- Messages
- 7,011
Last edited:
Baseball fans.....or anyone
- Thread starter Frankieabbott
- Start Date
Hiya doin Rob,
Been a while since reading up on how the pitch does it's thing and why. Best to double check my 'facts'.
The way it works is the ball is actually held in a crazy way before the release.....held by the knuckles I believe. The throw is more like a push with no snap rather than toss, with the idea going for minimum spin on the ball to maximize the action which can be extreme in how far it breaks. Looking for an unstable slow rotation to make things interesting.
This pitch has brought a few worn out players back from the dead. No power needed......just takes seeing if it can be learned and it's not for everyone for sure.
Marty
Oh yeah, I mentioned that 1988 Kirk Gibson home run as something special and easy for anyone to appreciate the moment. The whole clip lasts under 10 minutes and you need to see the set up before the event itself. This is worth watching.
Sheesh, I just clicked on those links in the other earlier post. Handy for the Limeys and other foreigners to understand. I see Tony was right too, now that I read the thread back.
Last edited:
In the late 50s there were two leagues with eight teams each and the top American and National league teams played each other in a best of seven Series and that was it! Done in a week till next year with plenty of day games scheduled. It was a big deal though.
Those two teams won what is called 'The Pennant', which is what got em into the Series. Winning the Pennant could be very boring if one team was waaaay far ahead and no way the others can catch up. No wild card or anything like what we have now, and MLB has 30 teams all told. Ten teams now have post season life.
Anyway, the best of five just won by the Cubs was the National League Division Championship, with the next one being the NL League Championship. The winner is the Pennant winner for National League.
Rules for post season eligible were changed in 1969.
Martin
Those two teams won what is called 'The Pennant', which is what got em into the Series. Winning the Pennant could be very boring if one team was waaaay far ahead and no way the others can catch up. No wild card or anything like what we have now, and MLB has 30 teams all told. Ten teams now have post season life.
Anyway, the best of five just won by the Cubs was the National League Division Championship, with the next one being the NL League Championship. The winner is the Pennant winner for National League.
Rules for post season eligible were changed in 1969.
Martin
Last edited:
- Messages
- 7,011
Careful, you fellas are messing with a powerful 'drug' and just may get hooked on the game! 
In 2013 one of the greatest umpire calls of all time happened in Game 3 of the World Series. An antiquated (and correct) rule was invoked called obstruction: "The act of a fielder who, while not in possession of the ball and not in the act of fielding the ball, impedes the progress of any runner.'' Now for the kicker: it doesn't matter if it was intentional or unintentional. The Boston fans were so irate that many thought an airstrike was needed to quell the city!!
In 2013 one of the greatest umpire calls of all time happened in Game 3 of the World Series. An antiquated (and correct) rule was invoked called obstruction: "The act of a fielder who, while not in possession of the ball and not in the act of fielding the ball, impedes the progress of any runner.'' Now for the kicker: it doesn't matter if it was intentional or unintentional. The Boston fans were so irate that many thought an airstrike was needed to quell the city!!
- Messages
- 7,011
Rule 7.08(b) Comment: A runner who is adjudged to have hindered a fielder who is attempting to make a play on a batted ball is out whether it was intentional or not.
If, however, the runner has contact with a legally occupied base when he hinders the fielder, he shall not be called out unless, in the umpireÂ’s judgment, such hindrance, whether it occurs on fair or foul territory, is intentional. If the umpire declares the hindrance intentional, the following penalty shall apply: With less than two out, the umpire shall declare both the runner and batter out. With two out, the umpire shall declare the batter out.
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/official_rules/runner_7.jsp
If, however, the runner has contact with a legally occupied base when he hinders the fielder, he shall not be called out unless, in the umpireÂ’s judgment, such hindrance, whether it occurs on fair or foul territory, is intentional. If the umpire declares the hindrance intentional, the following penalty shall apply: With less than two out, the umpire shall declare both the runner and batter out. With two out, the umpire shall declare the batter out.
http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/official_rules/runner_7.jsp
Yep, it can be pretty amazing to see how a well thrown ball can flummox the heck outa the hitter. Very little chance of him making contact, not to mention a base hit for a results. Once in a great while some pitcher will toss an unhittable game. Takes some luck but lots of skill too.
Now a few pitchers liked a bigger edge and would screw with the ball in different ways. Spit ball, scuffed ball, loaded up with goo ball were ways to make silly things happen. Heh, there's a famous Joe Niekro knuckleball throwing video of his pockets being checked by an ump and a small emery board flew onto the ground. Pretty funny, and it earned him a suspension. He said to was to keep his nails short.
Martin
Similar things happen in cricket Marty. The construction of a cricket ball is different from a baseball - there are 4 panels - 2 each side of a raised seam that runs round the circumference. Trying to keep one side shiny whilst allowing the other to get scuffed naturally is allowable - and considered desirable becuase it creates different drag and makes the ball swing. People have been known to use bottle tops, fingernails and other things to help with the scuffing and vaseline to help with the shine.
However, the biggest factor in determining movement is atmospheric conditions - a muggy overcast day can produce huge movement whereas bright and sunny is different altogether. I'm sure the same applies in baseball.
However, the biggest factor in determining movement is atmospheric conditions - a muggy overcast day can produce huge movement whereas bright and sunny is different altogether. I'm sure the same applies in baseball.
- Messages
- 7,011
"Before 1921, it was common for a baseball to be in play for over 100 pitches. Players used the same ball until it started to unravel. Early baseball leagues were very cost-conscious, so fans had to throw back balls that had been hit into the stands. The longer the ball was in play, the softer it became—and hitting a heavily-used, softer ball for distance is much more difficult than hitting a new, harder one. The ball itself was softer to begin with, probably making home runs less likely."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead-ball_era
- Messages
- 435
And ground conditions, especially for spin. Just look at the test match today. 4 days with no trouble batting and Ali getting no wickets, then he gets five fer and we just run out of light to get the win.
- Messages
- 435
My favourite incidence of a goalie coming out to attack, it's football though.