Rising fastball

[waltjp]

When I was a kid we used to play sandlot games (remember them?) at some picnic grounds near my house. The grounds were fairly flat with the exception of the area near home plate, which started to slope up a bit of a hill. Man, you should have seen us back then... rising fastballs, rising curve balls, rising sinker balls, you name it!

[BigUmp56]

It's amazing what a wiffle ball can do, Walt!


Tim.

[SAump]

Look at the recent list of MLB, pitchers clocked over 100-mph. http://www.baseball-almanac.com/arti...baseball.shtml With a few exceptions, the pitchers have all made the list within the last 12 years. Data is slowly disappearing, thanks to the good folks at ESPN.
Notice many missing talented flame-throwers from MLB pre-steroid eras. Where are the pitchers from 1970 to 1995 who were on the list just 3 years ago? How come the big dawgs, like Tom Seaver or Dwight Gooden, are no longer listed?

[waltjp]

Originally Posted by SAump

Can a pitcher then throw a "doctored" rising fastball? I pose the following situation.
The key is each catch, fly ball, line drive or grounder changes the shape of the ball.
The ball develops a flat spot, the catcher adds "ointment" from his new glove, the back stop adds a fence link indentation, etc.
All of a sudden the pitcher flares a rising fastball. Doesn't it seems probable?

The average lifespan of a major league baseball is about 6 pitches. That doesn't leave much time for much doctoring.

[Tim C]

"Can a pitcher then throw a "doctored" rising fastball? I pose the following situation.
The key is each catch, fly ball, line drive or grounder changes the shape of the ball.
The ball develops a flat spot, the catcher adds "ointment" from his new glove, the back stop adds a fence link indentation, etc.
All of a sudden the pitcher flares a rising fastball. Doesn't it seems probable?"

You have lost this battle for about four years . . . ever going to give up?

Regards,