Why Nobody Throws The Best Pitch in Baseball
Summary
TLDRThe script delves into the enigmatic world of the knuckleball pitch in baseball, a notoriously difficult pitch to master and hit due to its unpredictable movement. It discusses the pitch's history, its rarity with only 70 knuckleballers in MLB's history, and its resurgence with modern pitchers like Matt Waldren. The script highlights the challenges faced by catchers and umpires, the physical demands on pitchers, and the potential for the knuckleball to revolutionize the game once again.
Takeaways
- 🥎 The knuckleball is considered the most unhittable pitch in baseball due to its unpredictable movement caused by zero spin.
- 🎯 Despite being slow and seemingly easy to hit, knuckleballs are notoriously difficult for even the best hitters to make contact with.
- 👨🦳 Only around 70 knuckleballers have played in MLB's history, with 12.5% of them being inducted into the Hall of Fame.
- 👧 Teenagers and older players alike can throw knuckleballs, and they require minimal arm and lower body strength.
- 🤝 Knuckleball pitchers often have long careers with less risk of injury due to the low stress the pitch puts on their arms.
- 📉 The knuckleball almost went extinct from 2020 to 2023, with only a few pitchers throwing it with limited success.
- 🚀 Matt Waldron is credited with reviving the knuckleball, throwing it in a new way that has caught the attention of the baseball world.
- 🔄 Traditional knuckleballers often struggle with being effective due to the pitch's volatility and the difficulty catchers have in handling it.
- 👶 Many players learn the knuckleball as a last resort to save their careers when they struggle with other pitching roles.
- 🏫 There are specialized facilities and programs dedicated to teaching the knuckleball to aspiring pitchers.
- 📉 The success rate of learning and mastering the knuckleball is very low, despite many attempting to do so.
Q & A
What makes the knuckleball the most unhittable pitch in baseball?
-The knuckleball is unhittable due to its zero spin, which causes the ball to move in unpredictable ways, making it difficult for hitters to anticipate its trajectory.
Why are there so few knuckleball pitchers in MLB history?
-There have only been around 70 knuckleballers in MLB's history due to the difficulty of learning the pitch and the specific skills required to throw it effectively.
What is unique about the knuckleball's effect on hitters?
-Hitters often dodge balls that are right down the middle and swing at pitches that hit them because the knuckleball's unpredictable movement tricks their perception.
How did Josh Booty, a former LSU quarterback, learn to throw a knuckleball?
-Josh Booty learned to throw a knuckleball in a few months to compete in a reality TV show, despite not having pitched for 17 years, demonstrating the pitch's accessibility to those without traditional pitching experience.
Why did the knuckleball almost go extinct between 2020 and 2023?
-The knuckleball nearly went extinct during this period because there were only three knuckleball pitchers who performed poorly, throwing a combined 15 innings with an ERA over 13.
What is special about Matt Waldren's approach to throwing a knuckleball?
-Matt Waldren is bringing back the knuckleball in a new way, with a technique that is nastier and different from traditional knuckleball pitching, which has inspired others to follow suit.
Why do knuckleball pitchers often start as regular pitchers or position players?
-Many knuckleball pitchers begin as regular pitchers or position players because they may not initially succeed in those roles, and learning the knuckleball as a last resort can save their careers.
How did the knuckleball help Tim Wakefield extend his MLB career?
-Tim Wakefield learned the knuckleball after struggling as a regular pitcher with a career ERA over five, which allowed him to return to MLB and win a Cy Young Award.
What challenges do catchers face when catching a knuckleball?
-Catchers face difficulty catching knuckleballs due to their unpredictable movement, often leading to passed balls or wild pitches, and sometimes requiring specialized catchers who can handle the pitch.
Why have teams struggled to develop knuckleball pitchers despite the potential benefits?
-Teams have struggled to develop knuckleball pitchers because the pitch is extremely difficult to learn correctly, and even those with the physical capability often fail to master it.
How does the traditional knuckleball differ from the approach used by Matt Waldren?
-Matt Waldren's approach to the knuckleball is different in that he throws it less frequently, mixes it with other pitches like sinkers, cutters, and sweepers, and maintains a higher velocity, making it harder for hitters to prepare for.
Outlines
🥎 The Knuckleball: Baseball's Most Unpredictable Pitch
This paragraph delves into the knuckleball, a unique pitch in baseball with zero spin that moves unpredictably, making it incredibly difficult for hitters to hit. It discusses the rarity of knuckleball pitchers in MLB history and the resurgence of the pitch through Matt Waldren, who is reviving the knuckleball in a new and effective way. The paragraph also highlights the challenges catchers and umpires face with this pitch and the historical significance of knuckleballers in the MLB.
👴 The Knuckleball's History and Its Pitchers
This section of the script explores the longevity and endurance of knuckleball pitchers, who often play well into their later years due to the pitch's low impact on the arm. It mentions Phil Niekro's exceptional innings and complete games, emphasizing the pitch's potential for longevity. The paragraph also discusses the difficulty of learning the knuckleball, with historical attempts to cultivate knuckleball pitchers often ending in failure, and touches on the unique training facilities and methods dedicated to mastering this elusive pitch.
🧢 The Challenges and Triumphs of Knuckleball Catching
This paragraph focuses on the challenges that catchers face when working with knuckleball pitchers, including a high rate of wild pitches and passed balls. It recounts specific incidents where catchers struggled, leading to changes in team strategies and even impacting game outcomes. The narrative also highlights the importance of specialized catchers like Doug Mirabelli, who was crucial to Tim Wakefield's success, and the extraordinary measures teams have taken to ensure a catcher's availability for knuckleball games.
🚀 The Resurgence and Evolution of the Knuckleball
The final paragraph discusses the cyclical nature of the knuckleball's popularity in MLB, noting periods of decline followed by revivals led by innovative pitchers. It introduces Matt Waldren as a new evolution of the knuckleball pitcher, who has adapted the pitch to be less frequent but more effective, combining it with other pitches to keep hitters off balance. The paragraph suggests that Waldren's approach could inspire a new generation of knuckleball pitchers and potentially change the way the pitch is perceived and utilized in baseball.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Knuckleball
💡Unhitable
💡Hall of Fame
💡Pitcher
💡Major Leagues (MLB)
💡Minor Leagues
💡Wild Pitches and Pass Balls
💡Catcher
💡Extinction
💡Revival
💡Analytics
Highlights
The knuckleball is considered the most unhittable pitch in baseball due to its unpredictable movement caused by zero spin.
Despite being slow, hitters struggle to make contact with the knuckleball, even when expecting it.
Only around 70 knuckleball pitchers have existed in MLB's history, with 12.5% being inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Chelsea Baker, a knuckleballer, achieved a record of not losing a game for four years and threw two perfect games.
Josh Booty, a former LSU quarterback, learned the knuckleball in months and earned a minor league contract.
The knuckleball is difficult for catchers to catch and for umpires to make correct calls on.
Between 2020 to 2023, the knuckleball nearly went extinct with only three knuckleballers in MLB.
Matt Waldron is credited with bringing back the knuckleball with a new and effective technique.
Cory Lewis, a ninth-round draft pick, became one of the Twins' top prospects after mastering the knuckleball.
Many knuckleball pitchers started as regular pitchers or position players and transitioned as a last resort.
Tim Wakefield, after a poor start as a regular pitcher, learned the knuckleball and pitched for 19 seasons in MLB.
The knuckleball causes less wear and tear on the arm, allowing pitchers to have long careers without injury.
Efforts to establish a knuckleball school in the 80s by the Rangers failed to produce successful knuckleball pitchers.
Chris Nolan became a full-time knuckleball coach after an independent league career, offering training and a knuckleball academy.
The knuckleball's lack of spin makes it move unpredictably, which can trick the human mind into thinking it defies physics.
A slight mistake in the knuckleball's release can turn it from an effective pitch into an easy target for hitters.
Steven Wright's knuckleball was so difficult to catch that his catcher set an MLB record for missed balls in an inning.
Dutch Leonard had to leave the Dodgers because their catchers refused to catch his knuckleball.
Tim Wakefield had his own personal catcher, Doug Mirabelli, who was the only one who could effectively catch his knuckleball.
The Red Sox made an extreme effort to trade for Mirabelli in time for a game, even delaying other flights.
Knuckleballs are prone to wild pitches and passed balls, making the margin for success very slim for knuckleball pitchers.
Despite periods of being declared extinct, the knuckleball has always reemerged in baseball with new practitioners.
Matt Waldron's knuckleball is a new evolution, thrown at higher speeds and mixed with other pitches for greater effectiveness.
Transcripts
this is the most unhittable pitch in
baseball the ball has zero spin the air
hits it and moves it in unpredictable
ways hitters Dodge balls right down the
middle and swing at pitches that hit
them these pitchers throw the same pitch
over and over again the hitters know
it's coming it's going extremely slow
but they still can't touch it there's
only been around 70 knuckle ballers in
MLB's 100 plus year history 12.5% of
them have been Hall of Fame Chelsea
Baker learned one went four years
straight without losing a game threw two
perfect games and was even invited to
face the Tampa Bay Rays who couldn't
even hit it well she was a
17-year-old girl teenagers can throw
them old men can throw them in the major
leagues it takes no arm strength no
lower body strength it doesn't even take
pitching experience former LSU
quarterback Josh booty learned a knuckle
ball to compete in a reality TV show he
hadn't pitched in 17 years learned the
knuckle ball in only a few months and it
was good enough to earn him a minor
league contract it's so good catchers
can't catch it it's so good umpires
can't make correct calls on it and the
best hitters in the world look idiotic
trying to hit it but nobody throws it
the best pitch in baseball went
completely extinct from 2020 to 2023
there were only three knuckle ballers
they were so bad they only threw a
combined 15 Innings had an erra over 13
now one of them is in Mexico one retired
and the other one got arrested at one
point there were four knuckle ballers on
one team but in 2023 it was a completely
dead pitch until this guy came along
Matt Waldren is bringing back the
knuckle ball and it is nasty I just faed
this man named Waldren I tell you that's
probably the best pitch I've ever seen
in base that way that way that way we
were losing and I came back to D guy I
said bro I can't be mad you got to tip
your cap yeah he got that but he is
bringing back the knuckle ball in a way
we've never seen it thrown before and
others are following him there's knuckle
ballers popping up all over the minor
leagues Cory Lewis was a ninth round
draft pick a complete afterthought in
the eyes of the twins he thought
throwing a knuckle ball was fun so he
did it in college but barely ever threw
it shortly after getting drafted
realized it was unhitable and all of a
sudden he's been terrorizing minor
Leaguers with his knuckle ball he has
become one of the twins top prospects
and is knocking on the doors of MLB
these two guys throw their knuckle balls
in ways we've never seen an MLB in a few
years there could be dozens of pitches
in M Mo throwing knuckle balls in the
exact same way but the traditional
knuckle ball has disappeared in part
because some of the best knuckle ballers
in the world are also some of the worst
pitchers in the world pretty much every
single knuckle baller didn't start as a
knuckle baller they started as a regular
pitcher or position player sucked at it
nobody wanted them on their team so as a
last ditch effort they learned a knuckle
ball and saved their career Tim
Wickfield was drafted as a position
player was terrible in the miners was
told by his own team he'd never make it
above AA so instead he learned a knuckle
ball and ended up pitching 19 seasons in
MLB r dicki started as a regular pitcher
had a career ER over five was one of the
worst starters in the league was
completely out of the league then
learned a knuckle ball returned and won
a Sai Young David Fletcher has played
second base in MLB in parts of Seven
Seasons after several bad years at the
plate no team wants him anymore he is
also facing a lifetime ban for allegedly
gambling on baseball so now even though
he's never been a full fulltime pitcher
in his professional career he's in the
miners trying to learn a knuckle ball as
a last Stitch effort to make it back in
MLB Chris Nolan didn't even play high
school baseball in college he started
throwing a knuckle ball against walls
for fun his friends thought it was a
nasty pitch had him go to a Reds tryy
out a scout at the Reds tryy out decided
to draft him with the team's last pick a
guy who hadn't played baseball since
middle school team teams will do things
like this because the upside for an
elite knuckle baller is insane the pitch
causes so little wear and tear on their
arms they never get hurt and they can
pitch forever Wilbur would through
376 innings in one season the most
Innings by a non- knuckle baller last
year was 216 that's 160 Innings less
most pitchers need 5 days of rest but
Wilbur only rested 3 days between starts
last year the most complete games in a
season was three in 1972 he threw four
of them in the first month of the Season
Bill nro pitched 25 Seasons as a
knuckler but since it doesn't take
athleticism strength or stamina he
pitched until he was an old man he
pitched 210 innings in 1987 that'd be
the second most inning by any player in
20123 and he was
47 years old he pitched 200 and 45
complete games yes he has more complete
games in his career than Jacob deg Grom
has starts in his career they can pitch
way more than a regular pitcher never
get injured the ones who develop a good
one are unhitable basically anyone
regardless of age or athleticism can
become one so why aren't teams
constantly looking and developing
knuckle ball pitchers the truth is
they've been trying and failing four
years in the 80s the Rangers set up
their own knuckle ball school they took
their EXP spendable minor league
pitchers who they thought had little
chance to ever make it to the majors and
made a deal with them if they only
focused on knuckle balls and through
only knuckle balls for an entire season
they were guaranteed to have a job the
next season no matter how bad they did
the Hope was that if they took dozens of
mediocre pitchers taught them a knuckle
ball they could turn at least one of
them into a major leager and none of
them ended up making it as a knuckle
baller because even though almost anyone
has the physical capability to throw it
it's almost impossible for anybody to
learn it Phil Koke Jamie Moyer Brian
Wilson Frank Viola JB marttin Mark lmy
and more all tried to come back as
knuckle ballers after successful MLB
careers and they all failed pitchers are
constantly trying to learn a knuckle
ball but only around 70 have actually
made it in MLB throwing it meaning
there's not many who are actually
qualified to teach it yet there are
thousands actively trying to learn it
which is why we have people like Chris
Nolan who I mentioned earlier after
going to the Reds try out he never
actually ended up getting drafted by the
Reds like he was told the Scout ended up
getting fired instead he pitched
professionally in independent leagues
for 5 years and now he is a full-time
knuckle ball coach he has a knuckle ball
facility where people come exclusively
to learn knuckle balls he even had a
knuckle ball Academy essentially a
knuckle ball Sleepaway Camp where you
stay in hotel style rooms get all meals
provided and for 2 weeks you do nothing
except learn a knuckle ball from the
best knuckle ballers in the world for
only
$4,000 there's also one-on-one trading
virtual training Clinic seminars and
coaching offer year round in hundreds if
not thousands of people trying to become
the next great knuckler go through these
programs every year they are taught a
technique which goes against all logic
when it comes to pitching today pitchers
obsessed over getting as much spin as
possible on all their pitches knuckle
ballers do the opposite they try to get
the least amount of spin as possible
when a ball has zero spin the seams push
the airflow in a way that makes the ball
move in directions the human brain isn't
used to they cut an unpredictable ways
sometimes they float and sometimes they
even flutter seeing a ball with no spin
go through the air is so rare to us it
tricks the mind to make you think it's
defying physics creating some of the
most mind-blowing and unhitable pitches
in history but if you mess up and add a
little bit of spin you get no movement
essentially lobbing up a slow fast ball
to some of the best hitters on the
planet a center metor difference in
release Point turns the best pitch in
baseball into the worst pitch in
baseball nobody could hit Steven Wright
in 2016 he was an Allstar and had the
10th lowest RA in the a L the next year
he had an erra over8 RA Dicky went a Sai
Young Then followed It Up by being one
of the worst qualified starters in
baseball and finished in the bottom 10
in Al tin Wakefield was third in Rookie
of the Year voting with a 214 erra his
first year the next year he had an erra
over five and couldn't even get through
July without getting demoted his rookie
year looked like a complete fluke but
the next season he came back as one of
the best pitchers in the league and
finished third in sa young voting only
to return the very next year and put up
an RA over five again Dicky and
Wakefield are two of the Undisputed best
knuckle ballers in history they also
share the record for most homers given
up in a game both of them gave up six
homers each in one start when a knuckle
ball is bad it is terrible but when
they're amazing
that can also be a problem because
catchers can't catch them in 2016 Steven
Wright was making his first ever Major
League start catcher Ryan larvin way set
an M Mo record by missing four pass
balls in one inning Wright only gave up
one hit but the Red Sox were forced to
take him out of the game after just one
inning just because his catcher couldn't
catch a knuckle ball in the 40s Dutch
leopard had to leave the Dodgers because
their catchers were refused to catch his
knuckle ball forced to just throw
regular pitches he sucked the Dodgers
didn't want him anymore so he went to
Washington and pitched 15 more MLB
Seasons as a knuckle baller Tim
Wakefield is famous for having his own
personal catcher Doug Mirabelli he was a
backup catcher but since he was the only
catcher who could catch wakefield's
knuckle ball he became the starter each
time Tim Wakefield pitched he basically
kept a job in MLB in large part just
because because he was the only one who
could catch wakefield's knuckle ball the
Red Sox thought that this was kind of a
waste so they traded him thinking they
could just teach a different catcher to
learn how to catch a knuckle ball but
the guy who took his place sucked
immediately after getting to Boston he
missed 10 pass balls in seven games
while catching Wakefield nobody on the
team could catch him so without marab
belly Wakefield was useless to make
matters worse first wakefield's next
start was scheduled against the Yankees
on ESPN's Monday night baseball it was
Johnny Damon's first game back in Fenway
after going to New York at the peak of
the Red Sox and Yankees rivalry making
the Red Sox even more desperate 9 hours
before this game the Red Sox finally got
the trade done to get Mirabelli back on
the team a trade their GM later said was
quote the worst trade he's ever been
involved with however at the time they
were just worried about getting him to
Boston in time for the game they ched a
private jet called in a favor and
literally got airspace over Cleveland
and New York City cleared for a more
direct route dozens of planes were
likely delayed and rerouted just so
Mirabelli could get to the game on time
when they landed Mirabelli says there
were at least 20 planes sitting on the
tarmac delayed just so he could land
faster and get to the game on time the
Red Sox organized the Boston police to
outside the plane with Miro Bell's
uniform inside picked him up had him
change in the police car and had a
helicopter fly overhead while the cop
car had its sirens on so it could bypass
traffic to get to the game on time he
arrived at the stadium at 7:02 p.m. the
Red Sox had multiple people throw out
the ceremonial first pitch just to stall
then pretended to accidentally set the
sprinkler system off to delay the game
even further Miro belly had to borrow
catcher equipment cleats and supposedly
accidentally left his cup in the police
car he caught at least one inning
without a cup but the game started at
713 and it all worked out because the
Red Sox ended up winning however in
reality it was a complete disaster the
Red Sox traded a catcher with a 943 Ops
That season and a reliever who ended the
year with a 1.07 erra for a backup
catcher just because he could catch a
knuckle ball close to 1% of all knuckle
balls end up being wild pitches or pass
balls they are four times more likely to
get past a catcher than a regular pitch
the margins to be a successful knuckle
Baller in spite of these inevitable wild
pitches are extremely small and this is
a major reason why the pitch completely
disappeared but history shows you can
never completely kill the knuckler
starting in the 40s MLB always had a
steady stream of knuckle ballers but by
the80s they were gone the New York Times
and LA Times pronounced the pitch dead
then Charlie how came along he became a
starter at 34 years old was successful
and other knuckle ballers followed him
when he retired at 46 once again the
league deemed the pitch extinct in the
9s multiple Publications pronounced the
pitch dead then Tim Wakefield arrived he
pitched in high-profile playoff games as
a rookie and mesmerized baseball with a
beautiful knuckle ball and again more
pitchers followed but after a long
career he retired at 43 once again
people deemed the pitch dead then ra
dicki came along he was born without a
uucl when the Rangers found out he
didn't have a UCL they lowered his
signing bonus from 800k to
75k by 2005 he had a career erra of
555 that's when he learned earned a
knuckle ball to try and save his career
the Rangers let him try it out for a
game he gave up six home runs in his
only game he ever started throwing a
knuckle ball he set an MLB record for
homers given up in a game he got demoted
was cut and they never let him throw it
again but he didn't give up he spent the
next several years not in MLB mastering
the knuckle ball returned became an
All-Star led the league in starts three
years in a row and legitimately became
the best pitcher in the league becoming
the first knuckle Baller in history to
win asai young once again the knuckle
ball was back several other knuckle
ballers popped up but after Dicky's
retirement knuckle balls dropped to a
scary new low from 2008 to 2017 they
were on average
3,486 knuckle balls thring a year the 5
years following that there were only on
average 210 knuckle balls thrown a year
starting in 2020 there were 1199 knuckle
balls thrown in a 3-year period Tim
Wakefield do 170 of them in one game
with the advancements of analytics teams
want pitchers to throw as hard as
possible knuckle ballers do the opposite
since they're susceptible to Wild
pitches they have to be perfect since
they're volatile it's hard to project
how they'll perform game to game and in
terms of value having to find a catcher
just to catch one pitcher seems like a
complete waste to most teams in MLB many
aspects of advanced analytics goes
against knuckle ballers which is why
article after article pronounce the
pitch completely dead then this guy came
along Matt Waldren is the newest
evolution of knuckle baller and is
unlike almost any knuckle baller before
him he only learned it in 2021 while in
the miners it took him from being an
18th round draft pick and complete
afterthought to now being a staple in
the Padre's rotation
hitters are only slugging 387 against it
and when they swing at it they miss it
27.8% of the time instead of lobbing
knuckle ball after knuckle ball like the
traditional knuckle baller he only
throws it 38% of the time 62% of the
time batters facing him are seeing
sinkers Cutters and sweepers meaning
they have to be ready for 90 plus miles
per hour then have to adjust to a slow
knuckle ball that moves in all types of
directions only throwing at 38% of the
time limits past balls which teams today
would see as a massive inefficiency he
also aderes to teams OB session with
velocity at 84 mph it might be the
fastest knuckle ball ever only ra dicki
ever threw a knuckle ball close to that
speed in only a second season Waldron's
stats have improved in almost every
metric if he continues to improve we are
likely to see a similar effect how
Wakefield and Dicky had when they
revived the knuckle ball in their eras
but this time you won't see someone
lobbing up knuckle balls every pitch
teams will Target traditional players
who happen to throw good knuckle balls
they'll throw knuckle balls 30 to 40% of
the time this will cause less pass balls
less pressure on The Catcher And hitters
being completely off balance because
they don't know if they're getting a 95
mph fast ball or a 70 mph knuckle ball
that moves in seven directions at once
and if the knuckle balls look anything
like these they will have no chance
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