March 04, 2007

Tinkering Never Stops for Top Pitchers: It can spin or cut or dip or tail. It does not rise, but it seems to sometimes. It can sink or fade or tumble or — gasp — hang. It can go faster or slower, this way or that. But depending on the particular pitcher, their strengths, and where they are in their career, they are constantly looking to add or develop something new.

posted by dyams to baseball at 07:51 AM - 6 comments

with all the arm troubles in the majors...I can see more knucklers on the horizon

posted by icemanmurph at 10:55 AM on March 04, 2007

I'm not sure if it will be the knuckleball, but you're right. The increased number of arm injuries, and the resulting surgeries, seem to dictate that pitchers have a variety of pitches if they want a long career. The guys who throw gas are impressive, but I've always enjoyed watching a true pitcher like Mussina. When he's on top of his game, the way he sets guys up with different speeds and pitches is impressive. I guess it's all about the ability to change and adapt. (On a separate topic, a few teams are still needed for the SportsFilter Head to Head Fantasy Baseball League. There's 10 teams now, and 12-14 is the goal. The league is on Yahoo! (Go to FREE baseball, join a league, and enter the following info: League ID: 77368 Password: tigersalcschamps). The only requirement is that you want to stay involved the entire season (it's weekly, head-to-head, so you can enter your lineup days in advance, cutting down on the time required).

posted by dyams at 11:17 AM on March 04, 2007

And this is why hitting a baseball is considered that hardest act in sports?

posted by sickleguy at 11:32 AM on March 04, 2007

Why I love the Knuckleball Being a Boston fan I have had the joy of watching Wakefield for 12 or 13 years now and aside from his commonman demeanor I have always loved the sort of "commonness" of the knuckleball. I will never know the feeling of throwing a fastball 100 mph (ever) but I could go out in my yard right now and lob the ball 60 mph. That to me is the mystery and beauty of the knuckleball pitcher. It looks so damn easy (even though it obviously isn't) and at the same time if it is thrown correctly it can make the greatest hitters with the best eyesight in the game look, well, an awful lot like me. It is a humbling pitch that requires a pitcher to humble himself and resort to deception in lieu of power.

posted by kyrilmitch_76 at 12:37 PM on March 04, 2007

I still say the most dominating pitch in baseball is a good change-up. A Trevor Hoffman in his prime, with his overpowering heat and the best change-up in the game? Now THAT'S tough.

posted by dyams at 12:41 PM on March 04, 2007

It's also amazing that Hoffman's held out as long as he has -- he's lost quite a bit off his fastball, which drastically reduces the effectiveness of his change-up, but he still goes out and befuddles hitters when he gets the call. As a Padre fan, it's been quite a privilege to be have been able to watch him so many times over the last decade or so.

posted by LionIndex at 02:39 PM on March 04, 2007

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