# Pitcher missing a finger **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [September 16, 2012, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitcher-missing-a-finger/634855 "2012-09-16T06:56:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2012, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitcher-missing-a-finger/634855/1 "2012-09-16T06:56:56Z")
How would it change a pitch’s movement if the pitcher is missing a finger? How would it change if they’re missing the ring finger vs. middle finger? ---
**Author:** ![mrpayday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@mrpayday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrpayday)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2012, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitcher-missing-a-finger/634855/2 "2012-09-16T07:16:59Z")
[This guy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Finger_Brown) had an amazing curveball apparently. He’s missing an index finger though. ---
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2012, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitcher-missing-a-finger/634855/3 "2012-09-16T09:00:36Z")
That’s nothing. [Jim Abbot](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Abbott) was missing _five_ fingers! ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2012, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitcher-missing-a-finger/634855/4 "2012-09-16T22:56:13Z")
Mordecai “Three-Finger” Brown was reportedly a star pitcher early in the 20th Century whose effective curve ball was due to missing parts of two fingers on his throwing hand. > **[Mordecai Brown](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mordecai_Brown)** > > As manager > Mordecai Peter Centennial Brown (October 19, 1876 – February 14, 1948), nicknamed Three Finger Brown or Miner, was an American Major League Baseball pitcher and manager during the first two decades of the 20th century (known as the "dead-ball era"). Due to a farm-machinery accident in his youth (April 17, 1888), Brown lost parts of two fingers on his right hand, and in the process gained a colorful nickname. He turned this handicap into an advantage by learning how to grip a baseball ... ---
**Author:** ![Intelligently\_Designed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intelligently_designed/32/20957_2.png) [@Intelligently\_Designed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intelligently_Designed)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2012, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitcher-missing-a-finger/634855/5 "2012-09-17T00:08:56Z")
Well, what we do know is that [having _six_ fingers on each hand](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Alfonseca) doesn’t have an effect on pitches…