No-No's and Toe Socks...

It's a rare thing to see the notation "3-5-1" in a baseball scorebook. Double play, first baseman to third baseman to pitcher. It'd apparently only occurred once in the majors in the last fifty years. Until last night's Dodgers-Reds game, that is. ( Jinxing the No-No... )

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Another thing Jon mentions in today's DT is an interview Takashi Saito did recently in the OCRegister. Nobody expected much from Saito when he was signed. He was 36, and his last couple of seasons in Japan weren't all that great. He has been a godsend this year, though, stepping in and pitching brilliantly in the closer's spot when it became clear that Baez couldn't cut it.

Anyway, here's Saito on how to avoid the agony of da feet:

Dodgers reliever Takashi Saito revealed the secret to his success - his socks.

The Japanese right-hander said balance is "the most important thing" in his delivery. Maintaining that balance starts at the bottom.

"That's why I'm wearing five-finger socks," Saito said through his interpreter, giggling when he lifted his foot for verification. "I use them to grip the ground better."

Saito said many Japanese pitchers wear the socks that have separate tubes for each toe. He laughed when asked if he would try to persuade other Dodgers pitchers to wear them.

Using pantomime, Saito pointed at Jonathan Broxton and Mark Hendrickson and indicated they were large enough for staying grounded not to be a problem.

I think the cool thing is not so much that Saito wears toe socks, but that he can giggle about it.