has been the most influential in his development as a player and his recent success.

Rapada's father, Clayton Rapada Sr., has helped coach his son from the beginning especially learning the basics of the game, but more recently he took over helping with his son's mental approach.

"The past couple of years, my dad has really helped me with all the adjustments of being professional," Rapada said.

"Obviously I have all the tools to make it here, it's now just about applying them."

While his dad may have been his strongest influence in pursuing a career in baseball, Rapada said it's his mother, Nora Albrecht, that has really gotten him through the ups and downs of life on the road.

"She calls me every night and listens to all of the games over the Internet," Rapada said.

"It's always comforting to know that you have those voices cheering you on even if they aren't there."

The support he's received has helped Rapada has developed a reputation around the locker room for being a happy-go-lucky guy.

"One thing you can always expect from Clay Rapada is that he comes in every day with a smile on his face," Fox said. "There's nothing better than when you have a bad day or the coaches get on you, and he's there with a big ol' smile and a quick wit to pick you back up."

"He's a guy who's been around for awhile and for him to come in with the attitude that he has, it's amazing. He loves being here and just playing the game."

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