Why is a knuckleball so effective?

Because the pitch travels at 60 mph to maybe 80 mph, throwing that "softly" puts far less stress on an arm than throwing 90 mph or above. So the knuckleball can be very effective. It can resurrect pitchers' careers. It can keep guys in the majors who might otherwise have been out of baseball years earlier.

What is so special about a knuckleball?

The knuckleball gets its name from the typical grip used to throw the pitch, with the knuckles either on the ball or hovering just over it while the fingernails dig into the surface. The pitch is thrown with relative ease, and as a result, knuckleballers typically have the least strain on their arm of all pitchers.

Why is the knuckleball not thrown anymore?

Feierabend gets at a number of the factors that endanger the knuckleball. Catching the pitch isn't easy. Teams often reason it isn't worthwhile to carry an otherwise inferior catcher just because he catches a knuckleball well. Velocity isn't only in demand — it's simply cooler.

Why are knuckleballs so hard to hit?

The trick to the knuckleball that makes it so hard to hit is that the ball doesn't spin much as it flies through the air. While most pitchers control their throws by putting in a touch of spin, knuckleball pitchers spin the ball as little as possible.

Why does no one use the knuckleball?

There isn't any obvious factor that would be able to prevent someone who can throw 75 mph from learning to throw the ball with no spin if they dedicated themselves to that goal. And once they are able to learn that, the knuckleball is a notoriously difficult pitch to hit.

Why The Knuckleball Is Basically Extinct... The Unpredictable Pitch With NO SPIN..

Who is King of the knuckleballs?

Charlie Hough

In a career spanning 25 years, Hough threw an astounding 107 complete games and earned 216 wins.

What are the rarest baseball pitches?

A screwball is a breaking ball designed to move in the opposite direction of just about every other breaking pitch. It is one of the rarest pitches thrown in baseball, mostly because of the tax it can put on a pitcher's arm.

Who has the best knuckleball in MLB history?

1) Phil Niekro (1964-87)

The most famous knuckleballer of all, Niekro is a Hall of Famer and the only knuckleball pitcher who's a member of baseball's historic 300-win and 3,000-strikeout clubs.

Who throws the hardest knuckleball?

Dickey's 102-mph knuckleball

R.A. Dickey is already known for throwing a very hard knuckleball, tossing his dancing, moving, grooving pitch up in the high 70s, occasionally even getting it into the low 80s, compared to the other knucklers who throw the pitch in the 60s.

Are there any current knuckleballers in MLB?

The knuckleball pitcher has vanished from the major leagues, an artifact like paper tickets and contact hitters. Of the 617 men to throw a pitch in the majors this season through Wednesday, according to Fangraphs, only four have thrown a knuckleball — and all four were position players.

Who invented knuckleball in baseball?

Toad Ramsey invented the knuckleball.

Can you control a knuckleball?

It's called a knuckle ball because it is gripped more in the knuckles than within the fingers like a fastball or curveball. But it's not actually held by the knuckles - no one could control the release of the ball if held that insecurely.

Did Babe Ruth throw a knuckleball?

Ruth, wearing his Yankees uniform, shows how to grip and throw a fastball, curveball and even a knuckleball.

What is the average RPM of a knuckleball?

The ideal knuckleball makes just 1 to 1.5 rotations (~150 RPM) between release and home plate, causing the drag on the ball to shift significantly mid-flight as the leading seam of the ball rotates slightly, resulting in unpredictable and uniquely sudden movement.

How fast is the average knuckleball?

What is the Average Speed of a Knuckleball Pitch? The flutter pitch (knuckler) typically clocks in around 55 MPH, give or take. Fans should not confuse a knuckleball pitch with an Eephus pitch or screwball pitch, however.

What pitches are illegal in baseball?

What is the deadliest pitch in baseball?

New York City, U.S. Chapman was hit in the head by a pitch thrown by pitcher Carl Mays and died 12 hours later. He is the only player to die directly from an injury received during a major league game. His death led baseball to establish a rule requiring umpires to replace the ball whenever it becomes dirty.

What are some illegal pitches?

An illegal pitch may be quick pitch (i.e. a pitch made before the batter is properly set in the batter's box), a pitch made while the pitcher is not in contact with the pitching rubber, or one in which he takes an extra step while making his delivery.

Who has the weirdest pitch in baseball?

Do catchers use a different glove for knuckleballers?

A knuckleball glove is a species that lies somewhere between a traditional catcher's mitt and a thinner, more pliable first baseman's glove. Its surface area is larger than an ordinary catcher's glove so it can catch the unpredictable knuckleballs.

Has anyone ever hit a homerun off a knuckleball?

Since 2002, the average home runs per fly ball for knuckleball pitchers is 9.85%, and the league-wide number is between 9 and 10% annually. Your garden variety knuckleball pitcher does not give up more home runs than the league average pitcher.

What is the MLB slowest pitch?

This 35.1 MPH Frank Schwindel pitch is the slowest (known/measured) MLB pitch to ever get hit for a home run!