# Iron Man McGinnity **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 18, 2007, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iron-man-mcginnity/419619 "2007-09-18T16:07:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ronald\_C.Semone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cc9497/32.png) [@Ronald\_C.Semone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ronald_C.Semone)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2007, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iron-man-mcginnity/419619/1 "2007-09-18T16:07:21Z")
Several articles I have read about the great pitcher Iron Man McGinnity say that he became a winning pitcher after he developed an “underhand” pitch, but they are not clear as to whether they mean a pitch thrown like today’s submarine pitchers or a pitch thrown like a softball is thrown. Does anyone know? And secondly, would a softball-like pitch be legal in a major league baseball game? ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2007, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iron-man-mcginnity/419619/2 "2007-09-18T16:23:03Z")
An effective (low-arc) softball-style delivery, is my understanding of what is meant. Like the change-up, this pitch can be disconcerting to someone expecting a different delivery. And because underhanded pitching is so relatively low-stress on the pitching arm, McGinnity was able to pitch complete games every other day, hence the “iron man” epithet. ---
**Author:** ![anson2995](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@anson2995](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anson2995)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2007, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iron-man-mcginnity/419619/3 "2007-09-18T16:57:04Z")
There have been a lot of pitchers who threw a hard underhand pitch (Carl Mays and Elden Auker, to name just two) but McGinnity’s was a rising curve ball that he called “Old Sal.” It didn’t arc like a modern day slo-pitch softball pitcher might throw, but it was a relatively slow pitch. He also threw a sidearm pitch and an overhand pitch, but Old Sal was his bread and butter. Joe McGinnity actually got the Iron Man nickname long before he reached the majors, a reflection of his off-season job in an iron foundry. He retired after an unsuccesful minor league career, but returned a few years later when he developed the underhand delivery. McGinnity eventually reached the majors at the age of 28 and stayed for ten seasons. When his big league days were over, he spent another 14 years back in the minors, finally hanging them up at age 52. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2007, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iron-man-mcginnity/419619/4 "2007-09-18T17:06:48Z")
[QUOTE=Ronald C. Semone] And secondly, would a softball-like pitch be legal in a major league baseball game? [/QUOTE] Yes, though the bigger question is whether it would be effective. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2007, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iron-man-mcginnity/419619/5 "2007-09-18T17:19:13Z")
[QUOTE=RealityChuck] Yes, though the bigger question is whether it would be effective. [/QUOTE] I caught in college for a guy who played professional (such as it was) fast-pitch softball in the summer. He had an undehand pitch that was quite effective when used sparingly, but because the windup and release were so slow, the second time he tried to throw it in a game it often got tagged. It had a lot of unusual movement for a baseball, but because of it’s speed (60 some mph, I’d guess) a batter could sit back on it and time it. He also threw a spitball that was much more effective. ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2007, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iron-man-mcginnity/419619/6 "2007-09-18T17:29:30Z")
[QUOTE=RealityChuck] Yes, though the bigger question is whether it would be effective. [/QUOTE] The eephus pitch is an overhand version of the softball slow pitch. A few pitchers have used it effectively, if sparingly. [YouTube video.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFvp7kMraAw) ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2007, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iron-man-mcginnity/419619/7 "2007-09-18T23:10:54Z")
Here’s a description of his pitch, as written in a 1943 article about him. I don’t vouch entirely for it’s accuracy. I’ll look more tomorrow(gotta play pinochle tonight 🙂 ) > [@](#): > > McGinnity held the ball at tho he were pitching an out-curve, which accounts for the fact that nearly every ball he threw was a curve. He was not too fast, didn’t > have to be. Catchers caught him without signs. McGinnity’s pitch was a curve > rather than a sharp break, and ths peculiar delivery—his fingers almost touched the mound—permitted him to curve the ball with a minimum snap of the wrist, > which explains his remarkable Iron Man stunts and longevity as an active combatant. He called his pitch “Old Sal.” McGinnity had remarkable control, > could break his curve low, high, inside or outside. He usually aimed the ball to pass just feelow the batter’s shoulders, so that the sphere released near the > ground shot upward five feet in its course. He threw an up-curve > which more often than not caused batters to swing under the ball. > > The following year McGinnity went to Brooklyn, where he won the sobriquet, “Iron Man,” by winning five games in six days. His 30 victories helped the Superbas > to the pennant.