The origin of Bronson Arroyo’s leg kick on the mound
High and Tight is an ongoing series where we look at stories from pitchers from the Red Sox past, present and future.
Bronson Arroyo will always have a special place in Red Sox lore. Arroyo had a memorable interaction with Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez during the 2004 ALCS. He is also known for his high leg kick on the mound during his delivery.
Before we talk about his glorious leg kick on the mound, here’s a look at Arroyo and the kick.
Bronson Arroyo’s childhood dream was to pitch like Dwight Gooden
Arroyo’s bad ass leg kick on the mound had nothing to do with mechanics or deception. He chose to have the leg kick to mimmic Mets great Doc Gooden.
“That was what my childhood brain brought out of copying Dwight Gooden,” said Arroyo in an interview back in 2017. “When I did it, my foot was just relaxed out like that. It’s evolved a little, but that’s where it was born.”
While trying to mimic Gooden’s kick on the mound was enticing to Arroyo as a kid growing up, his leg kick as a major leaguer was so different.
A young Arroyo may have saw himself as vintage 1986 Doc Gooden. Instead, he was the dreads wearing, guitar playing and eventually long haired rockstar on and off the field.
Growing up, Arroyo’s family loved the Mets, particularly the 1986 World Series champion Mets.
“Living on Big Pine Key in ’86, that was one of the few teams we could see once in a while,” Arroyo said in an article for the New York Times.
“My parents loved the Mets, and I already knew that Dwight Gooden was from Tampa. It’s weird, when I first played for the Red Sox, I was thinking back to ’86 and how happy my family was, and I had no idea the devastation that was going on up there.”
Arroyo’s time in Boston was short but memorable
The 6-foot-5 righty spent three seasons with the Red Sox. He originally came over after the Pirates designated him for assignment. During his three seasons with Boston, he went 24-19 in 61 starts while pitching to a 4.19 ERA.
Arroyo was later traded to the Reds for a package that included slugger Wily Mo Peña. If the Red Sox could revisit that trade, I’m sure they would and Arroyo would have spent more time pitching for Boston.
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