Question about pitches...

[Moooo]

Okay, so this is something that I've always wondered about...

What are all the differences betwen the pitches in baseball? Obviously some are more obvious, but like what's the difference between a cutter and a 2-seam? Or a splitter and a forkball. Or a changeup and a circlechangeup. And where does the slider fit in to all of this?

Any help, or a website that explains it would be awesome...

Moooo

[morphius]

With my expierence of doing a google lookup on "football hold" in images I'm refusing to do this search for you.

[Rain Man]

I'm always flummoxed by the fact that the announcers act like they know the difference between pitches. The pitcher throws the ball, and they say it's a curve. Then he throws it again, and they say it's a fastball. They all look exactly the same to me unless they go over the backstop.

[Moooo]

With my expierence of doing a google lookup on "football hold" in images I'm refusing to do this search for you.

I've done some searching with no answers... I don't know what you saw with the football thing, I'm gonna guess I don't wanna.

Moooo

[Hammock Parties]

What are all the differences betwen the pitches in baseball? Obviously some are more obvious, but like what's the difference between a cutter and a 2-seam? Or a splitter and a forkball. Or a changeup and a circlechangeup. And where does the slider fit in to all of this?



A cutter breaks to one side. A 2-seamer usually breaks down, but it can break to one side, to, or to one side and down...depends if the batter is lefty or righty.

A splitter and forkball both break down, but the forkball is slower.

A changeup has less movement than a circle change. The slider is basically a slow fastball (75-80 mph) that breaks down and away or just away at the last second. I've always seen a cutter as a faster slider with less breaking movement if that helps.

[Moooo]

A cutter breaks to one side. A 2-seamer usually breaks down.

A splitter and forkball both break down, but the forkball is slower.

A changeup has less movement than a circle change. The slider is basically a slow fastball (75-80 mph) that breaks down and away or just away at the last second. I've always seen a cutter as a faster slider with less breaking movement if that helps.

This is a lot of help, sir!

Last one, what is the difference between a regular curve and a forkball?

Moooo

[Hammock Parties]

This is a lot of help, sir!

Last one, what is the difference between a regular curve and a forkball?

Moooo

Forkball has less movement, usually. Depends on the curve. 12-6 curve goes straight up and down. The other variety breaks away or inside (depending on the batter, righty or lefty).

Just play MVP baseball...you will learn fast about how pitches move.

[Hammock Parties]

I'm always flummoxed by the fact that the announcers act like they know the difference between pitches. The pitcher throws the ball, and they say it's a curve. Then he throws it again, and they say it's a fastball. They all look exactly the same to me unless they go over the backstop.

IMO it's almost impossible to tell. You might be able to tell if it's a fastball or a breaking ball by the speed, but that's about it.

Of course the announcers usually know what kind of pitches each pitcher throws, so they have an advantage over the casual viewer in that sense. But if a guy throws 5 pitches I don't see how you can tell the difference between some of them. I know what Francisco Cordero is throwing on a given pitch because he relies almost exclusively on his fastball and slider.

[Moooo]

Forkball has less movement, usually. Depends on the curve. 12-6 curve goes straight up and down. The other variety breaks away or inside (depending on the batter, righty or lefty).

Just play MVP baseball...you will learn fast about how pitches move.

MVP... Got it!

In baseball games I always recreate Niekro in a custom player and go knuckleball on everyone... :)

Moooo

[Moooo]

IMO it's almost impossible to tell. You might be able to tell if it's a fastball or a breaking ball by the speed, but that's about it.

Of course the announcers usually know what kind of pitches each pitcher throws, so they have an advantage over the casual viewer in that sense. But if a guy throws 5 pitches I don't see how you can tell the difference between some of them. I know what Francisco Cordero is throwing on a given pitch because he relies almost exclusively on his fastball and slider.

I can tell a breaking ball cause it goes way up in the air (so it seems).

Moooo

[Hammock Parties]

I can tell a breaking ball cause it goes way up in the air (so it seems).

Moooo

Maybe if it's a curveball. Sliders, cutters, etc start out just like fastballs.

[Moooo]

Maybe if it's a curveball. Sliders, cutters, etc start out just like fastballs.

Yeah, and I can't tell all of them. Some of them, though seem slower and go way up in the air before dropping.

Moooo

[4th and Long]

The less rotation on the ball, the faster the bottom falls out.

[teedubya]

GoChiefs knows all about 'pitching' and 'catching'

heh.

[crispystl]

IMO it's almost impossible to tell. You might be able to tell if it's a fastball or a breaking ball by the speed, but that's about it.

Of course the announcers usually know what kind of pitches each pitcher throws, so they have an advantage over the casual viewer in that sense. But if a guy throws 5 pitches I don't see how you can tell the difference between some of them. I know what Francisco Cordero is throwing on a given pitch because he relies almost exclusively on his fastball and slider.

You can tell if it's a curve slider or fastball whats hard is determining the difference between like for example 2 seamers and cutters or splitters and sinkers. You have to remember most of these announcers played at some point they know what the pitches are usually.

[Hammock Parties]

GoChiefs knows all about 'pitching' and 'catching'

heh.

Catching is much more complicated. I don't think I would ever want to be a catcher. He has more work to do than any other player.

[Coach]

If my memory is good, and anyone can correct me if I'm mistaken. A 4 seamer fastball doesn't have much movement. A 2 seamer does have a little, but not much, but slower than a 4 seamer. Cutter (depending on where the fingers are located) is like a 2 seamer fastball, but at the last second, it cuts down, depending on which finger you pressure on the seams. Let's use a right handed pitcher, and the cutter can go either way. If you pressure on a index finger, it tends to cut to the right. If you pressure the middle finger, it tends to cut to the left. Slider is like a fastball, but it slides away. Most sliders starts off at 3 o'clock to 9 o'clock, or sometimes a 2 o'clock to 8 o'clock. Curveball is like it curves up a little bit, then curves down. Most go from a 12 o'clock to 6 o'clock, or sometimes a 1 o'clock to 7 o'clock. A splitter is like placing the baseball in the middle between the index and middle fingers, and the thumb is pretty much supporting the ball up on the fingers. It's like throwing a 2 seamer fastball, only it starts to split downwards. A screwball is throwing the ball, but you flick your wrist the oppisite way instead of how you throw a ball normally.

Those I tend to know well, and I use those pitches when I was playing HS baseball, except for the screwball.

[Coach]

Catching is much more complicated. I don't think I would ever want to be a catcher. He has more work to do than any other player.

That is correct. A catcher not only should know certain batter's weakness, along with managing a game and managing a pitching staff, he's like a manager on a field.

Funny, most managers that I consider solid managers, were ex-catchers. Socisica (sp?), Torre, Pinella (before going to TB), Giaradi. Those that I can name a few.

[Moooo]

If my memory is good, and anyone can correct me if I'm mistaken. A 4 seamer fastball doesn't have much movement. A 2 seamer does have a little, but not much, but slower than a 4 seamer. Cutter (depending on where the fingers are located) is like a 2 seamer fastball, but at the last second, it cuts down, depending on which finger you pressure on the seams. Let's use a right handed pitcher, and the cutter can go either way. If you pressure on a index finger, it tends to cut to the right. If you pressure the middle finger, it tends to cut to the left. Slider is like a fastball, but it slides away. Most sliders starts off at 3 o'clock to 9 o'clock, or sometimes a 2 o'clock to 8 o'clock. Curveball is like it curves up a little bit, then curves down. Most go from a 12 o'clock to 6 o'clock, or sometimes a 1 o'clock to 7 o'clock. A splitter is like placing the baseball in the middle between the index and middle fingers, and the thumb is pretty much supporting the ball up on the fingers. It's like throwing a 2 seamer fastball, only it starts to split downwards. A screwball is throwing the ball, but you flick your wrist the oppisite way instead of how you throw a ball normally.

Those I tend to know well, and I use those pitches when I was playing HS baseball, except for the screwball.

I know you're not supposed to use the screwball as a youngling cause you'll mess up your wrist.

And the forkball is a splitter with more action?

Moooo

[Hammock Parties]

I know you're not supposed to use the screwball as a youngling cause you'll mess up your wrist.

And the forkball is a splitter with more action?

Moooo

Forkball is just slower.

Youngsters aren't supposed to throw any breaking pitches.

[CoMoChief]

Forkball has less movement, usually. Depends on the curve. 12-6 curve goes straight up and down. The other variety breaks away or inside (depending on the batter, righty or lefty).

Just play MVP baseball...you will learn fast about how pitches move.


Except knuckleballs arent as hard to hit in real life as they are in that damn game or Grienke's curveball doesnt take 2hrs to get across the plate.

[HMc]

Sweet thread, i've been watching some baseball and i dunno wtf they're on about most of the time. But it's the same in cricket, they go on with all these different names for balls and in reality even the most versatile spin bowlers only have like 4. Yeah it either spins left, spins right, spins forward or spins back. But the pundits seem to have new names for them every fn summer.