Howard took off for second on a low, inside pitch.

"I used to hit that inside pitch to right field, but now I'm pulling it."

He became determined to direct balls toward right field, even when inside pitches make that nearly impossible.

The game has changed, too, in the way hitters resent inside pitches.

In batting practice they fed him inside pitches, and told him to focus on pulling the ball.

Sort of like a brushback inside pitch, but explosive?

One of the challenges for Matsui will be adjusting to inside pitches that push him off the plate.

After two consecutive inside pitches, George Bell charged the mound.

But inside pitches, or brushbacks, are part of baseball, and a hitter knows that.

This season, he will have to prove that he can pull not just inside pitches but those that are down and away.