I’m watching one of my favorite movies “Brewster’s Millions” (the Pryer version).
At the start of the movie, Monty throws two pitches. Both are foul balls. The tone of the scene seems to be suggesting that this is a bad result and so by extension Monty isn’t a great pitcher. However, I would think that if a pitcher could throw a ball on the edge of hitability such that it is likely to be a foul and hence a strike this would be a good thing. So what’s the Straight Dope, would a pitcher that can consistently throw foul balls be considered a good or bad pitcher?
He then throws a rather high arcing ball (by the time it reaches the plate it is about head height to the batter). The opponent swings and misses. Strike out! Yay!
But I’m wondering is there even the remotest chance of such a pitch working even in the minors? Could your really catch a player so off guard that they swing at a clearly terrible pitch? Does such a pitch even count? I cannot find a short clip of the scene so hopefully you’ve seen the movie.
Second question is called an Eephus.
It works because it’s so slow and the path is unfamiliar that players have trouble tracking it’s path and timing their swing.
I haven’t seen the movie so I don’t know the quality of the fouls but two line drive fouls pulled are worse than two weak fouls to the opposite field.
Thanks for the replies. I’m shocked such a thing exists and stunned that it has actually worked in the majors! I figured it was pure nonsense. Honestly, I almost felt silly even asking because I thought there is no way there is such a thing. Ignorance fought.
As for the foul balls, in the movie, the both go out of the park. The first is perhaps 6 metres to the the left of the foul ball line. The second is maybe a few feet. So I think I understand what you mean running coach. That given how close those are to home runs, it doesn’t mean he’s throwing a barely hittable ball but rather a ball that is very nearly a home run. And hence the tone of the scene.
Here’s one where LaRoche strikes out Willie Wilson, pitching three eephuses in one at-bat (the first was a ball, though.) Willie manages to reach first, though, as the catcher made a hash of catching the last one.
That cracked me up! I thought I was baseball literate, but I don’t recall seeing such a pitch outside of a softball game. I can see that really pissing off a batter. (I’m not saying he would be justified.)
That A-Rod pitch wasn’t much of an eephus, seeing as how it didn’t even go above his head. From the clip, it’s hard to tell if the pitcher was trying to throw an eephus and threw it way too low, or just screwed up and hung a change-up right down the middle.
The eephus is an extreme example of a change-up, although change-ups usually follow fastballs I think. It has the added advantage of truly embarrassing the batter. It really takes advantage of batters who sort of spring load themselves for a pitch, I know I’d probably end up swinging at garbage like that.
Eh, it’s what I’d call an eephus. However, for the most extreme example I’ve ever seen, see here. Looked like a strike to me, but, well, where did it cross the plate? Ball probably is the right call.
Looks like to me just a hanging curve ball. The blooper pitch (or, as I guess it is called now, “the eephus pitch”) is thrown way up in the air and drops at a steep angle. Ted Williams knew it was coming and could judge the drop.
I wonder if that would be a balk? The actual behind the back submarine pitch seems OK but the overhead fake throw may constitute a balk as it is a motion to delude the batter.
