Brandon Claussen of the Cincinnati Reds delivers the ball to home plate

In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter who attempts to either make contact with it or draw a walk. Brandon Allen Fulkerson-Claussen (born May 1, 1979 in Rapid City, South Dakota) is a major league Starting pitcher for The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati Ohio, USA Baseball is a Bat-and-ball Sport played between two teams of nine players each A baseball field or baseball diamond is the field upon which the game of Baseball is played Catcher is also a general term for a fielder who catches the ball in Cricket. In Baseball, an out occurs when the defensive or fielding, team effects any of a number of different events and the umpire rules a batter In Baseball, batting is the act of facing the opposing Pitcher and trying to produce offense for one's team A base on balls ( BB) is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in Baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the pitcher is assigned the number 1. In the National League and the Japanese Central League, the pitcher also bats. The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the National League ( NL) is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball The or is one of Japan 's two major professional Baseball leagues the winner of which plays the Japan Series against the winner of the other league the Starting in 1973 with the American League and spreading throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the hitting duties of the pitcher have generally been given over to the position of designated hitter, a cause of some controversy. The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League ( AL) is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in In Baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6

In most cases, the object of a pitch is to deliver the ball to the catcher without allowing the batter to hit the ball. In Baseball, a pitch is the act of throwing a baseball toward home plate to start a play In Baseball, batting is the act of facing the opposing Pitcher and trying to produce offense for one's team In Baseball statistics, a hit (denoted by H) sometimes called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches The ball is delivered in such a way that the batter either can't hit a pitch through the strike zone, hits the ball poorly (resulting in a pop fly or ground out), or is fooled into swinging at a pitch outside of the strike zone. Strike Zone is a Star Trek The Next Generation novel by Peter David. If the batter elects not to swing at the pitch, it is called a strike if the ball passes through the strike zone and a ball is when a pitch doesn't pass through the strike zone and the batter doesn't swing. The batter can also check swing. A check swing is when the batter swings half way when the batter thinks the pitch will be a ball. If the batter successfully check swings and the pitch is out of the strike zone, it is called a ball.

There are two legal pitching positions, the windup and the set (also called the stretch). In Baseball, there are two legal Pitching positions the windup and the set Either position may be used at any time; typically, the windup is used when the bases are empty and the set is used when runner(s) are on base. Each position has certain procedures that must be followed. A power pitcher is a pitcher who relies on the velocity of his pitches to succeed. In Baseball, a power pitcher is a Pitcher who relies on the Velocity of his pitches, sometimes at the expense of accuracy ^[1] Generally, power pitchers record a high percentage of strikeouts. In Baseball or Softball, a strikeout or strike out (denoted by SO or K) occurs when a batter receives three strikes A control pitcher succeeds by throwing accurate pitches and thus records few walks. A control pitcher is a Pitcher who succeeds mostly by using accurate pitches as oppose to a Power pitcher who relies on velocity

Nearly all action during a game is centered around the pitcher for the defensive team. A pitcher's particular style and skill heavily influences the dynamics of the game and will often determine the victor.

The type and sequence of pitches chosen depends upon the particular situation in a game. Because pitchers and catchers must coordinate each pitch, a system of hand signals are used by the catcher to communicate choices to the pitcher, to which the pitcher either vetoes or accepts. The relationship between pitcher and catcher is so important, that some teams use more than one starting catcher; selecting the catcher for a particular game based on who the starting pitcher is. Together, the pitcher and catcher are known as the battery. In Baseball, the term battery refers collectively to the Pitcher and the Catcher, comprising two of the nine fielding positions and distinct

Starting with the pivot foot on the pitcher's rubber at the center of the pitcher's mound, which is 60 feet 6 inches (18. 4 m) from home plate, the pitcher throws the baseball to the catcher, who is positioned behind home plate and catches the ball. Catcher is also a general term for a fielder who catches the ball in Cricket. Meanwhile, a batter stands in the batter's box at one side of the plate, and attempts to bat the ball safely into fair play. In Baseball, batting is the act of facing the opposing Pitcher and trying to produce offense for one's team In Baseball, Softball, and similar sports and games the batter's box is the place where the batter stands when ready to receive a pitch In Baseball statistics, a hit (denoted by H) sometimes called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches

Although the object and mechanics of pitching remain the same for all pitchers, pitchers may be classified according to their roles and effectiveness. The starting pitcher begins the game and he may be followed various relief pitchers, such as the long reliever, the left-handed specialist, the middle reliever, the setup man, and/or the closer. In Baseball or Softball, a starting pitcher, often abbreviated as starter, is the Pitcher who pitches the first pitch to the first batter of A relief pitcher or reliever is a Baseball or Softball Pitcher who enters the game after the Starting pitcher is removed due to injury Long relievers are a type of Relief pitcher in Baseball. Long relievers traditionally enter early in a game (anywhere from the first inning to the fourth inning when In Baseball, a left-handed specialist is a Left-handed Relief pitcher who specializes in getting left-handed or poor right-handed switch batters In Baseball, middle relief pitchers (or "middle relievers" are Relief pitchers who commonly pitch in the 6th or 7th Innings or in situations In Baseball, a setup pitcher (or set-up pitcher, sometimes called the setup man) is a Relief pitcher who regularly pitches before the closer In Baseball, a closing pitcher, more frequently referred to as a closer (abbreviated CL) is a Relief pitcher who specializes in closing out

Pitching Biomechanics

Pitching can be divided into phases which include windup, early cocking, late cocking, early acceleration, late acceleration, deceleration, and follow-through. ^[2] Training for pitchers often include targeting one or several of these phases. Pitching biomechanics evaluations are sometimes done on individual pitchers to help target their training. ^[3]

Pitching in a game

The position of the pitcher

Effective pitching is vitally important in baseball. In baseball statistics, for each game, one pitcher will be credited with winning the game, and one pitcher will be charged with losing it (this is not necessarily the starting pitchers for each team, however. Statistics play an important role in summarizing Baseball performance and evaluating players in the Sport. A win is a Statistic in Major League Baseball credited to the Pitcher for the winning team who was in the game when his team last took the lead A reliever can get a win and the starter would then get a no-decision). Pitching is physically demanding, especially if the pitcher is throwing with maximum effort. A full game usually involves 120-170 pitches thrown by each team, and most pitchers begin to tire before they reach this point. As a result, the pitcher who starts a game often will not be the one who finishes it, and he may not be recovered enough to pitch again for a few days. The act of throwing a baseball at high speed is very unnatural to the body and somewhat damaging to human muscles; thus pitchers are very susceptible to injuries, soreness, and general pain.

Chris Young throws a bullpen pregame four seam fastball. In Baseball, the bullpen (or simply the pen) is the area where relief Pitchers warm-up before entering a game For the American band of the same name see Fastball (band. For the game also known as fast-pitch softball see Softball.

Teams have devised two strategies to address this problem: rotation and specialization. To accommodate playing nearly every day, a team will include a group of pitchers who start games and rotate between them, allowing each pitcher to rest for a few days between starts. Also, teams have additional pitchers reserved to replace that game's starting pitcher if he tires or proves ineffective. These players are called relief pitchers, relievers, or collectively the bullpen. A relief pitcher or reliever is a Baseball or Softball Pitcher who enters the game after the Starting pitcher is removed due to injury In Baseball, the bullpen (or simply the pen) is the area where relief Pitchers warm-up before entering a game The relief pitchers often have even more specialized roles, and the particular reliever used depends on the situation. Many teams designate one pitcher as the closer, a relief pitcher specifically reserved to pitch the final inning or innings of a game when his team has a narrow lead, in order to preserve the victory. In Baseball, a closing pitcher, more frequently referred to as a closer (abbreviated CL) is a Relief pitcher who specializes in closing out Generally, relief pitchers pitch fewer innings and throw fewer pitches than starting pitchers, but may be able to pitch more frequently without needing multiple days to recover.

A pitcher releases the baseball from the pitcher's mound

Delivery of the baseball from the pitcher to catcher

A skilled pitcher often throws a variety of different pitches in order to prevent the batter from hitting the ball well. The most basic pitch is a fastball, where the pitcher throws the ball as hard as he can. For the American band of the same name see Fastball (band. For the game also known as fast-pitch softball see Softball. Some pitchers are able to throw a fastball at a speed of over 100 miles per hour (160 km/h). Speed is the rate of motion, or equivalently the rate of change in position often expressed as Distance d traveled per unit of Other common types of pitches are the curveball, slider, changeup, forkball, split-fingered fastball, and knuckleball. The curveball is a breaking pitch in Baseball thrown with a grip and hand movement that imparts down and/or sideways spin to the ball. In Baseball, a slider is a pitch halfway between a Curveball and a Fastball. A changeup is a type of pitch in Baseball. Other names include change-of-pace and simply change. The forkball is a type of pitch in Baseball. Related to the split-fingered fastball, the forkball is held between the first two fingers and thrown A split-finger fastball or splitter is a pitch in Baseball and a variant of the straight Fastball. A knuckleball (or knuckler for short is a Baseball pitch with an erratic unpredictable motion These generally are intended to have unusual movement or to deceive the batter as to the rotation or velocity of the ball, making it more difficult to hit. Very few pitchers throw all of these pitches, but most use a subset or blend of the basic types. Some pitchers also release pitches from different arm angles, making it harder for the batter to pick up the flight of the ball. (See List of baseball pitches. In Baseball, a pitch is the act of throwing a baseball toward home plate to start a play ) A pitcher who is throwing well on a particular day is said to have brought his "good stuff".

There are a number of distinct throwing styles used by pitchers. The most common style is an overhand delivery in which the pitcher's arm snaps downward with the release of the ball. Some pitchers use a sidearm delivery in which the arm arcs laterally to the torso. Some pitchers use a submarine style in which the pitcher's body tilts sharply downward on delivery, creating an exaggerated sidearm motion in which the pitcher's knuckles come very close to the mound. In Baseball, a submarine is a pitch delivered with an underhand motion

After the ball is pitched

The pitcher's duty doesn't cease after he pitches the ball. He has several standard roles at that point. The pitcher must attempt to field any balls coming up the middle, and in fact a Gold Glove Award is reserved for the pitcher with the best fielding ability. For the award given to amateur boxers see Golden Gloves. In American Baseball, the Rawlings Gold Glove Award, usually referred to He must also cover first base on balls hit to the right side, since the first baseman might be fielding them. First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a Baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run On passed balls and wild pitches, he covers home-plate when there are runners on. In Baseball, a Catcher is charged with a passed ball when he fails to hold or control a legally pitched ball that with ordinary effort should have been In Baseball, a wild pitch (abbreviated WP) is charged against a Pitcher when his pitch is too high too short or too wide of Home Also, he generally backs up throws to home plate. When there is a throw from the outfield to third base, he has to back up the play to third base as well.

Significant pitchers

Greatest Pitchers of All Time

* Negro Leagues

** Babe Ruth was a pitcher at the start of his career, and did not become primarily a position player until 1919, his sixth season in the majors. Grover Cleveland "Old Pete" Alexander ( February 26, 1887 - November 4, 1950) was a Major League Baseball Pitcher Charles Albert "Chief" Bender ( May 5, 1884 - May 22, 1954) was a Pitcher in Major League Baseball during Mordecai Peter Centennial Brown ( October 19 1876 &ndash February 14 1948) nicknamed "Three Finger" or "Miner" was an Raymond Brown (February 23 1908 - February 8 1965 was an American right-handed Pitcher in Negro league baseball, almost exclusively for the Homestead Grays James Paul David "Jim" Bunning (born October 23, 1931) is an American politician and former Pitcher in Major League Baseball Steven Norman Carlton (born December 22, 1944 in Miami Florida) is a former left-handed Pitcher in Major League Baseball, from to John Dwight Chesbro ( June 5, 1874 &ndash November 6, 1931) was a Major League Baseball Pitcher at the turn of the John Gibson Clarkson ( July 1, 1861 &ndash February 4, 1909) was a right-handed Pitcher in Major League Baseball from William Roger Clemens (born August 4, 1962 in Dayton, Ohio) is an American Right-handed Pitcher in Major Andrew Lewis Cooper (April 24 1898 - June 3 1941 nicknamed "Lefty" he was an American left-handed Pitcher, who hit right-handed in Baseball 's Stanley Anthony Coveleski (Kowalewski ( July 13, 1889, Shamokin Pennsylvania &ndash March 20, 1984) was a Major League William Arthur "Candy" Cummings ( October 18, 1848 &ndash May 16, 1924) was a 19th-century professional Baseball Leon Day ( October 30 1916 - March 13 1995) was an American right-handed Pitcher in the Negro Leagues. Jerome Hanna "Dizzy" Dean ( January 16, 1910 – July 17, 1974) was an American Pitcher in Major League Baseball Martín Magdaleno Dihigo Llanos ( May 25 1906 - May 20 1971) was a Cuban player in baseball's Negro Leagues and Latin Donald Scott Drysdale ( July 23, 1936 – July 3, 1993) was an American Right-handed Pitcher in Major League Dennis Lee Eckersley (born October 3 1954 nicknamed "Eck" is a former American Major League Baseball player Urban Clarence "Red" Faber ( September 6, 1888 - September 25, 1976) was an American right-handed Pitcher in Robert William Andrew "Bob" Feller (born November 3, 1918 in Van Meter Iowa) nicknamed the "Heater from Van Meter" and Roland Glen Fingers (born August 25, 1946, in Steubenville Ohio) is a former Relief pitcher in Major League Baseball for the Edward Charles "Whitey" Ford (born October 21, 1926) is a former Major League Baseball Pitcher who spent his entire 18-year career William Hendrick "Bill" Foster ( June 12 1904 &ndash September 16 1978) was an American left-handed Pitcher in Andrew Rube Foster ( September 17 1879 - December 9 1930) was an American Baseball James Francis "Pud" Galvin ( December 25, 1856 &ndash March 7, 1902) an American professional Baseball Pack Robert "Bob" Gibson (born November 9, 1935 in Omaha Nebraska) is a former right-handed Baseball Pitcher for the Thomas Michael Glavine (born March 25, 1966 in Concord Massachusetts) is an American Left-handed Starting pitcher Vernon Louis "Lefty" Gomez ( November 26, 1908 – February 17, 1989) was a Portuguese-American [http//www Richard Michael "Goose" Gossage (born July 5 1951 in Colorado Springs Colorado) is a former right-handed Relief pitcher in Major League Baseball Clark Calvin Griffith ( November 20, 1869 - October 27, 1955) nicknamed "the Old Fox" was a Major League Baseball Burleigh Arland Grimes ( August 18 1893 – December 6 1985) was an American professional Baseball player and the last Robert Moses "Lefty" Grove ( March 6, 1900 &ndash May 22, 1975) was considered one of the greatest Pitchers in Major Jesse Joseph "Pop" Haines, ( July 22, 1893 &ndash August 5, 1978) was a right-handed Major League Baseball Pitcher Waite Charles Hoyt ( September 9, 1899 &ndash August 25, 1984) was an American Right-handed Pitcher in Carl Owen Hubbell ( June 22, 1903 &ndash November 21, 1988) was a left-handed Screwball Pitcher in Major League Baseball James Augustus "Catfish" Hunter ( April 8, 1946 – September 9, 1999) was a Major League Baseball right-handed Starting Ferguson Arthur "Fergie" Jenkins CM (born December 13 1943 in Chatham, Ontario, Canada) is a right-handed former For other people named Randy Johnson see Randy Johnson (disambiguation Randall David Johnson (born September 10, 1963 in Walter Perry Johnson ( November 6, 1887 – December 10, 1946) nicknamed "The Big Train" was an American right-handed Adrian Joss ( April Timothy John "Tim" Keefe ( January 1 1857 &ndash April 23 1933) was an American pitcher in Major League Sanford Koufax (ˈkoʊfæks (born Sanford Braun, on December 30, 1935) is an American Left-handed former Pitcher in Robert Granville Lemon ( September 22, 1920 &ndash January 11, 2000) was an American right-handed Pitcher in Major Theodore Amar Lyons ( December 28, 1900 - July 25, 1986) was an American Professional baseball Starting pitcher Gregory Alan Maddux (born April 14, 1966 in San Angelo Texas) is a Pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Juan Antonio Marichal Sánchez (born October 20 1937 in Laguna Verde Dominican Republic) is a former Right-handed Pitcher in Richard William "Rube" Marquard (October 9 1886 - June 1 1980 was an American left-handed Pitcher in Major League Baseball in the 1910s Christopher "Christy" Mathewson ( August 12 1880 &ndash October 7 1925) nicknamed "Big Six" "The Christian Gentleman" Joseph Jerome McGinnity ( March 20, 1871 - November 14, 1929) nicknamed Iron Man, was an American right-handed José de la Caridad Méndez (March 19 1887 - October 31 1928 was a Cuban right-handed Pitcher and manager in Baseball 's Negro Leagues Harold "Prince Hal" Newhouser ( May 20, 1921 – November 10, 1998) was a professional Major League Baseball Pitcher Charles Augustus Nichols ( September 14, 1869 - April 11, 1953) better known as Kid Nichols, was a Major League Baseball Philip Henry Niekro (born April 1, in Blaine Ohio) is a former Pitcher in Major League Baseball and member of the Baseball Hall of Fame Leroy Robert "Satchel" Paige ( July 7, 1906 He appeared in the Major League All-Star Game in both 1952 and 1953. James Alvin "Jim" Palmer (born October 15, 1945) nicknamed "Cakes" is a former Major League Baseball right-handed Starting pitcher Herbert Jefferis Pennock ( February 10, 1894 - January 30, 1948) was a Left-handed Major League Baseball pitcher Gaylord Jackson Perry (born September 15 1938 in Williamston North Carolina) is a former right-handed Pitcher in Major League Baseball Edward Stewart Plank ( August 31 1875 - February 24 1926) nicknamed "Gettysburg Eddie" was a Major League Baseball Charles Gardner "Old Hoss" Radbourn ( December 11, 1854 – February 5, 1897) was a Pitcher in Major League Baseball Eppa "Jeptha" Rixey ( May 3, 1891 - February 28, 1963) was a Left-handed Major League Baseball pitcher Robin Evan Roberts (born September 30 1926) is an American former Major League Baseball Starting pitcher whose years with the Philadelphia Charles Wilber(n "Bullet" Rogan, also known as "Bullets" or "Bullet Joe" ( July 28 1889 - March 4 1967) was an Charles Herbert "Red" Ruffing ( May 3 1905 - February 17 1986) was a Major League Baseball pitcher most remembered Amos Wilson Rusie ( May 30, 1871 - December 6, 1942) nicknamed "The Hoosier Thunderbolt" was a hard-throwing Right-handed George Herman Ruth Jr (February 6 1895 &ndash August 16 1948 also popularly known as " Babe " " The Bambino " and " The Sultan of Lynn Nolan Ryan Jr (born January 31, 1947 in Refugio, Texas) is a retired American Right-handed Pitcher in George Thomas Seaver (born November 17, 1944) is a former right-handed Major League Baseball Pitcher who broke into the major leagues in and Hilton Lee Smith (February 27 1907 - November 18 1983 was an American right-handed Pitcher in Negro league baseball. Warren Edward Spahn ( April 23, 1921 &ndash November 24, 2003) was an American left-handed Pitcher in Major League Albert Goodwill Spalding ( Byron, Illinois September 2 1850 &ndash September 9 1915 in Point Loma, California) was a professional Baseball Howard Bruce Sutter (ˈsuːtɚ born January 8 1953 in Lancaster Pennsylvania) is a former right-handed Relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who was Donald Howard Sutton (born April 2, 1945) is a former Major League Baseball player and current Television Sportscaster. Clarence Arthur "Dazzy" Vance ( March 4, 1891 - February 16, 1961) was a star Major League Baseball pitcher during George Edward Waddell (October 13 1876 - April 1 1914 was an American left-handed Pitcher in Major League Baseball. This article deals with Ed Walsh baseball player For other meanings see Ed Walsh (disambiguation. John Montgomery Ward ( March 3, 1860 – March 4, 1925) was a 19th century Major League Baseball star pitcher, Shortstop Michael Francis Welch Born as Michael Francis Walsh ( July 4, 1859 - July 30, 1941) was a 19th century Major League Baseball James Hoyt Wilhelm ( July 26, 1922 in Huntersville North Carolina - August 23, 2002 in Sarasota Florida) was an American Joseph Williams ( April 6 1886 - February 25 1951) nicknamed "Cyclone Joe" or "Smokey Joe", was an Victor Gazaway Willis ( April 12, 1876 – August 3, 1947) was a Major League Baseball player Early Wynn Jr, familiarly known as "Gus" Wynn, ( January 6, 1920 &ndash April 4, 1999) was a right-handed Baseball Denton True "Cy" Young (March 29 1867 – November 4 1955 was an American Baseball player who pitched for five different major league Part of the History of baseball in the United States series The Negro leagues were American professional Baseball leagues

See also

• Baseball
• Pitching machine
• List of baseball pitches
• Baseball fielding positions
• Cy Young Award winners
• Top 100 winning pitchers of all time
• Bowler - similar position in Cricket
• American Sports Medicine Institute - Pitching Biomechanics Evaluation

Notes