Why is a pitch called an eephus?
Rip Sewell, a pitcher on the Pittsburgh Pirates, came up with the Eephus pitch in the ’40s. The name originates from the Hebrew word “efes,” which means nothing. Since the pitch is seen as a junk pitch since there is nothing special on it, the Hebrew phrase perfectly describes the nothing pitch.
What does tar do for pitchers?
Tackier substances, such as pine tar or a mixture of sunscreen and rosin, help goose spin rate, which makes a fastball fly truer and a breaking ball bite harder. Substances that make the ball more slick cause pitches to slide around the strike zone and dive into the dirt.
Can pitchers use tar?
Then there’s what David Ortiz said: “Everybody uses pine tar in the league. It’s not a big deal.” This would mean all pitchers are in violation of Rule 8.02, which states that pitchers are allowed neither to have a foreign substance on their person nor to apply said foreign substance to the ball.
Who threw the eephus?
LOOK: Rangers’ Brock Holt tosses 31 mph eephus pitch for strike during game against A’s. It’s not every day that you see a pitcher throw an eephus pitch — a high-arching, off-speed pitch — for a strike.
How do you throw eephus?
Essentially, an eephus is a very slow, very high arcing pitch that will drop down right through the strike zone, throwing the hitter’s timing off. You grip the eephus like you would a four seam fastball. Your index and middle fingers should go across the horseshoe of the baseball, with your thumb directly underneath.
How is an eephus pitch a strike?
Holt’s first pitch of the inning registered only 31.1 mph, a big loopy eephus with almost 25 feet of vertical drop. In other words, he lobbed a lollipop in there, at something resembling the minimum speed physically possible to get the ball over the plate on the fly. And the umpire called it a strike!
What is the pine tar rule in baseball?
Under the altered rule, a player can neither be called out nor ejected for using too much pine tar. If an umpire determines, either on his own observation or upon a complaint by the opposing manager, that a bat has too much pine tar, he will have the bat removed from the game.
Is pine tar legal in high school baseball?
The grip must extend a minimum of 10 inches, but not more than 18 inches, from the base of the knob. Slippery tape or similar material shall be prohibited. Resin, pine tar or any drying agent to enhance the hold are permitted only on the grip. Molded grips are illegal.
Why is an eephus pitch hard to hit?
Or, and such is the case with the eephus, you can throw so slow that the hitter’s natural, ingrained sense of bat speed takes over and causes him to fail.
Is it illegal to put pine tar on your glove?
Using pine tar in baseball is both legal and illegal depending on how it is used. For batters, it is legal, with some exceptions. For pitchers, it is completely illegal.
Is pine tar illegal in baseball?
Pitchers’ use of pine tar and similar substances is regulated by Rule 3.01 (3.02) of the Official Baseball Rules. It unequivocally states that no player is allowed to intentionally discolor or damage the baseball by rubbing it with any foreign substance. The pine tar doctoring is also regulated by Rule 8.02(b).
Why are batting donuts illegal?
However, long-term use of batting doughnuts increases upper body strength therefore increasing bat velocity. For safety reasons, some leagues have begun to prohibit the use of baseball doughnuts.
Is a chipped bat an illegal bat MLB?
Bats that are broken, altered or that deface the ball are illegal. Materials inside the bat or treatments/devices used to alter the bat specifications and/or enhance performance are prohibited and render the bat illegal.
What is an eephus pitch?
This image depicts the path of an Eephus pitch thrown by pitcher Rip Sewell in the 1946 MLB All-Star Game, which was hit for a home run by Ted Williams. An eephus pitch (also spelled ephus) in baseball is a very high-arcing off-speed pitch. The delivery from the pitcher has very low velocity and often catches the hitter off-guard.
Who was the first pitcher to throw the eephus pitch?
Pirates pitcher Rip Sewell was the first pitcher to throw the eephus pitch regularly — although, at the time, the pitch hadn’t yet been named. Sewell’s teammate Maurice Van Robays took care of that.
Did Dave Stieb ever throw the Eephus?
Dave Stieb was known to occasionally throw a form of the Eephus pitch, called the “Dead Fish”. [citation needed] Casey Fossum of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays now throws a form of the Eephus that is known to dip below 50 miles per hour.
What does the ear hear when it hears pitch?
What the ear hears is the fundamental pitch only; the overtones harmonize with the primary or fundamental tone, and enrich it. It will be remembered that pitch depends upon the rapidity of the sound waves or vibrations. The medium pitch expresses warmth, emotion, and the heart qualities.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfWXADedncM