Screwy

[chuck]

I thought this was pretty interesting:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/13/magazine/the-mystery-of-the-vanishing-screwball.html?_r=0

[GreatBagwellsBeard]

That's great.  Reminds me of the knuckler, in the sense that it would be lost to history without a small number of practitioners keeping it alive.

[OregonStrosFan]

Very interesting, thanks for posting!

[Dark Star]

That was a great article.

I remember Valenzuela and McGraw and G. Hernandez, of course. But the first (and maybe because of that, I always though the best) big time screwball pitcher I saw was Mike Cuellar, when he pitched with Houston in the late 1960s. Cuellar was an average-sized guy with average looking pitches otherwise; luckily, he threw his screwball - which was exceptional - a lot.

Cuellar had some good years in Houston, on not-so-good teams: but I guess Spec Richardson, et al, thought he was getting old (he was 30-something.) So after the 1968 season they traded him to Baltimore, for Curt Blefary. Blefary was a versatile hitter with some power, and younger than Cuellar by 6-7 years; and he had a pretty decent year for his one full season as an Astro. Meanwhile, Cuellar averaged 20 wins a year for the next seven years as an Oriole, until he was damn near 40.

Talk about your bad Spec Richardson trades.

[juliogotay]

That was a great article.

I remember Valenzuela and McGraw and G. Hernandez, of course. But the first (and maybe because of that, I always though the best) big time screwball pitcher I saw was Mike Cuellar, when he pitched with Houston in the late 1960s. Cuellar was an average-sized guy with average looking pitches otherwise; luckily, he threw his screwball - which was exceptional - a lot.

Cuellar had some good years in Houston, on not-so-good teams: but I guess Spec Richardson, et al, thought he was getting old (he was 30-something.) So after the 1968 season they traded him to Baltimore, for Curt Blefary. Blefary was a versatile hitter with some power, and younger than Cuellar by 6-7 years; and he had a pretty decent year for his one full season as an Astro. Meanwhile, Cuellar averaged 20 wins a year for the next seven years as an Oriole, until he was damn near 40.

Talk about your bad Spec Richardson trades.

Many opposing GMs took advantage of that clown.

[Mr. Happy]

The screwball is a very hard pitch to throw and get to move. That's why more pitchers don't throw it.

[Lefty]

The screwball is a very hard pitch to throw and get to move. That's why more pitchers don't throw it.

I remember Mike Magnante recently for the Stros, can't think of anybody else local.

[VirtualBob]

The screwball is a very hard pitch to throw and get to move. That's why more pitchers don't throw it.

Also hard on the elbow.

[Mr. Happy]

Also hard on the elbow.

But that's not why more pitchers don't throw it. I'd have put up with the wear and tear on my elbow if it would have moved. The pitch is just difficult to get to break opposite from a curveball.

[chuck]

One of the things I found most interesting about the piece was the author's assertion that there is no medical data that indicates that the pitch is more physically demanding or damaging as any other.

[Mr. Happy]

One of the things I found most interesting about the piece was the author's assertion that there is no medical data that indicates that the pitch is more physically demanding or damaging as any other.

That was essentially my point. Every pitcher toys around with it in the bullpen.

[chuck]

That was essentially my point. Every pitcher toys around with it in the bullpen.

But that certainly is the canard, you know, stay away from the pitch at all costs because it will fuck up your elbow.

I could always throw a version of a circle change that tumbles a bit towards a right handed hitter. I just sort of cock my wrist rather than snap it. It sounds like Santiago's screwball is a similar.to the pitch I used to mess around with and consider a change up.

[Mr. Happy]

But that certainly is the canard, you know, stay away from the pitch at all costs because it will fuck up your elbow.

I could always throw a version of a circle change that tumbles a bit towards a right handed hitter. I just sort of cock my wrist rather than snap it. It sounds like Santiago's screwball is a similar.to the pitch I used to mess around with and consider a change up.

I threw my forkball hard with a hard grip, and the ball used to knuckle but only broke down.

[chuck]

I threw my forkball hard with a hard grip, and the ball used to knuckle but only broke down.

I used to catch a guy who had that same pitch. Great big sumbitch, crazy as a bag of cats. None of the other catchers on the team would catch him because they didn't want to have to chase that pitch around. I never minded and I always enjoyed watching how confused the batters would get.

[Mr. Happy]

I used to catch a guy who had that same pitch. Great big sumbitch, crazy as a bag of cats. None of the other catchers on the team would catch him because they didn't want to have to chase that pitch around. I never minded and I always enjoyed watching how confused the batters would get.

Sounds like yours truly.

[chuck]

Sounds like yours truly.

How skinny were you at 18? This fruitcake was a string bean.

Another thing about this guy, he was impervious to pain. The meanest people I knew left him the hell alone because he was so crazy and because they knew they couldn't do anything to him anyway.

[Mr. Happy]

How skinny were you at 18? This fruitcake was a string bean.

Another thing about this guy, he was impervious to pain. The meanest people I knew left him the hell alone because he was so crazy and because they knew they couldn't do anything to him anyway.

I wasn't that skinny. I was 6'5" 200 lbs.

[austro]

One of the things I found most interesting about the piece was the author's assertion that there is no medical data that indicates that the pitch is more physically demanding or damaging as any other.

That's interesting. Every time I tried to throw it I thought my elbow was going to explode. I pretty quickly decided that I shouldn't screw around with it. I suppose there are people that are physiologically more capable of tolerating it than other people.

[Dark Star]

That's interesting. Every time I tried to throw it I thought my elbow was going to explode. I pretty quickly decided that I shouldn't screw around with it. I suppose there are people that are physiologically more capable of tolerating it than other people.

No, your mechanics were screwed up. And you didn't trust your stuff.

[Taras Bulba]

I remember Mike Magnante recently for the Stros, can't think of anybody else local.

Magnante's screwball was explosive and sounded like a howitzer going off every time an opposing hitter launched one.

[JimR]

One of the things I found most interesting about the piece was the author's assertion that there is no medical data that indicates that the pitch is more physically demanding or damaging as any other.

I do not know about data, but it hurt my elbow to throw it. I messed around with it as a kid but stopped because it hurt.

[NeilT]

I do not know about data, but it hurt my elbow to throw it. I messed around with it as a kid but stopped because it hurt.

Same thing happened with me and my fastball, except that it wasn't very fast, either.

[JimR]

Same thing happened with me and my fastball, except that it wasn't very fast, either.

damn gravity got my fastball.

[VirtualBob]

damn gravity got my fastball.

They clocked my fastball with a sundial, so I never had to worry much about hurting my arm.

[Reuben]

Thanks for posting that. I always loved the idea of a screwball. Hope Santiago helps it make a comeback.