Is the Eephus pitch Legal?
The Eephus pitch is legal in Major League Baseball to throw. As long as the pitcher does not deceive the batter by slowing down in their pitching rotation, there is no issue. Since there is no minimum speed that a pitcher needs to pitch, a pitcher can mix this pitch in their arsenal.
Why is it called an Eephus pitch?
An Eephus pitch is a kind of pitch in baseball. The pitch was invented by Rip Sewell of the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1940s. The name Eephus pitch comes from the Hebrew word efes, which means “nothing.” Pirates manager Frankie Frisch claimed that the pitch was named by outfielder Maurice Van Robays.
What is the meaning of eephus?
Wiktionary. eephusnoun. An off-speed pitch with unusually low velocity, intended to catch the hitter off guard.
What is the rarest pitch?
screwball
A screwball is a breaking ball designed to move in the opposite direction of just about every other breaking pitch. It is one of the rarest pitches thrown in baseball, mostly because of the tax it can put on a pitcher’s arm.
Who can throw an eephus pitch?
Other pitchers known to have employed the Eephus pitch include: Fernando Abad (the Super Changeup), Al McBean (the McBean ball), Luis Tiant, Pedro Borbón, Yu Darvish, Casey Fossum (called the Fossum Flip), Steve Hamilton (the folly floater), Liván Hernández, Phil Niekro, Orlando Hernández, Dave LaRoche (LaLob), Carlos …
Who throws eephus pitch?
LOOK: Rangers’ Brock Holt tosses 31 mph eephus pitch for strike during game against A’s – CBSSports.com.
Who threw the eephus pitch?
LOOK: Rangers’ Brock Holt tosses 31 mph eephus pitch for strike during game against A’s. It’s not every day that you see a pitcher throw an eephus pitch — a high-arching, off-speed pitch — for a strike.
How many times can a pitcher pitch?
Starting pitchers may pitch up to around 120 times in a game. After a game, they do everything they can to heal the damage done during the game.
What is the weirdest pitch in baseball?
Top 9 Nastiest Pitches in Baseball History
- Clayton Kershaw’s 12-6 Curveball.
- R.A. Dickey’s Knuckleball.
- Mariano Rivera’s Cutter.
- Randy Johnson’s Slider.
- Sandy Koufax’s Curveball.
- Trevor Hoffman’s Changeup.
- Greg Maddux’s Two-Seamer.
- Satchel Paige’s Hesitation Pitch.
What kind of pitch is an eephus pitch?
An eephus pitch in baseball is a slow curveball thrown at an absurdly low speed, usually 60 miles per hour or less. Since it’s much slower than a typical baseball pitch, slower than even a knuckleball, it can catch a hitter off guard.
How tall was Dick Wakefield’s eephus pitch?
Dick Wakefield became the blooper’s first victim. Sewell gripped the ball at a seam with three fingers and tossed it home, the pitch rising as high as 25 feet at its apex. A successful effort topped out at just 50 mph but rotated with plenty of backspin, which, according to Sewell, was his secret sauce.
Can a power hitter hit an eephus pitch?
However, if the pitch doesn’t surprise the batter, or if it doesn’t break sharply enough, an eephus pitch is easy to hit, and a power hitter can hit it into the seats for a homer. Ted Williams once said an eephus pitch is extremely easy to hit, but the hitter has to supply all the power.
What did Paul Jackson call the blooper pitch?
The fearsome Big Unit actually smiled as Flaherty stood up and stretched out his hands in disbelief. From a novice of such a pitch like Johnson, the eephus — or blooper pitch — gets little more than a rise out of the crowd and a chuckle from the batter on the receiving end.
