Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
A spitball is a now-illegal baseball pitch in which the ball has been altered by the application of a foreign substance such as saliva or petroleum jelly. This technique alters the wind resistance and weight on one side of the ball, causing it to move in an atypical manner.
The spitball is an illegal baseball pitch where the ball has been altered by the application of a foreign substance, such as saliva or petroleum jelly. The emery ball, also an illegal pitch, consists of throwing a ball that has been scuffed by a rough surface, such as an emery board or sandpaper.
Stricklett denied inventing the spitball, though he claimed to be the first pitcher to master the spitball and to feature it exclusively. [4] To achieve the pitch, he would moisten the ball with a spot the size of two of his fingers. [24] The pitch would act "exactly the same way as reverse English does on a billiard ball". [4]
Joe Tinker Jr. reportedly called the spitball “the most deceptive ball a batter ever struck at.” How do you pitch a spitball? Son of Baseball Hall of Fame inductee offers tips
The spitball was formally banned in 1920, after Ray Chapman was struck in the head and killed by one such pitch. Another historical method of doctoring pitches included the emery ball , in which sandpaper or an emery board was used to scuff one side of a ball and change its flight pattern. [ 2 ]
For example, the spitball pitch was permitted in baseball until 1921. Pitchers often marked the ball, scuffed it, spat on it—anything they could to influence the ball's motion. This made the ball "dance" and curve much more than it does now, making it more difficult to hit. Tobacco juice was often added to the ball as well, which discolored it.
The infield fly rule is explained in the Official Baseball Rules in two places: . Definitions of terms: Infield Fly; Rule 5.09 (Batter is out) The rule applies only when there are fewer than two outs, and there is a force play at third base (which means there are runners at first and second base, or the bases are loaded). [2]
In baseball, a sinker or sinking fastball is a type of fastball which has significant downward and horizontal movement and is known for inducing ground balls. [1] Pitchers capable of utilizing the sinker are able to throw the pitch almost exclusively, as it forces weak contact and ground balls, allowing them to rely less on secondary pitches in order to change speeds. [2]