This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please improve this article if you can. (October 2008)

The fosh ball is a seldom used pitch in Major League Baseball that is designed to fool a batter by making him expect a fastball when a slower pitch is really delivered.

The pitch has a grip like a fastball, but the fingers are spread slightly. If thrown properly, it behaves like a breaking change-up or an off-speed split finger fastball. According to Al Nipper, fosh is an acronym for "Full Of" and something else Nipper refused to say.

It has been attempted a multiple of times by a bunch of pitchers without any success. Although, the fosh-ball's handling is known somewhat, the rest of its creation is perhaps unknown.

[edit] Users

Roger Clemens once attempted to use the fosh but found it an unsuccessful pitch. The Boston Red Sox attempted to throw it within their bullpen, but were not able to bring it into the organization. Al Nipper managed to use it periodically throughout his career. Kerry Wood is said to throw the fosh, but he has never publicly claimed to use the pitch. Mike Boddicker was known as a fosh ball specialist.

[edit] Sources

• http://archive.southcoasttoday.com/daily/03-96/03-10-96/1sox1.htm
• http://www.webball.com/cms/page3205.cfm?presto_view=F
• http://www.oddball-mall.com/knucklertalk/viewthread.php?tid=458

[edit] See also

v • d • e Baseball pitches Fastballs Four-seam · Two-seam · Cutter · Splitter · Sinker · Shuuto Breaking balls Curveball (12 to 6) · Knuckle curve · Knuckle slider · Slider · Slurve · Screwball Changeups Changeup · Palmball · Circle changeup · Forkball · Fosh · Gyroball Other pitches Knuckleball · Eephus pitch · Spitball · Yellow Hammer