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maddison@lemmy.ml

The Knuckler is back! Matt Waldron picks up the first win for a knuckeballer since Steven Wright in 2018 (streamable.com)

submitted 2 years ago by runwaylights@lemmy.world to c/mlb@lemmy.ml

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Matt Waldron throws it a little different than most knuckleball pitchers. He throws it harder (76.2 mph) and less often than previous knuckeballers like Tim Wakefield or R.A. Dickey. Padres manager Bob Melvin said: “It makes his fastball better. It makes his breaking ball better. It’s a pitch that he’s throwing enough now where you have to look for it a little bit, so it’s making everything a little bit better.”

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[–] runwaylights@lemmy.world 5 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I thought so too, but it could be that he doesn't need as much control als Dickey because he doesn't throw it as much. Just enough that hitters need to be wary for the knuckleball, so they get fooled on his other pitches. He throws his fastball around 91-90, but that must look a lot faster if you're also looking for a knuckeball

[–] angrymouse@lemmy.world 3 points 2 years ago (1 children)

This is not a big matter of the catcher? If you have a catchballer motherfucker maybe you can stretch a bit.

[–] runwaylights@lemmy.world 3 points 2 years ago

It definitely helps and some catchers cannot cope with the unpredictability of the knuckleball. I remember that Tim Wakefield had Doug Mirabelli as his personal catcher, but even he had trouble with catching it sometimes, especially when the wind was blowing towards the pitcher