He's correct tho. The pitch is called that because it falls off the table just like my Gyro does at 3:30 in the morning when I've had too much to drink.
@@JustinJetsProdz the knuckle ball is literally the hardest pitch to throw since you're doing the complete opposite of any other pitch. Don't know what you're on
@@coreychitwood4968 you’re both right. He grips it like a change up but he pronates his wrist while throwing it, which would make it a screwball. It’s a unique hybrid pitch.
Slurve: many pitchers have this but they call it whatever that want. Sweeping curve, looping slider, even most normal curves are closer to slurves Screwball: there’s a stigma around this pitch due to injuries that are probably unrelated but many high spin rate change ups such as Devin Williams are thrown as screwballs but aren’t called it because of the stigma
I’m a terrible pitcher and I’m better in the outfield but I just converted from changeup to palmball and there was this kid who I faced 4 times before and he had 3 homers off me and the other was a double but I struck him out on 3 straight palm balls
@@greglindgren8197you’ll last a lot longer in the mlb giving up doubles with palm balls than striking out batters with slurves and gyros “These pitches are not meant to be thrown by humans and destroy arms, why don’t pitchers throw them anymore?”
I remember watching Dontrelle Willis for the Florida Marlins. He was the first pitcher I had ever seen throw a slurve. He was also left handed. That's one NASTY pitch!
I feel like a lot of pitchers throw slurves. They’re just typically called sliders or curves depending on what the pitcher decides they’re most like to them. I think the forkball is less common than slurves as well as the knuckleball.
To me the movement just depends on the arm slot. If I’m just throwing normally it’s more of a 12-6 but if I throw it like 3/4 it moves more like a slurve
Phil and Joe Niekro were the greatest knuckleball throwers in my lifetime. I remember the catchers would actually switch gloves to one that was larger in diameter to have a chance at catching that pitch when either brother took the mound. Phil used that pitch for 310+ wins and a spot in Cooperstown while Joe added another 220+ making the two brothers the winniest brothers in baseball history. That makes the Knuckleball the greatest rare pitch in baseball imo.
Phil and Joe Niekro were the greatest knuckleball throwers in my lifetime. I remember the catchers would actually switch gloves to one that was larger in diameter to have a chance at catching that pitch when either brother took the mound. Phil used that pitch for 310+ wins and a spot in Cooperstown while Joe added another 220+ making the two brothers the winniest brothers in baseball history. That makes the Knuckleball the greatest rare pitch in baseball imo.
@@livefrom201 Which would be fine, except I think it's named for the gyroscope. /Complete aside... I think the word 'hero', when it's used for a sub sandwich, probably comes from gyros.
The "gyroball" has been used by many MLB pitchers all the way back to the 40's/50's. Heck, I used it in High School as a sinker. It's just a pitch with bullet spin on it. It used to be called a backed up slider (since one way to get that spin is to really screw up the release on a slider.) It looks like a straight change with a little extra velocity which seems to fall off the table just before reaching the plate.
The slerve is what I threw all through highschool to save my arm for college - I had 0 issue using it - except there were some good batters that could spot it quick, in those instances, I'd bring out the junk. Damn I miss baseball...
To me these were the screwball pitching masters ... in the 1960s thru the '70s Mike Cuellar, Mike Marshall and Jim Brewer ,and in the 1980s Tug McGraw , Fernando Valenzuela & Mike Norris were the kings of the SB 👍
In high school a left handed friend threw the nastiest screwball. Umpires would not call it a strike because of the end was about 6 inches away but it crossed the plate in strike zone.
Any variation of a circle change could be considered such. That pitch was invented to replace the screwball as it has a decent amount of movement toward the the pitchers pitching arm side.
A lot of these pitches are still around they are just modified. Ex. Screwball: pronated changeups, (Trevor Richards) Slurve: sweepers and non bullet spin sliders (Jose Berrios) and Gyro Balls: Bullet spin traditional sliders (Kevin Ginkel)
Palm ball is a change up they just changed the grip over the years so pitchers can actually control it. The circle change is basically a palm ball grip with the index finger and thumb creating better grip/control. You’d basically use the same motion and arm speed as a fastball and the backspin would create the sinking action. Someone correct me if I’m wrong:) Screwballs were popular when I was a kid too, but they required you to throw it with a reversed spin and obviously this was bad for your wrist long term, but it was a nasty pitch if someone could throw it right. I’d like to a mlb pitcher use a random screwball occasionally because the hitters probably never seen a slider go the other way.
Actually what Daisuke did is what we now call a gyro spin slider. Its used by a ton of pitchers. With the slurve I think statcast etc. classify it as either a curve or slider quite often in cases where we would just call it a slurve 20 years ago
There are probably a lot of reason why the slurve isn't thrown as commonly compared to how common it was in the past. Prone to injury or the expected break the pitch is know to do. Like a slider, the ball breaks in a similar way to a curveball, however the downside is how much break the pitch has. Also, it is really difficult to throw unless you have the right mechanics and grip for it
5. Control/finesse and high velocity pitchers should use the eephus once a game, it's a great once-in-a-blue-moon pitch 4. Palm Balls are easy for hitters to pick up on because of the way it's gripped, and they're also hard to control, but some pitchers can make it effective as a backup changeup to a regular changeup 3. Slurves are basically just like sliders and curveballs but worse in every way. They don't have the break like curveballs do or the sudden change in movement like sliders do 2. The gyroball doesn't exist. Matsuzaka's gyro ball was just a slider 1. Screwballs are like sliders but worse because they're easy for hitters to detect
I hope some 10 year old kid sees this video and masters all of these pitches and in 10 years we get to see him make his MLB debut. I mean he'll probably be out a career with Tommy John after like 2 years, but that'll be a really fun 2 years.
The thing about screw is that it is often considered more of a change up rather than screw ball itself, so I do think some pitchers still throw that ball(a lot of Japanese side throwers throw this ball) . Same with slurve, I feel like people just call it slider (a variant).
They quit using certain pitches because of the substance ban. Pine tar was widely used to gain grip on certain pitches. Some pitches are uncontrollable without grip and are dangerous
Cap. It anything it's the same pain as a fastball. It's a changeup with the same arm action as a fastball. It would hurt the pinky, ring, and thumb fingers if it was harmful.
My friend and I created a pitch in 1988 called The Dish. No one throws it as it's hard to learn. What makes it different is that when thrown your palm is facing up instead of down.
The gyro (pronounced with a hard g like gyroscope) is basically the Japanese version of the screwball. They both have high spin like a top, which causes the movement.
Uuhh Kerry Wood set the Mlb strikeout record with the Slurve. And I could throw all those pitches in HS, in college the wouldn't let me. Well, Splitfinger I kept.
2 of those pitches destroy your arm (gyro and screwball) and the slurve doesn’t get used because it’s a soft breaking slider, thus, easier to hit than a slider or a big curve
Slurve is very common. And it’s not like pitchers can just start doing it. It has to do more with arm slot than it does anything else. It’s just the in between of a slider and a curveball
I developed what you might call a screwball when I was in high school. It was essentially a 2 seam fastball but I'd pronate hard at the last second while keeping my fingers behind the ball for as long as possible. I'd get crazy arm side run. More than once I hit batters on their back thigh and they swung because it started over the inside part of the plate.
I miss the screwball. That had such insane movement.
Devin Williams throws one he just calls it something else because the screwball has a bad reputation with injuries so he calls it an airbender
more like insanely broken wrists
@@jackweber3660 he's just able to pronate his wrist naturally like that.
@@donnyboyo32 he calls it circle change because he use circle change grip. …But we all know its a screwball hes throwing
Screwballs are just bad for your arm because of the direction you have to spin it
Did you really pronounce gyroball like a flippin' Greek sandwich?
The first time it needs to be pronounced like it's spelled
He's correct tho. The pitch is called that because it falls off the table just like my Gyro does at 3:30 in the morning when I've had too much to drink.
@@richard_njBest opinion 🤣🤣🤣
@@richard_nj this comment wins
Yeah he did. The kid isn’t that bright
knuckleball left the chat
thanks for 1k likes
@@JustinJetsProdz yes and no to get good movement and accuracy it can be very hard
@@JustinJetsProdzis that why no one throws it and when someone does do it well they're damn near unhittable?
Of course it left the chat. Nobody knows where it will end up
@@JustinJetsProdz the knuckle ball is literally the hardest pitch to throw since you're doing the complete opposite of any other pitch. Don't know what you're on
@@JustinJetsProdz what team do you pitch for?
That last screwball pitch of this video was absolutely sick!😮
Agree! It looked fake. The others didn’t have much movement.
That last pitch was a splitter
Trick or camera angle
Alternate title: Top 5 best Baseball 9 pitches
The circle and Vulcan change up also aren’t there😭😭😭😭😭
So true 😂
Yeah, Circle Change is my favorite, the break is a chefs kiss, and i guess eephus is next best.
Shuuto pitch 😂
Devin Williams uses the screwball a lot. Good with it too
It’s a change up
@@coreychitwood4968 you’re both right. He grips it like a change up but he pronates his wrist while throwing it, which would make it a screwball. It’s a unique hybrid pitch.
@@dergin38467 everyone pronates their change up bro that’s how you’re supposed to throw it
I love how you pronounced "gyro" like the Greek sandwich 😂
making me hungry rn 😂
Really not gonna five credit to bill lee for the eephus?
I don't
Slurve: many pitchers have this but they call it whatever that want. Sweeping curve, looping slider, even most normal curves are closer to slurves
Screwball: there’s a stigma around this pitch due to injuries that are probably unrelated but many high spin rate change ups such as Devin Williams are thrown as screwballs but aren’t called it because of the stigma
Can you explain the gyro ball? Looks like a standard sinker/split-finger to me.
Phil & Joe Niekro threw the knuckleball well into their 40’s. Phil retired at 48 and is in Cooperstown!!!!
As a person who throws a palmball, it is indeed a pitch of all time
Palm was easy doubles
@@greglindgren8197 nah…just bad pitchers
I’m a terrible pitcher and I’m better in the outfield but I just converted from changeup to palmball and there was this kid who I faced 4 times before and he had 3 homers off me and the other was a double but I struck him out on 3 straight palm balls
@@greglindgren8197you’ll last a lot longer in the mlb giving up doubles with palm balls than striking out batters with slurves and gyros
“These pitches are not meant to be thrown by humans and destroy arms, why don’t pitchers throw them anymore?”
I remember watching Dontrelle Willis for the Florida Marlins. He was the first pitcher I had ever seen throw a slurve. He was also left handed. That's one NASTY pitch!
Man thought he was being culturally sensitive by pronouncing the Gyro ball like that xD
Right? Letting the internet make him sound a dummy.
@gavril0_princip117 I mean, it's not the hardest word to pronounce 😆
That last screw was filthy dirty😮
100%. The others were ordinary.
Zack Greinke used the eephus pitch last year. Video games even have that as one of his pitches
From a broadcast view it almost goes unnoticed. It has a very similar break to a 12-6 curve just EXTREMELY slower
Tug McGraw had a killer screwball back in the 70s & 80s. When on it was unhittable.
Forkball? That was insane
Senga has a good one
You can basically have an entire baseball career just based off of the knuckle ball
Even win the occasional Cy Young.
Mickey Janis
@@Bruh1ra dickey
Fernando made living on that pitch. Had a chance to see him pitch in Mexico, the crowd went crazy with each K. It was an awesome game.
I feel like a lot of pitchers throw slurves. They’re just typically called sliders or curves depending on what the pitcher decides they’re most like to them. I think the forkball is less common than slurves as well as the knuckleball.
Exactly, they just don't call it a slurve. I see a lot of emphasis on hard, sharp sliders
To me the movement just depends on the arm slot. If I’m just throwing normally it’s more of a 12-6 but if I throw it like 3/4 it moves more like a slurve
They're called "sweepers" now
Slurve was just a lazy CB with no bite
The knuckle ball is the best pitch ever that nobody throws anymore.
NCST pitcher Andrew Shaffer throws a nasty slurve and knuckleball
Only 2 have ever won a cy young with it
Yeah catchers hated that throw. They don't know where it's going😅 shot even the Pitcher is unsure
Bob Uecker: "The way to catch a knuckleball is to wait until it stops rolling and then pick it up." 😂
Phil and Joe Niekro were the greatest knuckleball throwers in my lifetime. I remember the catchers would actually switch gloves to one that was larger in diameter to have a chance at catching that pitch when either brother took the mound. Phil used that pitch for 310+ wins and a spot in Cooperstown while Joe added another 220+ making the two brothers the winniest brothers in baseball history. That makes the Knuckleball the greatest rare pitch in baseball imo.
Phil and Joe Niekro were the greatest knuckleball throwers in my lifetime. I remember the catchers would actually switch gloves to one that was larger in diameter to have a chance at catching that pitch when either brother took the mound. Phil used that pitch for 310+ wins and a spot in Cooperstown while Joe added another 220+ making the two brothers the winniest brothers in baseball history. That makes the Knuckleball the greatest rare pitch in baseball imo.
G...G....Gyro... Not Euro...! Give Matsusaka some respect!!😊😅
He’s pronouncing it like the sandwich 🤦🏻♂️
@@livefrom201 Which would be fine, except I think it's named for the gyroscope.
/Complete aside... I think the word 'hero', when it's used for a sub sandwich, probably comes from gyros.
Daniel Ray Herrera was a lefty around like 5’7” who threw a screwball about 10 years ago in the MLB. Then he got arrested for something.
They stopped using the screwball because it tears up your elbow. John Franco used to throw it for the Mets.
Pitchers don’t use the Screwball anymore because it does massive damage to your arm over a very short period of time.
Actually pitchers that have used it throw like 200 innings
@@StairSliderRealyeah its all in the mechanics. Pitchers just aren't conditioning to go past 6 for every start.
Screwball doesn't mess up your arm lol its very similar to a change up
The "gyroball" has been used by many MLB pitchers all the way back to the 40's/50's. Heck, I used it in High School as a sinker. It's just a pitch with bullet spin on it. It used to be called a backed up slider (since one way to get that spin is to really screw up the release on a slider.) It looks like a straight change with a little extra velocity which seems to fall off the table just before reaching the plate.
Used a palm ball my entire career through college
The slerve is what I threw all through highschool to save my arm for college - I had 0 issue using it - except there were some good batters that could spot it quick, in those instances, I'd bring out the junk.
Damn I miss baseball...
Tom Henke's Forkball has entered the chat...
Gauseman has rejuvenated it
To me these were the screwball pitching masters ... in the 1960s thru the '70s Mike Cuellar, Mike Marshall and Jim Brewer ,and in the 1980s Tug McGraw , Fernando Valenzuela & Mike Norris were the kings of the SB 👍
Yes, and honorable mention to Greg Maddux's 2 seamer which was basically a screwball.
@@PaddyBL I agree 👍
@@PaddyBLwrong
In high school a left handed friend threw the nastiest screwball. Umpires would not call it a strike because of the end was about 6 inches away but it crossed the plate in strike zone.
I have never seen anyone get the speed and movement that Mariano Rivera's did. It actually defied the laws of physics IMO.
I'd love to see the screwball make a comeback, it could really help pitchers because of the backwards break
Brent Honeywell Jr throws it
I’d consider Devin Williams “Change up” a screwball.
Any variation of a circle change could be considered such. That pitch was invented to replace the screwball as it has a decent amount of movement toward the the pitchers pitching arm side.
He actually has a screwball and a changeup two separate pitches
@@donnyboyo32That's just in MLB the Show. In real life, it's only one pitch.
Yup
I was about to say this
Forkball and Vulcan change are barely talked about nowadays.
Would be nice to have an explanation about what defines these pitches or how they're thrown (grip, spin, speed, release, etc.)
I remember Kent Tekulve’s submarine pitch and the crazy movement that it had.
What about the knucleball?
Charlie Hough !!
True the knuckleball is not too popular, but the video was clear that he was naming *the rarest* so the knuckler shouldn't be on the list.
@@donarthiazi2443 you definitely see more slurve pitchers than knuckleballers
@@isaacwimett2846
I completely agree 👍
the knuckleball is overrated honestly, i guess it’s good for weak grounders
I used to throw this pitch in high school, my teammates would call it the Skittles pitch cuz the batters would Taste the rainbow lol
A lot of these pitches are still around they are just modified. Ex. Screwball: pronated changeups, (Trevor Richards) Slurve: sweepers and non bullet spin sliders (Jose Berrios) and Gyro Balls: Bullet spin traditional sliders (Kevin Ginkel)
No knuckle ball?
The Vulcan change pitch has left the chat
Reason people don’t throw slurves as much is because it’s a much harder pitch to master than a normal curveball
Wrong it has no bite like a frisbee
The Yankees’ Steve Hamilton and the “Folly Floater”!😂😂😂
That palm ball must be really nasty to have Chipper Jones so crossed up in that 2nd clip
RIP Roy.
Dave Giusti , reliever for the Pirates, pre Tekulve, had a KILLER Palm Ball.
Don't remember anyone using it as regular part of his repitoire.
Bob Stanley
Tim waks knuckle was insane
Devin Williams has entered the chat
Unless you just "got it" a screwball is an elbow destroyer
It's been proven that's a myth. No more harmful than normal curveball.
@@unkledoda420 I can throw both pitches along with a decent slider
@@unkledoda420wrong
Palm ball is a change up they just changed the grip over the years so pitchers can actually control it. The circle change is basically a palm ball grip with the index finger and thumb creating better grip/control. You’d basically use the same motion and arm speed as a fastball and the backspin would create the sinking action. Someone correct me if I’m wrong:)
Screwballs were popular when I was a kid too, but they required you to throw it with a reversed spin and obviously this was bad for your wrist long term, but it was a nasty pitch if someone could throw it right. I’d like to a mlb pitcher use a random screwball occasionally because the hitters probably never seen a slider go the other way.
Tug McGraw made the screwball famous in the 70's before Valenzuela.
To those of us that didn't know these pitches.
Would just think they were just your typical pitches. But as a Dodgers fan. I knew about the screwball.
Yes only Dodgers fans knew about it
Actually what Daisuke did is what we now call a gyro spin slider. Its used by a ton of pitchers. With the slurve I think statcast etc. classify it as either a curve or slider quite often in cases where we would just call it a slurve 20 years ago
Screwball was the reason i blew my arm out in high school.
There are probably a lot of reason why the slurve isn't thrown as commonly compared to how common it was in the past. Prone to injury or the expected break the pitch is know to do. Like a slider, the ball breaks in a similar way to a curveball, however the downside is how much break the pitch has. Also, it is really difficult to throw unless you have the right mechanics and grip for it
The reason some of these breaking pitches aren't used so much anymore is because they absolutely wreck your arm
I dunno what a yuro ball is but a gyro ( Jai-row) ball is super effective.
Yeah we aren’t talking Greek food here lol
The screwball is what gives Devin Williams the nickname "The Airbender." It's definitely fun watching him go to work when he's got a good feel for it
5. Control/finesse and high velocity pitchers should use the eephus once a game, it's a great once-in-a-blue-moon pitch
4. Palm Balls are easy for hitters to pick up on because of the way it's gripped, and they're also hard to control, but some pitchers can make it effective as a backup changeup to a regular changeup
3. Slurves are basically just like sliders and curveballs but worse in every way. They don't have the break like curveballs do or the sudden change in movement like sliders do
2. The gyroball doesn't exist. Matsuzaka's gyro ball was just a slider
1. Screwballs are like sliders but worse because they're easy for hitters to detect
Ah, Fernando "Eyes to the Heavens" Valenzuela!
Thank you bro
Was thinking the same…sooo good, sooo young
Fun times
Man was making us 5'11 dudes look good
What was the last scene of the screwball? It looks insane coming off his arm Jesus
Dodger reliever Mike Marshall threw a really lethal screwgy back in the mid-70's also.
Those were great pitches! I wish more knuckleball pitchers were out there and could make it thru to be seen.
I hope some 10 year old kid sees this video and masters all of these pitches and in 10 years we get to see him make his MLB debut.
I mean he'll probably be out a career with Tommy John after like 2 years, but that'll be a really fun 2 years.
That’s me see you in 10 years
Screwball destroys your elbow. That’s why it’s very rare now.
The slurve is now the sweeper.
Senior' Smokes screwball was absolutely filthy
The thing about screw is that it is often considered more of a change up rather than screw ball itself, so I do think some pitchers still throw that ball(a lot of Japanese side throwers throw this ball) . Same with slurve, I feel like people just call it slider (a variant).
Vulcan changeup?
They quit using certain pitches because of the substance ban. Pine tar was widely used to gain grip on certain pitches. Some pitches are uncontrollable without grip and are dangerous
Slurve. A slider for pitchers who don’t throw hard. Screwballs are said to be really hard on the elbow, wrist, etc…
The palm ball is believed to have caused a slew of pitchers to need Tommy John surgery
Cap. It anything it's the same pain as a fastball. It's a changeup with the same arm action as a fastball. It would hurt the pinky, ring, and thumb fingers if it was harmful.
I've never heard that about the palmball before (heard it about the screwball, but that bullshit too).
There wa the fork ball too
Oh wrong
Yes fork ball too. You never hear about them anymore. Now Pivetta is throwing something called a swoop(?)
Yankees relievers with the Slurve.
Awesome. Thank you for making this video and highlighting these amazing pitches.
The knuckle curve ball by Burt Hooten, the palm ball, the fork ball by Lindy McDaniel, the back up curve ball etc etc etc
My friend and I created a pitch in 1988 called The Dish. No one throws it as it's hard to learn. What makes it different is that when thrown your palm is facing up instead of down.
Must have been around the plate with that a lot
The gyro (pronounced with a hard g like gyroscope) is basically the Japanese version of the screwball. They both have high spin like a top, which causes the movement.
Slurves can destroy a shoulder. I think that's why a majority don't throw it.
Bob Stanley = palm ball… basically a sinker change. Then he pitched it to mookie Wilson in ‘86 and I cried for a week
Slurve is thrown by a ton of pitchers today. They just call it a curveball, and it usually gets picked up as a curveball by the analytics.
Devin Williams technically throws a screwball
Kopps was a pitcher for the razorbacks. He had a nasty Gyro ball. You have to check out the highlights.
Darvish throws two on this list, the slurve and the eephus. He had an arsenal of 9 pitches when came to the MLB, but they made him drop many.
Bill Lee is still throwin the eephus with the Savannah Bananas
Valenzuela was awesome. I loved watching him growing up.
Dave Stewart and with his forkball was insane.
That last pitch was wild
Screwball was hell on the arm. I remember Bryn Smith of the Expos threw a good palm ball
The slurve is actually coming back to the mainstream
Ngl when I would play old MLB games the eephus was always in my lineup, it was always a favorite
That last pitch was absolute filth
There's probably half a dozen modern changeups that move more than any screwball ever did
Some Honorable mentions:
•Knuckleball
•Knuckle-Curve
•”Rising” Fastball
Uuhh Kerry Wood set the Mlb strikeout record with the Slurve. And I could throw all those pitches in HS, in college the wouldn't let me. Well, Splitfinger I kept.
2 of those pitches destroy your arm (gyro and screwball) and the slurve doesn’t get used because it’s a soft breaking slider, thus, easier to hit than a slider or a big curve
Slurve is very common. And it’s not like pitchers can just start doing it. It has to do more with arm slot than it does anything else. It’s just the in between of a slider and a curveball
When i make a pitcher in mlb the show, my 5 pitches 4 seam fastball, cutter, screwball, slurve, and palmball.
I developed what you might call a screwball when I was in high school. It was essentially a 2 seam fastball but I'd pronate hard at the last second while keeping my fingers behind the ball for as long as possible. I'd get crazy arm side run. More than once I hit batters on their back thigh and they swung because it started over the inside part of the plate.
Slurve is actually a lot more common than you think, it just gets mistaken for a slider or curve