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Please help Wikipedia by adding references. See the talk page for details. | A screwball is a baseball pitch that is thrown so as to break in the opposite direction of a slider. Image File history File links Circle-question. ...
Screwball is an underground hip-hop group that hails from Queensbridge, New York. ...
The screwball comedy is a subgenre of the comedy film genre. ...
This article is about the sport. ...
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 common grip of a slider a pitcher uses In baseball, a slider is a pitch halfway between a curveball and a fastball. ...
Throwing mechanics
There are several popular grips for the screwball, however this is probably the least important aspect. All that is required is that the fingers have a solid grip on the ball and adequately "grab" it during the period of rotation. Since the rotation is caused solely by the arm movement, precision finger placement is not required. That being said, one easy to learn grip would be gripping the ball like a two seam fastball, and then moving the ball deeper into the hand. The pitcher's fingers should now arc over the ball (like it would with a curveball grip), but be directly behind the center of the ball (like a fastball). Putting the ball deep in the hand will not allow for proper "grab" on the ball and will provide maximum rotation (if thrown as suggested). If the ball is gripped with a standard fastball grip, the movement of pitch will be diminished and will be more like a fastball tailing inside to a right handed batter. Such movement may not be desired, depending upon the pitcher's goal.
The final moments of the pitch are key to properly executing a sound screwball. The majority of the motion up until this point should be identical to a fastball delivery. The only exception is the position of the pitcher's hand, as the index and middle finger should be located at 2-3 o'clock. At the end of the release the pitcher must follow through in a similar fashion to finishing a curveball, except his hand will be moving down the left side of the ball. During this time, the forearm will also begin to pronate, turning counter-clockwise. A violent and drastic pronation is not required and may potentially be bad for the pitcher's arm. It is only necessary to rotate the forearm enough to move the pitcher's fingers to a 10-11 o'clock position. The actual rotation isn't being generated so much by the turning of the forearm, but rather the downward pull of the arm (similar to the 12-6 curveball). The pronation of the forearm is simply meant to get the fingers to "roll off" the correct side if the ball.
If done properly, the ball will make a 2-3 foot move from left to right. Depending on arm angle, the ball may or may not have a sinking action. At most levels of play this can be an exceptionally difficult pitch to hit due to its degree of rarity. For right handed pitchers, the pitch is used to jam right handed hitters, and thrown outside to left hand hitters, making them chase the ball out of the strike zone.
Those learning the pitch should start out slow and never force their arm into doing something too uncomfortable. If done improperly the pitch can cause various shoulder and wrist injuries.
Injuries The difficulty in mastering the screwball, and the unusual stress it can place on the pitching-arm — throwing the screwball requires that the forearm be powerfully pronated as the ball is released — has made the pitch an increasingly-rare part of the modern pitcher's pitching arsenal. Christy Mathewson said of the screwball: "It is a very hard ball to deliver. Pitching it ten or twelve times a game kills my arm, so I save it for the pinches."[1] Carl Hubbell, who threw the screwball much more often than did Mathewson, twisted his left arm so severely from years of throwing the pitch that his left palm eventually faced outward when the arm was at rest. In general, the pitch is seldom recommended to young pitchers because of the potential harm it can do to their arms. [2] In human and zoological anatomy (sometimes called zootomy), several terms are used to describe the location of organs and other structures in the body of bilateral animals. ...
Carl Owen Hubbell (June 22, 1903 - November 21, 1988) was a left-handed screwball pitcher in Major League Baseball who played with the New York Giants in the National League from 1928 to 1943. ...
However, 1974 Cy Young Award winner Mike Marshall, who has a Ph.D. in kinesiology, and who was a renowned screwballer himself, believes that the screwball can be safely thrown by pitchers if the the pitch is properly taught under supervision. [3] The following are the baseball events of the year 1974 throughout the world. ...
In baseball, the Cy Young Award is an honor given annually to the best pitchers in the Major Leagues. ...
Michael Grant (Mike) Marshall (born January 15, 1943 in Adrian, Michigan) is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. ...
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated Ph. ...
Kinesiology is the scientific study of human movement. ...
Effects Thrown by a right-handed pitcher, a screwball breaks from left to right from the point of view of the pitcher; the pitch therefore moves down and in on a right-handed batter and down and away from a left-handed batter. Thrown by a left-handed pitcher, a screwball breaks from right to left, moving down and in on a left-handed batter and down and away from a right-handed batter. This article does not cite any references or sources. ...
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. ...
Due to this left to right movement of the ball when thrown by a right-handed pitcher, a screwball is often used by right-handed pitchers against left-handed batters in the same way that a slider is used by right-handed pitchers against right-handed batters. A common grip of a slider a pitcher uses In baseball, a slider is a pitch halfway between a curveball and a fastball. ...
Professional practitioners The first prominent screwball pitcher was Hall of Famer Christy Mathewson, who threw what he termed the "fadeaway". However, Mathewson did not invent it; rather he learned it from teammate Dave Williams, with whom he played on a semi-pro team in Pennsylvania in 1898. Research indicates, however, that Williams did not invent the screwball either; Mickey Welch, a 19th century star, might have thrown a screwball. The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, located at 62 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, is a semi-official museum operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of baseball-related...
Christopher Christy Mathewson (August 12, 1880 - October 7, 1925), nicknamed Big Six, The Christian Gentleman, or Matty, was a right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. ...
Michael Francis Welch (July 4, 1859 - July 30, 1941), also known as Mickey Welch, was a 19th century Major League Baseball starting pitcher. ...
Carl Hubbell, probably the most renowned practioner of the screwball in the history of the Major Leagues, was known as the "scroogie king" for his mastery of the pitch and the frequency for which threw it. According to Hubbell, "The screwball's an unnatural pitch. Nature never intended a man to turn his hand like that throwing rocks at a bear." Other notable screwball artists included Cy Young Award winners Mike Cuellar, Willie Hernández, Fernando Valenzuela and Mike Marshall. In addition, Boston Red Sox starter Bill Lee and Philadelphia Phillies reliever Tug McGraw also built successful careers using the screwball. John Franco, longtime Cincinnati Reds and New York Mets reliever, used this pitch often to strikeout right handed batters. Carl Owen Hubbell (June 22, 1903 - November 21, 1988) was a left-handed screwball pitcher in Major League Baseball who played with the New York Giants in the National League from 1928 to 1943. ...
Miguel Angel Cuellar Santana (born May 8, 1937 in Santa Clara, Cuba), best known as Mike Cuellar (coo-Eh-yar), is a former left-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who spent most of his career with the Baltimore Orioles. ...
Hernandez pitching for the Tigers Guillermo Hernandez Villanueva (Willie Hernández) (born November 14, 1954 in Aguada, Puerto Rico) is a former relief pitcher for the Chicago Cubs (1977-1983), Philadelphia Phillies (End of 1983), and the Detroit Tigers (1984-1989). ...
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Michael Grant (Mike) Marshall (born January 15, 1943 in Adrian, Michigan) is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. ...
Major league affiliations American League (1901–present) East Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 4, 8, 9, 27, 42 Name Boston Red Sox (1908–present) Boston Americans (1901-1907) Other nicknames The BoSox, The Olde Towne Team, The Sox Ballpark Fenway Park (1912–present) Huntington Avenue Baseball Grounds...
Bill Francis The Spaceman Lee (born December 28, 1946 in Burbank, California) was a Major League Baseball pitcher. ...
Major league affiliations National League (1883–present) East Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 14, 20, 32, 36, 42 Name Philadelphia Phillies (1884–present) Philadelphia Quakers (1883-1889) (Also referred to as Blue Jays 1943-1945 despite formal name remaining Phillies) Other nicknames The Phils, The Phightin Phils...
Frank Edwin Tug McGraw Jr. ...
John Anthony Franco (b. ...
Major league affiliations National League (1890–present) Central Division (1994–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 5, 8, 10, 13, 18, 20, 24, 42 Name Cincinnati Reds (1958–present) Cincinnati Redlegs (1953-1958) Cincinnati Reds (1882-1953) Cincinnati Red Stockings (1876-1882) Other nicknames The Redlegs, The Big Red Machine...
Major league affiliations National League (1962–present) East Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 14, 37, 41, 42 Name New York Mets (1962–present) Other nicknames The Amazin Mets, The Amazins, The Metropolitans, The Kings of Queens Ballpark Shea Stadium (1964–present) Polo Grounds (1962–1963) Major league...
Jim Mecir, who retired from the Florida Marlins following the 2005 season, threw the screwball. His screwball was a function not only of his arm motion, but also of an unorthodox delivery. He was born with two club feet; childhood surgery enabled him to walk but has left him unable to properly push off the pitcher's rubber with his right foot. James Jason Mecir (born on May 16, 1970 in Queens, New York) is a pitcher in Major League Baseball. ...
Major league affiliations National League (1993–present) East Division (1993–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 5, 42 Name Florida Marlins (1993–present) Other nicknames The Fish Ballpark Dolphin Stadium (1993–present) a. ...
Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Club foot. ...
The baseball diamond of the San Diego Padres PETCO Park, seen from the stands. ...
The pitch continues to be a factor in modern baseball. Dallas Braden of Oakland Athletics will throw an occasional screwball. Dallas Lee Braden (born August 13, 1983 in Phoenix, Arizona) is a left-handed pitcher in the Oakland Athletics minor-league system. ...
Major league affiliations American League (1901–present) West Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 9, 27, 34, 42, 43, (As) Name Oakland Athletics (1968–present) Kansas City Athletics (1955-1967) Philadelphia Athletics (1901-1954) (Referred to as As) Other nicknames The As, The White Elephants, The...
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