The knuckle ball. Where did it go?

[ELEVEN]

3 hours ago, Angelsfan1984 said:

The answer is over the fence

You mean the backstop.

[AngelStew43]

2 pages on the knuckleball, and not a single mention of Charlie Hough.  

[Docwaukee]

the biggest think I miss about the knuckleball is that it's absence means there aren't guys my age still playing.  (cue the Albert age jokesnotjokes)

[aznhockeyguy]

It's a really hard pitch to throw and catch, and not a lot of people know how to throw one properly let alone teach it.

[Jason]

I think it starts very early as I doubt many little leagues and high schools are teaching it 

[HaloBronco]

I think it would be great to have a pitcher in the starting rotation that threw it. 

It would be great way to mess up the opposing teams  batters by throwing their timing off. 

Also whatever happend to the screwball?  

[Dtwncbad]

8 hours ago, AngelStew43 said:

2 pages on the knuckleball, and not a single mention of Charlie Hough.  

I saw Hough once in his pre-game throwing session in the bullpen . . .with a lit cigarette taking drags between every few pitches. 

[T.G.]

12 hours ago, HaloBronco said:

Also whatever happend to the screwball?  

@WeatherWonk? He’s MIA.

[Dtwncbad]

12 hours ago, HaloBronco said:

I think it would be great to have a pitcher in the starting rotation that threw it. 

It would be great way to mess up the opposing teams  batters by throwing their timing off. 

Also whatever happend to the screwball?  

Would you want Angel pitchers to throw screwballs?

It is pretty much settled science now that screwballs lead to increased. . . Dehydration.

[oldguy]

22 hours ago, Fish Oil said:

I remember Steve Yeager complaining about Wilhelm when I was a kid. If I remember correctly, Yeager had a special mitt made just to catch Wilhelm.

The Dodgers also had Charlie Hough on that staff, so Yeager got a lot of use from that mitt.

[oldguy]

21 hours ago, Angel Oracle said:

Clyde Wright went from 1 win in 1969 to 22 wins in 1970, because of his screwball improving.

In 1972 we had Wright, Messersmith, Ryan and Rudy May all in their primes and all with ERA's under 3, with 55 complete games total.  Just an average staff back in those days (which is one reason we finished fifth).

[Angel Oracle]

1 minute ago, oldguy said:

In 1972 we had Wright, Messersmith, Ryan and Rudy May all in their primes and all with ERA's under 3, with 55 complete games total.  Just an average staff back in those days (which is one reason we finished fifth).

Last in runs scored, 7th in team ERA (just over 3.00)

Edited March 10, 2021 by Angel Oracle

[Hubs]

15 hours ago, Dochalo said:

the biggest think I miss about the knuckleball is that it's absence means there aren't guys my age still playing.  (cue the Albert age jokesnotjokes)

Albert says he’s 3 months younger than me, but there’s no way that’s true. Whether it’s one or three years, he is definitely older than he said.

[Slegnaac]

17 hours ago, AngelStew43 said:

2 pages on the knuckleball, and not a single mention of Charlie Hough.  

Or Jim Bouton....

Ball Four!

[Ace-Of-Diamonds]

On 3/9/2021 at 11:53 AM, AngelStew43 said:

A ML pitcher that could throw one exclusively could probably start every 3 days. 

Koufax pitched on 3 days rest.

[Don]

I remember my cousin in JUCO back in the late 90s went with a fastball that sat at 91-93, a legit change at about 82-84, and a knuckler that he would throw around 75. Got some draft attention, but blew out his UCL at 19 and had residual effects from there on out. It was super fun though watching those kids see a 93mph four seamer followed by a F-all knuckler. Was out on a ST vacation with him a couple years ago just messing around in a grass patch next to our AirBnB, and while the fastball wasn't really there anymore the dude could still dance that knuckler in a way that made it near impossible to catch.

[happybat4]

I remember Wade Boggs striking out Todd Green with a knuckle ball.

[Billy_Ball]

@Angel Oracle I remember during the 1994 strike, WWF made a character Abe "Knuckleball" Schwartz played by "The Brooklyn Brawler" Steve Lombardi.

[Angel Oracle]

25 minutes ago, Billy_Ball said:

@Angel Oracle I remember during the 1994 strike, WWF made a character Abe "Knuckleball" Schwartz played by "The Brooklyn Brawler" Steve Lombardi.

I remember Lombardi in that character, gotta love the baseball face paint.

Brooklyn Brawler was his best work.

Edited March 12, 2021 by Angel Oracle

[happybat4]

Steven Wright signed a minor league contract with the Pirates today. There is still some hope for the knuckleball.

[Buttercup]

I remember watching Charlie Hough warming up for a game against the Angels when I was a young. I was convinced they were going to tee off on him. It looked so easy from the stands. 8 innings later with the angels being held hitless I became fascinated with the knuckleball. If I was a Dad I’d be teaching my kid the knuckleball. How many knuckleballers have had Tommy John surgery? 
 

The other memory I had from that game was how Charlie Hough was smoking during his whole warmup and would break after a few pitches to take a couple puffs, throw the cigarette on the ground, throw a few more and then continue puffing away. It’s a different game these days.