Entry #2

First, there is a fastball. There are four kinds, a four-seam fastball, a two-seam fastball, a cut fastball, and split finger.  Most commonly you will see a four-seam fastball. Unless you are someone like Roy Halladay and only throw a cut fastball. 

Lets start with a four-seam fastball. When you hold the ball, you should hold it so the lines (seams) make a letter "C". You take your index and middle fingers and put them on top of the seams with your thumb on the bottom. As a beginner, you typically use your index, middle, and your ring finger to give you more control. Next, when you release the ball, you want to come over top and flick your wrist down, letting the ball roll off of your fingers. This will create backspin on the ball. The pitch is meant for a high velocity pitch to set up your offspeed "junk" for later in the at-bat. 

The two-seam fastball. If you are looking down at the ball, you should have two seams running from bottom to top. Then put your index finger along the seam on the left, and your middle finger on the right. Throw the ball just like you would for a four-seam and the ball should slice a little bit left, right, or down.

Next, there is a cut fastball.  Take the ball like a four seamer.  Turn it untill the ball makes a bacwards letter "c".  Then slant the left side up at a 45 degree angle.  Snap your wrist down while applying pressure to your middle finger.  This should make the ball cut into or away from the batter while maintaining a high velocity.

Finally, the split-finger fastball. This is like a two seam.  You hold the ball like a two seam, then turn it down a little so the seams make sort of an "n" shape.  Then put your index on one side and your middle on the other side at the widest points.  Usually younger kids cant throw this pitch because their hands are to small.  When you release, flick your wrist down.  When the ball arrives to the plate, it will dive or drop to the ground. 

Entry One

Many people say baseball isn't as hard as say football or some other sport, but that's not true.  Since I play the sport, I personally know baseball is a sport of both mental and physical toughness.  You have to know what to do if the ball is hit to you before the ball is physically hit to you.  In this blog, we are going to beak down all the pitches you can think of, and analyze how they work.  Baseball is a sport that actually defies gravity, and were going to find out how.

I have played the sport for about fourteen years now, and have been taught by coaches who know the sport inside and out.  They've taught me all I know except one thing, how the pitches work.  There have been many challenges in trying to find the reason pitches break.  Many things people wouldn't even understand, and that's why I'm here to help.  I wanted to learn about this because I wanted to find out how a ball can dive for the ground in the middle of the air.  I've learned many cool things and will venture out to find more.