Illustrated Pitches

Came across this and thought you guy might like it.

http://www.lokeshdhakar.com/2007/09/20/baseball-pitches/

 

you're right....i do like it.

 

I know it is very basic but I haven't seen anything like it.

 

Where's the Gyro and Knuckleball? Good illustration though.

 

I like the word slurve.

 

Dumb question, but how is a Screwball different than a knuckball?

 

Even though they have the same downward movement, a "Good" knuckleball has little to no rotation at all. Like the illustration said, a screwball is the opposite of a slurve and will break into a right handed batter or away from a left-handed batter. A knuckleball has downward angle to it and the screwball has more of a break on it. A knuckeball is hard to control and throw and thats why Wakefield is one of the few pitchers in baseball that can throw a knuckle ball for a strike.

 

The gyroball is a type of pitch used mainly by japanese players. So actually, its not a dumb question to ask because a lot of people wonder how or what a gyro ball is since the arrivle of Dice-K.

 

Thanks.

 

The gyroball doesn't exist, LClefty. It's an invention of a Japanese comic book that got attributed to Matsuzaka, but he's confirmed numerous times that he does not throw one. There's also a Japanese scientist who claims that the pitch can be thrown, but that no one currently does so.

As for knucklers and screwballs, no one can actually control a knuckler, the difference for Wakefield is that he's more consistent in preventing spin and thus getting more movement due to air currents. Lots of guys can throw knuckleballs for strikes, but if they don't get enough movement on the pitch then it's just glorified batting practice.

Also, the guy's characterizations of other breaking balls are a little off. The slurve is not 11-5. Curveballs are generally 1-7 or 11-5 (depending on RHP or LHP), as fairly few are legitimately 12-6. The slider has more horizontal movement than downward movement, so it might be 2-8 or 10-4. The slurve is in between the curve and slider, both in angle and velocity.