|
The curveball is a type of pitch in baseball thrown with a grip and hand motion that imparts forward spin to the ball. This causes it to "break," that is, to fly in a more exaggerated curve than would be expected. The pitch is slower than a fastball, and this difference in speed also tends to disrupt the hitter's timing. A good curveball drops sharply as it reaches the plate, causing the batter to swing above it. Curveball Pitch File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
Curveball Pitch File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
Curveball Pitch File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
Curveball Pitch File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
Baseball is a team sport in which a player on one team (the pitcher) attempts to throw a hard, fist-sized ball past a player on the other team (the batter), who attempts to hit the baseball with a tapered, smooth, cylindrical stick called a bat that can be made...
The fastball is the most common type of pitch in baseball. ...
Speed (symbol: v) is the rate of motion, or equivalently the rate of change of position, expressed as distance d moved per unit of time t. ...
Batter can have several meanings: In cooking, batter is a thick or thin mixture, usually made of a ground grain, a liquid, and a fat. ...
It is a common misconception that throwing a curveball requires a wrist snapping motion during the release of the ball. This is more true for the slider. To properly throw a curveball, the pitcher cocks the wrist inward so that upon release the ball rolls forward over his fingers, creating the desired spin. The Magnus effect then produces a downward force on the ball; this combines with the force of gravity to make the ball curve down. In baseball, a slider (also known as a nickel curve) is a pitch halfway between a curveball and a fastball, with less break but more speed than the curve. ...
The Magnus effect is the name given to the physical phenomenon whereby an objects rotation affects its path through a fluid, in particular, air. ...
In contrast, a fast ball is thrown with back spin, so that the Magnus effect produces an upward force on the ball; this counteracts the force of gravity, and causes the ball to follow a flatter trajectory. As position is the second integral of force, the difference in trajectories between a fastball and a curveball is not apparent to the batter until the ball is close to the plate. At the speeds pitched in professional baseball, there is not time for the batter to adjust his swing after the ball breaks, so hitting a curveball is as much a matter of guessing the pitcher's intentions as of physical skill.
Ideally, a curveball breaks just as it reaches the plate, thus making it difficult to hit. A curveball that fails to break soon enough is called a "hanging curve" and is much easier to hit. Also, batters anticipating a curveball may try to move forward (closer to the pitcher) in the batter's box to hit the ball before it breaks. In baseball, softball, and similar sports and games, the batters box is the place where the batter stands when ready to receive a pitch from the pitcher. ...
The direction of the break depends on the axis of spin of the ball. Nominally, a curveball breaks straight down; however, many pitchers are successful with a curve ball that breaks down and away from the throwing arm.
A pitch that breaks down and towards the throwing arm is called a screwball. Most pitchers in the modern era do not throw a screwball, as it is very hard on the pitcher's arm. A screwball is a baseball pitch that is thrown so as to break in the opposite direction of a curveball. ...
A right handed pitcher throwing a curveball is toughest on a right-handed batter, as the pitch will tend to break down and away from the batter, as opposed to inside on his hands (that's what would happen if the right handed pitcher threw a curve to a left handed batter). Most batters prefer pitches down and in, instead of down and away, which allows managers to exploit matchups late in games. If a team has three right handed hitters coming up in the 8th, the opposing manager will usually go with a right-handed set up man because his curve is going to frustrate those hitters more.
Baseball lore has it that the curveball was invented in the later 19th Century by Candy Cummings.1 An early demonstration of the pitch occurred at the Capitoline Grounds in Brooklyn in 1870. Bert Blyleven was said to have had the best curveball of any modern pitcher. Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Candy Cummings William Arthur Candy Cummings (October 18, 1848 - May 16, 1924) was a 19th century professional baseball pitcher in the National Association and National League. ...
Capitoline Grounds was the name of a baseball park in Brooklyn, New York during part of the latter half of the 19th century. ...
Main article: New York City A map of New York City, highlighting Brooklyn. ...
1870 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...
Rik Albert Blyleven, better known as Bert Blyleven (born April 6, 1951 in Zeist, Netherlands), is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played in the 1970s and 1980s, best known for his astounding curveball. ...
For some reason, left-handed pitchers seem more inclined to throw curveballs. This is evidenced by the number of left-handed pitchers who throw high-looping, lower-velocity curveballs. It is speculated that left-handers have better natural pitching mechanics that are more conducive to being able to make the curveball spin.
References
- Watts, R.G. and Ferrer, R. (1987). "The lateral force on a spinning sphere: Aerodynamics of a curveball". American Journal of Physics 55 (1): 40.
See also |
Feeds |
Contact