The slurve is a baseball pitch in which the pitcher throws a slider as if they were throwing a curve ball.^[1] The term is derived from a portmanteau of "slider" and "curve".

Contents 1 History 2 Concerns in pitching 3 References 4 External links

[edit] History

The first pitcher to utilize the slurve pitch is unknown. Johnny Sain of the Boston Braves was known to throw a slurve in the 1940s.^[2] On May 6, 1998 Kerry Wood of the Chicago Cubs utilized the slurve in a major-league record tying twenty strikeout game.^[3] Former Los Angeles Dodgers, Yakult Swallows and current Seibu Lions pitcher Kazuhisa Ishii, despite his well-documented control problems, uses a slurve almost exclusively against left-handers. Alfredo Aceves from the New York Yankees was also identified to throw a slurve pitch.

[edit] Concerns in pitching

Critics of the slurve call the pitch a sloppy slider because of its wide break. They claim that the slurve produces more home runs than a late breaking slider.^[1] The usefulness of the slurve is debated. The slurve is also claimed to cause problems to a pitcher. In 1998 Kerry Wood claimed his elbow soreness was caused by throwing the slurve.^[3]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• The Mechanics Of A Breaking Pitch at Popular Mechanics

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

This baseball-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v • d • e