The curveball is a breaking pitch in baseball thrown with a grip and hand movement that imparts down spin to the ball. Curveball was the designation for a claimed Iraqi chemical engineer who the United States claimed had served as an informant. ... The typical motion of a pitcher In baseball, a pitch is the act of throwing a baseball toward home plate to start a play. ... A view of the playing field at Busch Memorial Stadium, St. ... A baseball ball A baseball is a ball used primarily in the sport of the same name, baseball. ...

Theory

A fastball typically has backspin, giving it relatively stable aerodynamic characteristics in flight. The spin of a curveball moves in the opposite direction. This spin causes a curveball to "break", or drop down and sweep horizontally as it approaches home plate, thus (hopefully) frustrating the batter. For the American band of the same name, see Fastball (band). ... Home plate is the final base in baseball and related games that a player must touch to score. ... Barry Bonds batting Photo:Agência Brasil In baseball, batting is the act of facing the opposing pitcher and trying to produce offense for ones team. ...

When throwing a curve, the pitcher creates downspin by rolling his palm and fingers over the top of the ball while releasing it. The direction of the break depends on the axis of spin on the ball. There are many variations of the curveball, but most are described in terms of their movement when superimposed on a clock. A "12–6" curve has a more or less straight downward action as it approaches the plate, while more sweeping curveballs might be described as "1–7" or "slurves". There is no specific point where a ball breaks, but the deviation from a fastball trajectory becomes progressively greater as the ball approaches the plate. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Generally the Magnus effect describes the laws of physics that make a curveball curve. A fastball travels through the air with backspin, and that spin creates a high pressure air zone ahead and under the baseball. The baseball's raised seams augment the ball's ability to churn the air and create high pressure zones. The effect of gravity is temporarily diminished as the ball rides on and into energized air. Thus the travel of a fastball is more or less straight, at least over the distance from the mound to home plate. An image illustrating the Magnus effect on a ball The Magnus effect is the name given to the physical phenomenon whereby an objects rotation affects its path through a fluid, in particular, air. ...

Conversely a curveball, thrown with downspin, will create that high pressure zone on top of the ball, and push the ball down in flight. Combined with gravity, this will give the ball an exaggerated drop in flight that is difficult for the hitter to track. The curveball may have some horizontal movement as well depending on the tilt in its axis of spin.

At the professional level, a curveball is often about 15 miles per hour slower than a fastball. Curveball behavior is unique to each pitcher though, and varies. Some use a more looping slow curve and some use a harder, faster slurve. The speed difference between a curveball and fastball, as well as the curves movement, serves to deceive the batter. Ideally, a curveball will have its greatest break just as it reaches the plate and cause the batter to swing above it.

To throw a curveball correctly, proper spin must be given to the ball as its released. Generally pitchers grip the ball deeper into their palm and fingers than they would a fastball. Pitchers usually position their index finger aside one the balls raised seams in for more leverage in spinning the baseball. At the release point they then roll their hand over the top of the ball to throw it forward with downspin. If this movement is poorly executed the ball will have lazy spin, not break in flight, and be much easier to hit—the "hanging curve".

When thrown correctly, it could have a huge break from seven to as much as 20 inches.

A popular nickname for a curveball is the "deuce", referencing the fact this is commonly the No. 2 pitch in a pitcher's repertoire.^[1] A catcher will often use a two finger signal when requesting the curve. Other popular nicknames for the curveball include: "hammer", "bender", "hook", "yakker", "Lord Charles" and "Uncle Charlie".^[1]

History

Baseball lore has it that the curveball was invented in the late 19th Century by either Candy Cummings 1 or Fred Goldsmith. An early demonstration of the "skewball" or curveball occurred at the Capitoline Grounds in Brooklyn in August of 1870 by Fred Goldsmith. In 1884, St. Nicholas, a children's magazine, featured a story entitled, "How Science Won the Game". It told of how a boy pitcher mastered the curve ball to defeat the opposing batters. In the early years of the sport, use of the curveball was thought to be dishonest and was outlawed,^{[citation needed]} but officials could not do much to stop pitchers from using it. In the past, major league pitchers Bob Feller, Virgil Trucks, Herb Score, Camilo Pascual and Sandy Koufax were regarded as having outstanding curveballs. Bert Blyleven is said to have had the best curveball in the recent modern era.^{[citation needed]} Other notable pitchers who throw or threw great curveballs since 1900 are/were, Sal Maglie, Dwight Gooden, Nolan Ryan, and Barry Zito. 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. ... Fredrick Ernest Goldsmith (b. ... Robert William Andrew Bob Feller (born November 3, 1918 in Van Meter, Iowa), nicknamed the Heater from Van Meter and Rapid Robert, is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher and Hall of Famer. ... Virgil Oliver Trucks (born April 26, 1919 in Birmingham, Alabama) is a former starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. ... Herbert Jude Score (born June 7, 1933) is a former baseball player and announcer. ... Camilo Alberto Pascual Lus (January 20, 1934 Havana, Cuba - ) was a pitcher who had an 18 year career from 1954 to 1971. ... Sanford Koufax (IPA pronunciation: /kofæks/) (born Sanford Braun, on December 30, 1935, in Brooklyn, New York) is an American left-handed former pitcher in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers, from 1955 to 1966. ... Rik Aalbert Bert Blyleven (born April 6, 1951 in Zeist, Netherlands), is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played from 1970 - 1992, and was best known for his curveball. ... Salvatore Anthony Maglie (April 26, 1917 - December 28, 1992) was a Major League Baseball player for the New York Giants, Cleveland Indians, Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Yankees, and St. ... Dwight Eugene Gooden (born November 16, 1964 in Tampa, Florida), also known as Doc Gooden or Dr. K, is a former major league baseball player. ... Lynn Nolan Ryan, Jr. ... Barry William Zito (born May 13, 1978, in Las Vegas, Nevada)[1] is a starting pitcher currently playing for the San Francisco Giants. ...

See also

• Riseball, a softball pitch with backspin
• Swing bowling, a bowling technique in cricket

A riseball is a pitch thrown by a pitcher in fastpitch softball. ... Swing bowling is a technique used for bowling in the sport of cricket. ...

References

Zack Hample is a New York based writer and Major League baseball collector. ...

External links

• Version 1: Candy Cummings was the inventor of the curveball
• Version 2: Fred Goldsmith: co-inventor of the curveball or pitcher who gave first recorded demonstration of the curveball?
• How to Curve a Wiffle Ball

v • d • e Baseball pitches
Fastballs	Four-seam · Two-seam · Cutter · Splitter · Forkball · Sinker
Breaking balls	Curveball · Knuckle curve · Slurve · Slider · Screwball
Changeups	Changeup · Palmball · Circle changeup
Others	Knuckleball · Eephus pitch · Spitball · Gyroball · Shuuto