In the era of advanced analytics, there's something romantic about the idea of a pitch that can be effective by completely disregarding everything that those analytics tell us a pitch should be.
An old teammate of mine could throw knucklers during a game of catch. He couldn't do it every time. However when you see one coming at you, it's truly a mindfuck.
I remember RA Dickey’s Cy Young season. It was appointment television. He made the best hitters look like little leaguers, it was incredible and we may never see anything like it again.
RA Dickey's journey fascinated me. I read his book and followed his career closely after the 2012 Cy Young season. I wish he had stayed in the big leagues longer after figuring out his knuckler.
*Yep.* He was just around the time when I didn't watch quite as much but iirc he was the pitcher who kinda sorta brought it back to the forefront of many minds. I go back to the Wilbur Woods / Niekros/ Hough days. I always thought it'd be cool if my Reds had a knuckleball pitcher. ha! I don't believe Sparky would've hung with that pitcher an inning and a half!
My childhood friend learned how to throw the knuckle ball from Phil Niekro himself. It was amazing how much the pitch would move when he threw a good one. It usually broke sharply down, though a few went over my glove almost hitting me in the face. I eventually insisted he warn me when he was going to throw one when we played catch.
I taught my son to throw one and he practiced for three months straight until he could make the plate with some speed and very little to no spin. He got the grip down and threw a few that I was able to read the lettering on the ball. It was stunning to just watch it float then appear past me.
Love that pic at the 1:09 mark. Well played!! I'll throw in my opinion on the knuckler. As a former catcher I had the privilege to catch that pitch for one season. Thankfully he was a full time first baseman. *hahaa!* Having said that, I always told Chuck "if I don't miss at *least* four of your pitches, then you aren't throwing it right." There was only one game where that happened, iirc he didn't last 3 innings. *Fantastic* video. Wished it was longer. Shout to Chuck and my Uncle Jerry!
I threw a knuckleball for three years. I threw it about ten percent of the time to mess with minds of batters. It was successful about 75% of the time.
I have a question hopefully I can get some feedback here please. Knuckleballers has there ever been a left-handed knuckleballer? I'm a fan of the game and know pretty much about the history of it as well but a left-handed knuckleballer after seeing this episode is why I ask. Thank you Dodgers fan G.Sandoval
I am unaware of a left-handed knuckleball pitcher in MLB. I hadn't thought about it before. I'll get back to you to if I find a more satisfying answer.
If I recall correctly RA Dickey threw what was considered a "faster" knuckleball. His ball's velocity was clocked higher than other knuckleball pitchers.
Do knuckleballers exclusively throw the one pitch, or do they mix it up with fastballs, curves and such? It seems that it would be more effective if hitters didn't know it was coming.
Most knuckleballers throw the knuckler more than 80 percent of the time. To my knowledge there is no such thing as a pitcher who throws it 25 or 50 percent of the time.
Ken Burns once predicted that a woman would play MLB and that women would be a junk ball pitcher or maybe he said a breaking ball specialist. I think that you're right. No woman with a conventional set of pitches will get out big league hitters, but the knuckleball is a skill pitch. One doesn't need a fastball to keep the hitters' honest.
Now that the Padres have placed Matt Waldron on waivers, another major league team should sign him up immediately. In the eariy 1990s, when the Pirates gave up on Wakefield, none other than Phil Niekro immediately told the Red Sox to snap him up. With coaching from Niekro and throwing his knuckleball most of the time Tim went on to have a good career. All Waldron needs to do is remember Niekro's mantra: "Knuckleball, knuckleball, knuskleball! " A bit of advice from Wakefield and Dickey would be good, too. 😮
The good news for Waldron is his age. Many effective knuckleballers didn't figure out how to throw the pitch consistently until their 30s. He's got time.
In the era of advanced analytics, there's something romantic about the idea of a pitch that can be effective by completely disregarding everything that those analytics tell us a pitch should be.
Totally agree
An old teammate of mine could throw knucklers during a game of catch. He couldn't do it every time. However when you see one coming at you, it's truly a mindfuck.
I remember RA Dickey’s Cy Young season. It was appointment television. He made the best hitters look like little leaguers, it was incredible and we may never see anything like it again.
RA Dickey's journey fascinated me. I read his book and followed his career closely after the 2012 Cy Young season. I wish he had stayed in the big leagues longer after figuring out his knuckler.
Love me a knuckleballer. Always caught the Tim Wakefield games growing up
*Yep.* He was just around the time when I didn't watch quite as much but iirc he was the pitcher who kinda sorta brought it back to the forefront of many minds. I go back to the Wilbur Woods / Niekros/ Hough days. I always thought it'd be cool if my Reds had a knuckleball pitcher. ha! I don't believe Sparky would've hung with that pitcher an inning and a half!
RIP
My childhood friend learned how to throw the knuckle ball from Phil Niekro himself. It was amazing how much the pitch would move when he threw a good one. It usually broke sharply down, though a few went over my glove almost hitting me in the face. I eventually insisted he warn me when he was going to throw one when we played catch.
I taught my son to throw one and he practiced for three months straight until he could make the plate with some speed and very little to no spin. He got the grip down and threw a few that I was able to read the lettering on the ball. It was stunning to just watch it float then appear past me.
Love that pic at the 1:09 mark. Well played!! I'll throw in my opinion on the knuckler. As a former catcher I had the privilege to catch that pitch for one season. Thankfully he was a full time first baseman. *hahaa!*
Having said that, I always told Chuck "if I don't miss at *least* four of your pitches, then you aren't throwing it right." There was only one game where that happened, iirc he didn't last 3 innings. *Fantastic* video. Wished it was longer.
Shout to Chuck and my Uncle Jerry!
Wow I just realized who the baseball professor is
Who is this?
I threw a knuckleball for three years. I threw it about ten percent of the time to mess with minds of batters. It was successful about 75% of the time.
Did you know when you had thrown a good or bad knuckleball or was it difficult to tell?
Knuckle ballers make the game interesting.
I have a question hopefully I can get some feedback here please. Knuckleballers has there ever been a left-handed knuckleballer? I'm a fan of the game and know pretty much about the history of it as well but a left-handed knuckleballer after seeing this episode is why I ask. Thank you Dodgers fan G.Sandoval
I am unaware of a left-handed knuckleball pitcher in MLB. I hadn't thought about it before. I'll get back to you to if I find a more satisfying answer.
If I recall correctly RA Dickey threw what was considered a "faster" knuckleball. His ball's velocity was clocked higher than other knuckleball pitchers.
You are correct. He called his knuckleball "angry" as it regularly came to plate in the 80s.
Kunckle-cannon@@thebaseballprofessor
RIP Tim Wakefield
Are there any knuckleballers pitching today?
My video ends on footage of Mickey Jannis. I wish him the very best. www.si.com/mlb/2023/03/24/meet-mlb-pitchers-dying-art-knuckleball-mickey-jannis
Do knuckleballers exclusively throw the one pitch, or do they mix it up with fastballs, curves and such? It seems that it would be more effective if hitters didn't know it was coming.
Most knuckleballers throw the knuckler more than 80 percent of the time. To my knowledge there is no such thing as a pitcher who throws it 25 or 50 percent of the time.
@@thebaseballprofessor Matt Waldron throws the knuckleball 18% of the time. Mixes in 4 seam cutter slider and sinker.
I didn't know Waldron threw the occasional knuckler. Thanks for the comment.
@@thebaseballprofessor yeah. He was in the minors this season and made his mlb debut this year for the Padres
Phil Niekro: "Knuckleball, knuckleball, knuckleball... Dream, "Knuckleball! "
I guarantee that the first woman to play in a “men’s” professional league, will be a knuckleball pitcher.
Ken Burns once predicted that a woman would play MLB and that women would be a junk ball pitcher or maybe he said a breaking ball specialist. I think that you're right. No woman with a conventional set of pitches will get out big league hitters, but the knuckleball is a skill pitch. One doesn't need a fastball to keep the hitters' honest.
Now that the Padres have placed Matt Waldron on waivers, another major league team should sign him up immediately. In the eariy 1990s, when the Pirates gave up on Wakefield, none other than Phil Niekro immediately told the Red Sox to snap him up. With coaching from Niekro and throwing his knuckleball most of the time Tim went on to have a good career. All Waldron needs to do is remember Niekro's mantra: "Knuckleball, knuckleball, knuskleball! " A bit of advice from Wakefield and Dickey would be good, too.
😮
The good news for Waldron is his age. Many effective knuckleballers didn't figure out how to throw the pitch consistently until their 30s. He's got time.