Curveball

In baseball and softball, the curveball is a special way of throwing the ball. Pitchers grip the ball in a certain way and move their hand to make the ball spin as it moves toward home plate. This spin makes the ball drop sharply, making it hard for batters to hit.

There are different kinds of curveballs, such as the 12–6 curveball, the power curveball, and the knuckle curve. These pitches are related to other throws like the slider and the slurve. Each pitcher might make the ball curve differently, depending on how they throw it.

Grip and action

The curveball is a special throw in baseball and softball. Pitchers hold the ball like they are holding a cup, with their middle finger along a seam and their thumb on the opposite seam. They snap their arm and wrist down to throw it, making the ball spin forward. This spin makes the ball drop quickly as it nears home plate.

Curveballs are slower than fastballs and can break downward or to the side. Hitters see the ball coming toward them and then it drops suddenly. If a curveball does not spin well, it is called a "hanging curve" and is easy for hitters to hit. Curveballs are popular in professional baseball but less common for younger players because of concerns about arm safety.

Variations

Curveballs in baseball and softball can move in different ways depending on how the pitcher throws them. When a pitcher throws a curveball with their arm straight up, the ball drops straight down, called a 12–6 curveball.

Other pitchers may throw the ball at an angle, making it curve sideways as well as down. This type is sometimes called a slurve because it moves like both a curveball and a slider. There are also curveballs that spin sideways, called sweeping curveballs, which move less up and down than other curveballs.

Physics

The Magnus effect explains why a curveball in baseball curves. A fastball spins backward, which creates higher pressure below the ball. This makes the ball fall less while moving toward home plate.

A curveball is thrown with spin that points upward, creating higher pressure on top. This pushes the ball down more, making it drop sharply as it flies toward the batter.

Real or illusion?

People once wondered if a curveball in baseball really curves or if it's just an optical illusion. In 1949, an engineer named Ralph B. Lightfoot proved using tests that a curveball does curve. Famous pitcher Dizzy Dean once joked, "Stand behind a tree 60 feet away, and I will hit you with an optical illusion!"

Even though the ball curves smoothly, it can look like it suddenly changes direction when it gets close to the batter. This happens because the spinning ball distorts how we see it when it moves into our side vision. This idea was studied and written about in a scientific article in 2010.

Nicknames

The curveball in baseball and softball has many fun names. Some people call it "the bender" or "the hook" because of how the ball moves. Others use names like "the yakker" or "Uncle Charlie".

One famous pitcher, Dwight Gooden from the New York Mets, had a curveball so strong it was called "Lord Charles". A great hitter, Bill Madlock, said it was like "the yellow hammer" because it came down hard and was hard to hit. Since catchers often use two fingers to ask for a curveball, it’s also known as "the deuce" or "number two".

History

Candy Cummings, a star pitcher in the 1860s and 1870s, is often said to have invented the curveball. Other pitchers from that time also claimed to have invented it, but evidence shows Cummings was the first.

Later, Joseph McElroy Mann from Princeton University was the first college player known to master the curveball. He helped players understand how useful it could be.

Over time, many famous pitchers became known for their great curveballs.