BERKELEY, CA: EI Cerrito High school baseball coach Dennis Abel never used Bobby Kahlon has a pitcher, Bat Abel is not surprised Kahlon has become one of the best relief Pitchers in college baseball, He just seemed to like the pressure, said Abel, who played Kahilon AL second base when El Cerrito won the North Coast Section champion Ship in 1990, 1 remember he came through with clutch hit after clutch hit.
Kahlon hit 510 as a senior at El Cerrito, his only year on the varsity,
Kahlon has come a long way since then,
He was chosen to play in the North South Junior College All-Star Game while at Laney College. Last year in his first season at Cal, he was directly responsible for 21 of the teams 29 victories. He became the first Cal pitcher since Bill Frost in 1965 to win 12 games, and be set a School record with nine saves. Ho was the team’s MVP, Pacific to Conference’s co-Pitcher of the Year and-n second time all-America. He seems to have ice water in his veins, said California baseball coach Bob Milano.
He pitches beter when. Score in closer, there’s not enough to say how valuable he is to our Kahlon wants to go further, i know I’m not a major-league prop layer, the S-fool-10 Kahlon said. I’m not 6-4.i don’t throw fireballs. | enjoy playing college ball, but I definitely want to play pro ball.
Kahlon, who was born in Punjab, India, did not come to the United States until he was 6. He didn’t begin playing baseball until he was 11.
He thinks that could be one of the secrets to his Success.
I have what they call a virgin arm when you haven’t pitched a lot, the 20-year-old right-hander said. I think that helped me. My arms not sore. i feel healthy so i can pitch a lot. Kahlon is a fast learner and a hard worker,
Those two characteristic helped him develop a Knuckle-curve that has accounted for the bulk of his 53 strikeouts in 49 innings.
When I was a young little Leaguer, i was playing catch with a guy who was four years older, Kahlon said. He was a stud pitcher and tried to show me how to throw knuckleball. Kahlon’s hand wasn’t big enough to grip the ball properly. Instead of floating to the plate, it spun and dipped sharply at the last instant. With the encouragement of his friend, Kahlon discovered what his best pitch is.
I’d talk to the JV coach and he would say Bobby had a great (knuckle curve), Abel said.
The JV coach also said if Kahilon had to rely on his fastball, he would be in trouble.
The same holds true today. Kahlon throws in the mid-80s, but with the knuckle-curve and a newly developed changeup, his fastball can sneak past hitters.
He can freeze hitters with his fastball, Milano said, they all know about his knuckle-curve, and when they get two strikes, they’re looking for it. It seems to happen every game,
Last summer and fall, I worked on a third pitch, a circle changeup, said Kahlon, who pitched in the rugged Alaska League, which includes many of the West Coasts top college players. Kahlon’s knuckle-curve is a nasty pitch for hitters to handle and it’s getting better.
I still haven’t perfected it yet Kahlon said. Sincerely come to Cal, the coaches have helped me with both my release point and grip. They have also worked on the velocity of my arm.
Kahlon throws the knuckle-curve a different speed, there’s more break when its slower, but the breaks not as sharp. Harder is better, said Kahlon, who only used to throw the pitch slowly,
His knuckle-curve goes straight down, Milano said, but he can get it to go across and down from a right handed hitter, when he’s on, he can tell you its coming, and you still can’t hit it
Article extracted from this publication >> May 20, 1994
