Baseball Pitches
When the pitcher on a baseball team pitches or throws the baseball to a batter from an opposing team, the ball is not just thrown haphazardly.
There are many different types of pitches that a baseball pitcher can utilize. A lot of thought and skill is required in learning how to become a consistently effective pitcher.
Pitchers in all levels of organized baseball regularly strive to learn how to throw a wide variety of pitches. The pitchers have to learn about stances, trajectories, angles and how to hold the ball properly for each type of pitch.
Experienced baseball pitchers at the minor league and major league levels often possess the skills and knowledge necessary to throw a multitude of pitch styles.
The most widely used type of pitch in organized baseball would probably have to be the fastball. The average speed of a fastball in major league baseball is now more than 90 mph.
When the fastball is thrown, the ball frequently appears to rise upward. Two of the most common forms of fastballs are the four-seam and two-seam methods. Some people regard the two-seam method and the sinker ball as essentially the same pitch.
The Sinker is a type of baseball pitch that actually travels downward as it moves toward home plate. Due to the way this pitch is delivered, batters find it difficult to produce substantial hits when they encounter it.
The sinker pitch is produced by placing fingers on the seams on the top of the ball and the thumb on the bottom of the ball. The slider is another type of baseball pitch that requires a high level of skill and accuracy.
A type of baseball pitch that is difficult to throw as well as a real challenge for batters to hit with, is the curveball. When a pitcher uses a curveball, the wrist and arm propel downward and sense of spin is applied to the ball. As the ball travels toward home plate, it dips downward and appears to curve as it travels.
The knuckleball is a unique type of baseball pitch that is usually a very difficult pitch for pitchers to accomplish successfully.
Because of the way the ball is held and released when throwing a knuckleball, it can present a bouncy, unpredictable path from the pitcher’s hand to home plate.
When the knuckleball is being thrown, the ball is primarily held by the fingertips. With the fingertips arched over the surface of the ball, the ball is released from the hand in a manner that makes the ball dance, wobble and curve, making it difficult for batters to successfully hit the pitch.
No matter what type of pitch is being thrown, pitchers at all levels of the game of baseball have to be aware of how they are throwing, so they can try to avoid acquiring a pitching-related injury.
Certain pitches can irritate a pitcher’s arm and repeated usage can lead to injuries that would prevent the pitcher from participating in baseball games.
