Why a Curve Ball Curves

The curve ball is a useful weapon for pitchers.

A curve ball is a type of pitch used in baseball by pitchers who want to fool the opposing batter. This pitch is design to look like a straight fastball before the topspin placed on the ball's movement--as opposed to backspin used to throw the more common fastball--causes the ball to drop down sharply toward the ground as it reaches the batter.

History

There is no conclusive proof of who actually invented the curve ball, but 1870s ballplayer Candy Cummings is generally credited with this distinction. This is in part due to his 1908 book, "How I Pitched the First Curve," in which he claims to have came up with the idea as a 12-year old in 1863 to make up for his size disadvantage.

Conflicting History

Conflicting reports from around that era include a comment from the "New York Clipper" newspaper in 1869 that credits pitcher Alphonse "Phoney" Martin with delivering a pitch that was hard to hit because it moved in a curve. So there is no definitive answer as to who came up with the curve ball.

Grip

In a traditional four-seam fastball, a pitcher usually places his index and middle fingers across two of the raised seams in a baseball with the stitching horizontal and the fingers vertical. To throw a curve ball, a pitcher places both the index and middle finger on either side--running vertically--of the raised seam. This is done at the horseshoe area of the baseball, where the adjoining seams are furthest apart. His thumb is placed at the other side of the baseball from the other two fingers. A pitcher also must apply more pressure to the ball using his fingers, holding it tighter than she would a fastball to achieve the desired amount of spin.

Release

To deliver a curve, the pitcher releases the ball from his hand when throwing toward the plate. To deliver a curve ball with enough break on the ball, a pitcher must snap her wrist forward and into her body at the point of release to get the proper spin on the baseball. Because of this release, the ball does not move with the same speed or velocity that a fastball would.

In the Air

If the grip or release of the ball is not executed in the right way, it can lead to the curve ball hanging in the air and not dropping down as much as it gets to the batter. When executed properly, forward spin on the ball creates wind resistance both under and in front of the baseball, causing the ball to fall rapidly toward earth as it reaches the opposing batter.

References

• BaseballLlibrary.com: Charlton's Baseball Chronology 1869
• BaseballLlibrary.com: Candy Cummings
• Baseball-articles.com: Age to Teach the Curve Ball and How to Teach It
• Science News Online: Pitching Science