Have you heard of the gyroball? If you're headed to the games at PETCO this weekend, then you may get a chance to see it. Basically, the gyroball is allegedly the first really new pitch in baseball since the split-fingered fastball. It's thrown with a spin like a football and breaks in apparently magical ways. Unfortunately, nobody's sure if it exists.
The sasquatch of baseball.
Jeff Passan has a really good article about this mythical beast (gyroball, not sass). It's an excellent read.
This is a big reason why I wanted Japan to make to the WBC San Diego round. Supposedly, Matsuzaka of Team Japan throws this gyroball. Roto-Authority had a video of the pitch being thrown, but I ain't gonna believe it till I see it with my own two eyes.
Jbox actually invented a pitch once. The Devil's Forkball. Imagine you're a Longhorns fan, or your at a rock concert. Make that shape with your hand and stick a baseball between your pinky and index finger, with the knuckles of your ring finger and middle finger underneath the ball. Then, when you throw the ball, flick those fingers out to give the ball a little extra something and make a noise like, "NYYYYEH!"
That's the next big thing. I'm telling you.
Filed under: