Screwball
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Screwball
The screwball is a breaking ball similar to a curveball. Due to the manner in which the pitch is thrown, the screwball can cause severe damage to the pitcher's arm. Because of this, very few pitchers throw this pitch.
Grip
The ball is gripped like a 4-seam fastball with the index and middle fingers between the baseball's top two seams and the thumb on the bottom across the bottom seam.
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Action
The screwball acts much like a curveball in reverse. When the pitch is thrown by a right-hander, the pitcher's wrist will rotate inwards and counterclockwise (instead of clockwise like a curveball), causing the ball to break away from a left-handed hitter and in on a right-handed hitter. The peculiar and painful arm rotation required to throw this pitch is what causes the serious arm damage associated with it.
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Prominent Screwballers in History
Hall of Fame pitcher Christy Mathewson is credited with inventing the screwball, which he called a "fadeaway." Carl Hubbell was known as the "scroogie king"; other notable screwball artists include Cy Young Award winners Mike Cuellar and Fernando Valenzuela, Bill Lee, Mike Marshall, and Tug McGraw.
Jim Mecir, who retired from the Florida Marlins following the 2005 season, was one of the last major-leaguers to throw the pitch. His screwball was a function not only of his arm motion, but also of an unorthodox delivery. He was born with two club feet; childhood surgery enabled him to walk but has left him unable to properly push off the pitcher's rubber with his right foot.
Quotes About The Screwball
"The screwball's an unnatural pitch. Nature never intended a man to turn his hand like that throwing rocks at a bear." - Carl Hubbell
Best Screwball (All of Baseball)
External Links
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