The break of a curveball

[Chicago RedSox]

I remember reading somewhere a few years ago that the hardest thing to do in professional sports is to hit a major league curveball. When I was stumbling around on the internet today I found a cool website that kind of shows why.
The guy created a visual that shows the illusion created by a curve ball. Pretty cool effect if you ask me.
I remember the first time I faced a curveball when I was about 12 years old. The kid threw the pitch and I swore it was going to hit me in the head, so I jumped back out of the batters box, and the ball dropped in for a strike. The SOB stood on the mound laughing at me. The same thing happened the next pitch, complete with the pitcher laughing at me. But for the thrid pitch I was determined to stay in there and try to hit it. Sure enough, I stood my ground and hit it the other way for a double and got the last laugh. Good times....

Check it out, it's pretty cool:
http://www.illusionsciences.com/2009/05 ... eball.html

[foeplay]

Soria's curveball is sexy.

[mtxdevil]

Soria's curveball is sexy.

Greinke's curveball > Soria's curveball.

[rjwock07]

cool link.

[keeks137]

In high school, I used to be able to handle the curveball to some degree. I think the key was a cleaner ball. With clearly distinguished seams, it was a bit easier to pick up the rotation of a pitch.

Well, I took 6 years off from baseball and then decided to give it a shot through my park district. Now, you can just forget about it. If a guy has a decent fastball and a curve he can throw for strikes I'm screwed. Granted, we played with essentially the same ball all game, so that thing's getting dirtier and dirtier. Additionally, a good chunk of the games are at night which I think hurts. If I can't pick up the rotation, I'm hopeless.

I've had more than my share of moments where I wound up ducking like my life depended on it, only for the pitch to be called a strike. I played with a guy who is now in AAA. He had a curveball that was just ridiculous.

[moochman]

When it comes to a curve ball, call me Jobu.
The only thing that bends more than the ball are my knees. Dropped on my head too many times as a child, I suppose, to not flinch at any decent curve.

Sadly, I also handle a good fastball like Nefi Perez, so.......

[DaShiz23]

TRIPPY!!

I must have seen a lot of hangers then. Nothing looked like that to me!

[910BronxBomber]

In high school, I used to be able to handle the curveball to some degree. I think the key was a cleaner ball. With clearly distinguished seams, it was a bit easier to pick up the rotation of a pitch.

Well, I took 6 years off from baseball and then decided to give it a shot through my park district. Now, you can just forget about it. If a guy has a decent fastball and a curve he can throw for strikes I'm screwed. Granted, we played with essentially the same ball all game, so that thing's getting dirtier and dirtier. Additionally, a good chunk of the games are at night which I think hurts. If I can't pick up the rotation, I'm hopeless.

I've had more than my share of moments where I wound up ducking like my life depended on it, only for the pitch to be called a strike. I played with a guy who is now in AAA. He had a curveball that was just ridiculous.

What you say makes a lot of sense. Having been brought up in the game of baseball (my father was an all state catcher), I was always taught to look at the seams. A cleaner ball makes a world of difference.

Speaking of your friend whom is in triple A, my father played with a guy by the name of Tommy Greene, and was famous for taking him yard in the bottom of the ninth inning of a high school conference game (they lived a mere two miles apart, yet went to two different schools). Tommy Greene went on to no hit the expos in 1991.

Cheers,
910BB