Knuckleballers
Discussion in the Open Talk forum
Comments
Re: Knuckleballers
[ Author: BigManZam | Posted: Jul 7, 2005 9:35 AM
| CLM Fan
]
Yukinaga Maeda of the Giants is the only guy I can think of who uses the knuckle ball regularly. I remember when Matsui made a comment about Wakefield and how Japanese pitchers never throw knuckle balls. It's funny that the only guy who threw them played on the same side as Matsui.
Re: Knuckleballers
[ Author: Guest: BILL | Posted: Jul 8, 2005 4:39 AM
]
Thanks for your reply. I had been wondering about the status of the knuckleball in Japan. Thanks also for your mention of the Great Matsui. It was while I watched him face our Boston Red Sox knuckleballer that I began to wonder if the Japanese players had come up through the ranks facing such a thing.
Even though Matsui is a fantastic player, you will have to excuse me if I don't join his fan club. After all, he plays for the New York Yankees. Being a Red Sox fan, I can't cheer for any Yankee players.
Bill
Even though Matsui is a fantastic player, you will have to excuse me if I don't join his fan club. After all, he plays for the New York Yankees. Being a Red Sox fan, I can't cheer for any Yankee players.
Bill
Re: Knuckleballers
[ Author: westbaystars | Posted: Jul 7, 2005 10:03 PM
| YBS Fan
]
While not his "main weapon," as you can see mentioned in this thread, Rakuten's Ogura throws the knuckler 11-12% of the time.
Re: Knuckleballers
[ Author: Jingu Bleacher Bum | Posted: Jul 7, 2005 10:44 PM
| YAK Fan
]
While not a knuckleballer, Satoru Komiyama of the Chiba Lotte Marines throws a pitch with similar characteristics of a knuckleball. He splits his index and middle fingers wider than a forkball, and throws the ball at low speeds, making the ball appear to shake when approaching the plate. He calls the pitch, yup, you guessed it, "Shake."
I haven't really seen too many Lotte games on TV this year, but I remember there was a segment about him on a sports show during Spring training showing him experimenting with the "Shake" during some of the pre-season games.
I haven't really seen too many Lotte games on TV this year, but I remember there was a segment about him on a sports show during Spring training showing him experimenting with the "Shake" during some of the pre-season games.
Re: Knuckleballers
[ Author: Guest: JOE KALESNIK | Posted: Jul 8, 2005 4:19 AM
]
I think the main reason is that in NPB the baseball is not a standard ball. If I pitched, say, for the Whalers at home, our ball may be a Mazcom, then we go on the road and play the Foxes, their ball may be the Moczam ball. Also, pitchers in the Central League, from my observation, tend to be able to "scoff" the ball more.
* The teams don't exist, nor the ball makers, because I didn't want to pinpoint any team or ball maker. But there are different baseballs used in NPB.
* The teams don't exist, nor the ball makers, because I didn't want to pinpoint any team or ball maker. But there are different baseballs used in NPB.
Re: Knuckleballers
[ Author: Guest: JOE KALESNIK | Posted: Jul 9, 2005 10:40 AM
]
YOU BEING FROM MASSCHUSETTS
NO DOUGHT HEARD OF PERHAPS THE GREATEST KNUCKLEBALLER,WHO STARTER THROWING IT WHILE AT BELMONT HS,THEN HAD A STELLAR CAREER IN MLB....I GOT 2 HITS OFF HIM IN STATE CHAMPIONSHIP AT MANNING FIELD IN LYNN MA.WILBUR WOOD WAS SOME PITCHER.
NO DOUGHT HEARD OF PERHAPS THE GREATEST KNUCKLEBALLER,WHO STARTER THROWING IT WHILE AT BELMONT HS,THEN HAD A STELLAR CAREER IN MLB....I GOT 2 HITS OFF HIM IN STATE CHAMPIONSHIP AT MANNING FIELD IN LYNN MA.WILBUR WOOD WAS SOME PITCHER.
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I was wondering how many, if any, hurlers in Japan throw the knuckleball as their main weapon?