Super-Curveball Poster

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A NEW SPIN? It spins like a football and breaks more dramatically than the snappiest curveball, but it may only exist in the computer simulations of Japanese scientists. The gyroball, reportedly mastered by prized Japanese pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka, could be baseball's next big pitch. Or it could be a myth. COMPARED WITH OTHER PITCHES DOUBLE SPIN Gyroball THEORY Starts flat, then takes a drastic dive The pitcher’s hips away from (right-handed) batter. and throwing Thrown a few mph slower than the shoulder combine four-seam fastball to give the ball the theoretical Spiral spin “double spin.” The Like a bullet wrist is snapped at or football spiral release, turning the palm toward third base (for a Four-seam fastball right-handed Straight path, average 89-91 mph, pitcher). The thrown with a backspin fingers pull down to give the ball a sideways spin. Curveball Curved path, 11-14 mph slower than a ARM fastball, thrown with a forward spin DAMAGE The release is reminiscent of a screwball – a THE GRIP pitch that ruined Pitcher holds countless arms the side of the and careers ball with a before falling out fastball grip of vogue. But Japanese researchers say the pitch is much Measured in feet safer to throw rather than inches than other breaking balls. THE BREAK To the right-handed batter the ball appears to be coming right at them like a hanging curveball, then takes a drastic dive across the plate. To the left-handed batter the pitch looks like a ball outside. Sources: Will Carroll of Baseball Prospectus, “The Secret of the Miracle Pitch” by Ryutaro Himeno and Kazushi Tezuka SEATTLE P-I.

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An Analysis of the Gyroball by Alan Nathan and Dave Baldwin
**BRJ_#36_v11:Layout 1 12/11/07 8:49 AM Page 77 An Analysis of the Gyroball by Alan Nathan and Dave Baldwin aseball has been around for over 150 years, and THE MECHANICS OF THE GYROBALL during that time many thousands of pitchers, The trajectory of a pitch in flight is governed by Bhoping to find the unhittable pitch, have exper - the gravitational force, drag force, and the Magnus imented with grip, delivery, and release of the ball. force on a spinning ball. Gravity makes the ball drop Consequently, rarely is there anything new under the by three to four feet—the slower the pitch, the longer sun in the modern game. When a potentially new gravity acts and the greater the drop. The drag force pitch comes along, therefore, it can generate a great results from air resistance to the movement of the ball. deal of uncritical excitement and media attention. It acts to slow the pitch. The Magnus force deflects Such was the case with a recent, highly touted “inno - the ball, the direction and magnitude of the deflection vation” called the “gyroball.” depending on the spin rate, the speed of the pitch, and The gyroball was the brainchild of Kazushi Tezuka, the orientation of the spin axis. This force causes the a Japanese pitching coach, and Ryutaro Himeno, a ball to break in the direction that the leading hemi - Japanese computer scientist who determined the sphere (face) of the ball is turning. The Magnus force properties of the pitch through elaborate simulations. is largest when the spin axis and trajectory are at Their book (in Japanese only), Makyuu no Shoutai 90° to each other and is exactly zero when they are (Roughly translated as The Secret of the Demon Mira - perfectly aligned.
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