small{font-size:80%;}/*!sc*/ I have placed the long seam of the baseball in between my index- and middle-fingers, and I have put my thumb on the opposite seam underneath the baseball (as shown in the first picture above). Betances Slurve Jim Palmer/Zach Greinkes/Bert Byleven Big Curveball (for Bert/Jim its the 12-6, for Greinke its just the curve) Zach Britton/Orel Hershiser's Sinker up in the zone N. Ryan/B. Cubs 6, Athletics 1: Nick Madrigal makes his case. I mean, heres this guy who went out and did this on his own to save his career.. .blUWSx .share-list__item{position:absolute;}/*!sc*/ You dont see it as much, Cuddyer said. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-side__nav-item{width:100%;-webkit-order:0;-ms-flex-order:0;order:0;background-color:#081c3b;border-bottom:1px solid #002867;}/*!sc*/ textarea{overflow:auto;}/*!sc*/ data-styled.g163[id="Styles__OEmbedContainer-oapuup-0"]{content:"epHHrr,"}/*!sc*/ .dLQAwR .contributor__text--name{color:#222222;font-size:1rem;font-weight:600;line-height:1;margin:0;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__subnav__item:focus,.mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__subnav__item:hover{border-radius:3px;background-color:#dddddd;color:#002867;}/*!sc*/ Hall of Fame closer Bruce Sutter has died at age 69, the St. Louis Cardinals announced Friday. Chad Sutter, son of the legendary closer, stressed the importance of the Cardinals organization and its fan base to Bruce in a statement released on Friday morning. He pitched in only 16 games in 1986 and didnt pitch after May 27. But its not just about them getting hurt. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .account--logged-in.active::after{background:#057AFF;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header.mlb-header--side-nav-open .header__nav-side .header__subnav__item,.mHQYb header.mlb-header.mlb-header--side-nav-open .header__nav-side .header__subnav__group-title{padding:14px 10px;}/*!sc*/ Mike Roarke, a Cubs coach from 1978-80 and a Cardinals coach from 1984-90, became something of a personal pitching coach for Sutter and his split-fingered fastball.\n\nHe was a conventional pitcher, but it was Fred Martin with the Cubs who came up with the idea \\[to throw the splitter\\] because Bruce had big hands and he could really wedge that ball between his fingers, Kaat remembered. Like a lot of things in sports, youre desperate and you try a lot of different things and it turned out to work. Instead of releasing him, Chicago sent Sutter to the minor leagues to rehabilitate his arm. A palmball is is gripped by essentially choking the baseball deep in your hand and wrapping all of your fingers around the baseball. However, he was unable to attend the Cards' 40-year anniversary celebration of the 1982 championship team on Aug. 13 because of the lingering illness that ultimately led to his death while in hospice care. You got a bad delivery, youre going to get hurt. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-side__nav-items{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-direction:column;-ms-flex-direction:column;flex-direction:column;padding-top:2px;}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top .icon,.mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top .p-icon *{fill:#ffffff;}/*!sc*/ Another somewhat lesser-known bit of Cubs revenge against Sutter came in the final game of the 1984 season, after the Cubs had clinched the NL East title. window.adobeAnalytics = {"reportingSuiteId":"mlbglobal08,mlbcom08","linkInternalFilters":"mlb"} @media (min-width:1024px){.mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__secondary-logos{-webkit-flex-basis:100%;-ms-flex-preferred-size:100%;flex-basis:100%;}}/*!sc*/ You can see the break on the splitter here: That great year sent Sutter and the Cubs to arbitration, the first arb hearing involving a Cubs player in the then-fairly new system. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. Typically, it's only a good pitch if you've got bigger hands. The circle changeup and the four-seam fastball are what got me to professional baseball. .evwvnJ{line-height:1.5;margin:0 auto 16px;max-width:470px;padding-left:0;position:relative;width:-webkit-fit-content;width:-moz-fit-content;width:fit-content;}/*!sc*/ @media screen and (-ms-high-contrast:active),(-ms-high-contrast:none){.mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__url-logo{height:30px;}.mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__url-logo img{min-height:30px;height:auto !important;}.mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__tagline img{width:100%;}}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb .mlb-header__login-menu{background:#ffffff;border-top:solid 4px #002867;box-shadow:0 2px 4px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.2);box-shadow:6px 6px 15px -3px rgba(0,0,0,0.25);left:-99em;opacity:0;padding:10px;position:absolute;right:0;-webkit-transition:opacity 1ms ease 1ms;transition:opacity 1ms ease 1ms;width:160px;z-index:99992;}/*!sc*/ .hUHmCp{margin-top:24px;background-color:#ffffff;}/*!sc*/ In his first season as a professional in 1972, Sutter experienced pain in his right elbow while pitching in the Gulf Coast League and was shut down for the rest of the year. .groqnz.markdown,.groqnz.photo figcaption,.groqnz.oembed .social-embed{padding:0 16px;}/*!sc*/ .cHcHkC{font-size:1.2rem;line-height:1.2;margin-top:0;max-height:48px;overflow:hidden;position:relative;display:-webkit-box;width:100%;-webkit-line-clamp:2;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;}/*!sc*/ Slider arm speed should remain the same as fastball arm speed. data-styled.g161[id="newsletterOptinstyle__Submit-sc-d7sh2p-6"]{content:"huJzbO,"}/*!sc*/ Sutter rarely threw his splitter for a strike, but it was difficult for hitters to lay off. Hes the best.. If they blow out that way, theyre going to blow out doing it with their best pitch. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__secondary-logos{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;height:56px;-webkit-box-pack:end;-webkit-justify-content:flex-end;-ms-flex-pack:end;justify-content:flex-end;-webkit-flex:99 1 45%;-ms-flex:99 1 45%;flex:99 1 45%;}/*!sc*/ (Note that your home radar gun may stop reading well before the ball reaches the plate because the hitter is in the way.) 4 views of Bruce Sutter's split-finger fastball grip lostwalletMP 1.9K views 11 years ago Dempsey's Dugout: Ubaldo Jimenez shows how he grips his pitches masn Orioles 3.6K views 6 years ago. The Angels, the Twins, the Giants, the Reds, the Padres and the Rays are among the many major league teams that discourage their pitchers from developing a splitter, citing health reasons as well as the belief that throwing it too much can reduce the velocity of a pitchers fastball. In every year from 1978 through 1981, Sutter either won or saved the All-Star Game for the National League. Concerns over its effect on pitchers' arms have overhadowed its effectiveness. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top .header__nav-top__button-menu{cursor:pointer;}/*!sc*/ He was a six-time All-Star and a four-time winner of the Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Award. .mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-side__main-nav{background-color:#081c3b;width:145px;-ms-overflow-style:none;}/*!sc*/ Build functional strength the right way. He saved just three games in 1986 before undergoing shoulder surgery to repair an injured rotator cuff, the third arm surgery of his career. "split," "split-finger fastball," "split-finger". @media (max-width:1023px){.mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__nav-items--quick--show-revenue .header__nav-top__nav-item{margin-top:-12px;}.mHQYb header.mlb-header .header__nav-top__nav-items--quick--show-revenue .header__nav-top__nav-item__link{padding:0;}}/*!sc*/ .mHQYb .p-search__input--icon--sm{top:0.5rem;right:0.5rem;}/*!sc*/ .hHLkAw input::placeholder{color:#aaaaaa;}/*!sc*/ In essence, this pitch does the exact opposite as a fastball. .mHQYb .p-search-item{display:block;background-color:#ffffff;font-family:'mlb-primary','Helvetica Neue','Helvetica','Arial', sans-serif;}/*!sc*/ The irony, of course, was that Sutter used a tailing fastball to strike out Thomas when it was the split-fingered fastball that helped him become one of the games most dynamic closers. /*-->*/ .mHQYb .p-search-item a{bottom:0;position:absolute;width:100%;}/*!sc*/ window.globalState = {"tracking_title":"Major League Baseball","lang":"en"} Do you know how to throw a split-finger fastball? The palmball (sometimes called a palm ball or four-finger changeup) is one of two or three variations of the changeup. The surprise on the quick dive of the ball at home plate in the very last second creates missed swings from the opponent. .mHQYb .p-search-item__team-logo--container{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;margin-left:auto;}/*!sc*/ I call it the horseshoe seam simply because the seam itself looks like the shape of a horseshoe. At its release point, try to turn the ball over a little to get more movement. @media (min-width:1024px){.mHQYb header.mlb-header.mlb-header--side-nav-closed .header__nav-top__nav-container .header__subnav{opacity:0;display:none;left:-9999px;position:absolute;margin:0px;-webkit-transition:opacity 100ms ease 100ms;transition:opacity 100ms ease 100ms;pointer-events:initial;border-top:solid 4px #002867;border-radius:0 0 6px 6px;box-shadow:0px 0px 14px 0px rgba(0,0,0,0.25);}.mHQYb header.mlb-header.mlb-header--side-nav-closed .header__nav-top__nav-container .header__subnav__content{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-wrap:nowrap;-ms-flex-wrap:nowrap;flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-box-pack:start;-webkit-justify-content:flex-start;-ms-flex-pack:start;justify-content:flex-start;}.mHQYb header.mlb-header.mlb-header--side-nav-closed .header__nav-top__nav-container .header__subnav__item,.mHQYb header.mlb-header.mlb-header--side-nav-closed .header__nav-top__nav-container .header__subnav__group-title{padding:11px 8px;white-space:nowrap;}.mHQYb header.mlb-header.mlb-header--side-nav-closed .header__nav-top__nav-container .header__subnav__item:not(.header__subnav--teams__team),.mHQYb header.mlb-header.mlb-header--side-nav-closed .header__nav-top__nav-container .header__subnav__group-title{display:block;}.mHQYb header.mlb-header.mlb-header--side-nav-closed .header__nav-top__nav-container .header__subnav__group{-webkit-flex:1 1 auto;-ms-flex:1 1 auto;flex:1 1 auto;}.mHQYb header.mlb-header.mlb-header--side-nav-closed .header__nav-top__nav-container .header__subnav__group-title{background-color:#ffffff;}.mHQYb header.mlb-header.mlb-header--side-nav-closed .header__nav-top__nav-container .header__nav-top__nav-item{position:relative;}.mHQYb header.mlb-header.mlb-header--side-nav-closed .header__nav-top__nav-container .header__nav-top__nav-item:hover .header__nav-top__nav-item__text,.mHQYb header.mlb-header.mlb-header--side-nav-closed .header__nav-top__nav-container .header__nav-top__nav-item[aria-expanded='true'] .header__nav-top__nav-item__text{opacity:1;}.mHQYb header.mlb-header.mlb-header--side-nav-closed .header__nav-top__nav-container .header__nav-top__nav-item--parent[aria-expanded='true']{border-bottom:none;}.mHQYb header.mlb-header.mlb-header--side-nav-closed .header__nav-top__nav-container .header__nav-top__nav-item--parent[aria-expanded='true']::after{opacity:1;}.mHQYb header.mlb-header.mlb-header--side-nav-closed .header__nav-top__nav-container .header__nav-top__nav-item--parent[aria-expanded='true'] .header__subnav{display:block;opacity:1;top:52px;left:0px;}.mHQYb header.mlb-header.mlb-header--side-nav-closed .header__nav-top__nav-container .header__nav-top__nav-item--parent[aria-expanded='true'] .header__subnav--pin-to-right{right:0;left:auto;}}/*!sc*/