A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball. In Baseball, a pitch is the act of throwing a baseball toward home plate to start a play Baseball is a Bat-and-ball Sport played between two teams of nine players each Other names include change-of-pace and simply change. The changeup is sometimes called an off-speed pitch, although that term can also be used simply to mean any pitch that is slower than a fastball. For the American band of the same name see Fastball (band. For the game also known as fast-pitch softball see Softball. In addition, before at least the second half of the twentieth century, the term slow-ball was used to denote pitches not a fastball or breaking ball, which almost always meant a type of changeup. The twentieth century of the Common Era began on Therefore, the terms slow-ball and changeup could be used interchangeably.
The changeup is thrown with the same arm action as a fastball, but at a lower velocity due to the pitcher holding the ball in a special grip. Speed is the rate of motion, or equivalently the rate of change in position often expressed as Distance d traveled per unit of In his book "Pitching like a Pro: A Guide for Young Pitchers and Their Coaches, Little League through High School," Leo Mazzone makes an analogy stating that when a pitcher throws his best fastball, he puts more in it; the changeup is such that one throws something other than his best fastball. Leo Mazzone (born October 16, 1948 in Keyser West Virginia) is a former Pitcher in Minor league baseball and coach in Major By having this mindset, the pitch will have less velocity on it in addition to the change in grips. This difference from what is expected by the arm action and the velocity can confuse the batter into swinging the bat far too early and thus receiving a strike, or not swinging at all. Should a batter be fooled timing wise on the pitch, and still make contact, the batter will be early, causing foul balls and/or putting the ball into play, usually resulting in an out, so long as the batter was fooled significantly. In addition to the unexpectedly slow velocity, the changeup can also possess a significant amount of movement, which can bewilder the batter even further. The very best changeups utilize both deception and movement. Ron Darling recently described Johan Santana as having one of the most effective changeups in Major League Baseball, due in part to the difference in speed between their fastballs and changeups. Ronald Maurice Darling (born August 19 1960) is an American former right-handed Starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the For the Dominican -born Major League Baseball player born Johan Santana see Ervin Santana. Trevor Hoffman and Jamie Moyer are also known for having very deceptive changeups, even though their pitching velocities are very different (Moyer 80, Hoffman 90). Trevor William Hoffman ( October 13, 1967 in Bellflower California) is a closer in Major League Baseball who has played for the Jamie Moyer (born November 18, 1962 in Sellersville, Pennsylvania) is a Starting pitcher in Major League Baseball, Philadelphia Phillies up-and-coming star Cole Hamels has a devastating low-80's change-up that complements his low-to-mid 90's fastball, and has already developed as his out-pitch and one of the best change-ups in baseball. The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. Colbert Michael Hamels (born December 27, 1983 in San Diego California) is a Left-handed Starting pitcher who plays for the
As pitchers age, some learn to greatly extend their careers after losing speed on their fastballs by taking advantage of the differences in speed between an effective changeup and a fastball of any speed. One such pitcher is Trevor Hoffman, who is renowned for a devastating changeup combined with an average speed fastball. Trevor William Hoffman ( October 13, 1967 in Bellflower California) is a closer in Major League Baseball who has played for the
The changeup is analogous to the slower ball in cricket. In the sport of Cricket, a slower ball is a slower-than-usual delivery from a fast bowler. Cricket is a bat-and-ball team Sport that originated in England and is now played in more than 100 countries
Types
There are several types of changeup, which are generated by using different grips on the ball during the pitch.
The most common type is the straight change. The ball is held with three fingers (instead of the usual two) and closer to the palm, to kill some of the speed generated by the wrist and fingers. This pitch generally breaks downward slightly, though its motion does not differ greatly from a two-seam fastball.
Another common grip is the circle changeup. In Baseball, a circle changeup is a pitch thrown with a grip that includes a circle formation hence the name The pitcher forms a circle with his index finger and thumb, using these two fingers to grip the seams of the baseball. By pronating the wrist upon release, this pitch tends to break slightly in the same direction as a screwball. A screwball is a Baseball pitch that is thrown so as to break in the opposite direction of a Slider. More or less break will come about from the pitcher's arm slot, the more three-quarters or side-arm angle, the more break generally. Pedro Martínez has used this pitch throughout his career to great effect, and many consider it to be his best pitch. Pedro Jaime Martínez (born October 25 1971 in Manoguayabo, Dominican Republic) is a Major League Baseball Starting pitcher for the Before shoulder injuries made him lose velocity, Martinez countered his 96-98 mile per hour fastball with this devastating 80-82 mile per hour screwball-like changeup. Tom Glavine's changeup grip is a circle change grip, but because he does not pronate his wrist, he doesn't have the screwball movement, but rather, more sink on the pitch than the straight change. Thomas Michael Glavine (born March 25, 1966 in Concord Massachusetts) is an American Left-handed Starting pitcher two time Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana has arguably the best circle change in baseball, and many cite it as his most effective pitch. In Baseball, the Cy Young Award is an honor given annually to the best Pitcher in Major League Baseball (one each for American and National For the Dominican -born Major League Baseball player born Johan Santana see Ervin Santana. Milwaukee Brewers closer Eric Gagné also has a highly effective changeup pitch (known as a Vulcan Change) , which he throws at around 84 miles per hour. The Milwaukee Brewers are a Major League Baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which plays in the Central Division of the National League Éric Serge Gagné ( IPA:) (born January 7 1976 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada) is a Relief pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers However, the effectiveness of Gagné's change was greater as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers because his fastball reached velocities approaching 100 M. The Los Angeles Dodgers are a Major League Baseball team based in Los Angeles California, USA P. H. and his change as high as 88 M. P. H.
Red Sox set-up man Hideki Okajima throws a variation on a change up which has a splitter-like movement, breaking down into the dirt, often resulting in swinging strikes. is a Japanese left-handed pitcher for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. It is widely considered to be his best pitch, and which he uses primarily as his strikeout pitch. Termed the "Okie-Dokie" by Red Sox bullpen coach Gary Tuck, nobody seemed to know what to call it at first, especially since Okajima had never used the pitch in Japan.
References
- Mazzone, Leo, and Rosenthal, Jim (1999). Pitching like a Pro: A Guide for Young Pitchers and Their Coaches, Little League through High School. St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-312-19946-5.
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