Editing Knuckleball

{{Short description|Baseball pitch}}
{{about|the baseball pitch|the 2012 documentary film|Knuckleball!|the thriller film|Knuckleball (2018 film)|the cricket delivery|Knuckle ball (cricket)}}

[[File:Hoyt Wilhelm 1959.png|thumb|220px|[[National Baseball Hall of Fame|Hall of Fame]] knuckleballer [[Hoyt Wilhelm]] shows how he placed his fingers before a pitch.]]

A '''knuckleball''' or '''knuckler''' is a [[baseball]] [[pitch (baseball)|pitch]] thrown to minimize the spin of the ball in flight, causing an erratic, unpredictable motion. The air flow over a seam of the ball causes the ball to change from [[Laminar flow|laminar]] to [[Turbulence|turbulent]] flow. This change adds a deflecting force to the baseball, making it difficult for [[batter (baseball)|batters]] to hit but also difficult for [[pitcher]]s to control and [[catcher]]s to catch; [[umpire]]s are challenged as well, as the ball's irregular motion through the air makes it harder to call [[strike zone|balls and strikes]].<ref name=hoffman>Hoffman, Benjamin. [https://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/24/sports/baseball/knuckleball-is-tough-for-umpires-to-follow.html?pagewanted=all "Not So Easy on the Eyes"] ''[[New York Times]]'' (June 23, 2012)</ref> A pitcher who throws knuckleballs is known as a [[List of knuckleball pitchers|knuckleballer]].

==Origins==
The origins of the knuckleball are unclear. [[Toad Ramsey]] of the [[Louisville Colonels]] in the [[American Association (19th century)|American Association]]—his pitch likely resembled the [[knuckle curve]]—and [[Eddie Cicotte]] of the [[Chicago White Sox]], who in 1908 was nicknamed "Knuckles", are two possible creators of the pitch.<ref name=newyorker>{{cite magazine|last=McGrath|first=Ben|title=Project Knuckleball|magazine=[[The New Yorker]]|date=May 17, 2004|url=http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2004/05/17/040517fa_fact1?currentPage=all}}</ref> Other accounts attribute the pitch's creation to Charles H. Druery, a pitcher in the [[Blue Ridge League]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://fultonhistory.com/Newspapers%20Disk3/Watertown%20Times/Watertown%20NY%20Daily%20Times%20%201968%20Dec%20Grayscale.pdf/Watertown%20NY%20Daily%20Times%20%201968%20Dec%20Grayscale%20-%200081.pdf |title=Charles H. Druery |work=Watertown Daily |date=27 December 1968 |access-date=2014-09-18}}</ref> In 1917 Druery taught the pitch to [[Eddie Rommel]], who became successful with it for the Philadelphia Athletics.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/18698995/ |work=Cumberland Evening Times |date=27 December 1968 |access-date=2014-09-18 |title=Knuckle Ball Inventor Dead}}</ref>

==Grip and motion==
[[Image:EddieCicotte55.jpg|right|thumb|167px|[[Eddie Cicotte]], who is sometimes credited with inventing the knuckleball]]
As used by Cicotte, the knuckleball was originally thrown by holding the ball with the [[knuckle]]s, hence the name of the pitch. [[Ed Summers]], an Indianapolis teammate of Cicotte who adopted the pitch and helped develop it, modified it by holding the ball with his fingertips and using the [[thumb]] for balance, contrary to the misnomer that the ball is being held with the knuckles.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Johnson |first=David |date=June 6, 1986 |title=Richards' Elephant Mitt Fit Wilhelm's Knuckleball Like a Glove |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1986/06/06/richards-elephant-mitt-fit-wilhelms-knuckleball-like-a-glove/ |access-date=June 25, 2024 |work=[[Chicago Tribune]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=September 19, 2012 |title=Mets' Pitcher Makes 'Knuckleball!' His Own |url=https://www.npr.org/2012/09/19/161424002/mets-pitcher-makes-knuckleball-his-own |access-date=June 25, 2024 |work=[[NPR]]}}</ref> This grip can also include digging the [[fingernail]]s into the surface of the ball. The fingertip grip is more commonly used by modern knuckleball pitchers, like the Boston Red Sox pitcher [[Tim Wakefield]], who had a knuckleball with a lot of movement. There are other prominent knuckleball pitchers like Hall of Famer [[Phil Niekro]], who had a very effective knuckler and knuckle curve, and [[Cy Young Award]] winning pitcher [[R. A. Dickey]]. However, young pitchers with smaller hands tend to throw the knuckleball with their knuckles. Sometimes young players will throw the knuckleball with their knuckles flat against the ball, giving it less spin but also making it difficult to throw any significant distance.

Regardless of how the ball is gripped, the purpose of the knuckleball is to have the least possible amount of rotational spin. When thrown that way, the ball's [[trajectory]] is significantly affected by variations in airflow caused by differences between the smooth surface of the ball and the stitching of its seams. The asymmetric [[drag (physics)|drag]] that results tends to deflect the trajectory toward the side with the stitches.

Over the distance from the [[pitcher's mound]] to [[home plate]], the effect of these forces is that the knuckleball can flutter, dance, jiggle, or curve in two different directions during its flight. A pitch thrown entirely without spin is less desirable, however, than one with a very slight spin. If the ball completes between one-quarter and one-half a rotation on its way from the pitcher to the batter; the position of the stitches changes as the ball travels, affecting the drag that gives the ball its motion, thus making its flight erratic. Even a ball thrown without rotation will "flutter", due to the "apparent wind" it feels as its trajectory changes throughout its flight path.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://baseball.physics.illinois.edu/knuckleball.html |title=The Physics of Baseball: Knuckleball Research |first=Alan M. |last=Nathan |access-date=2014-09-18}}</ref>

Hitting a knuckleball is different enough from other aspects of baseball that players specifically prepare for the pitch during batting practice before games they expect it in.<ref name="reddit20121221">{{cite web | url=https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/158o2d/i_am_2time_nl_mvp_dale_murphy_former_mlb_player/?limit=1500 | title=I am 2-time NL MVP Dale Murphy, former MLB player for the Braves, Phillies and Rockies. AMA! | work=Reddit | date=2012-12-21 | access-date=December 21, 2012 | author=Murphy, Dave}}</ref> According to physicist [[Robert Adair (physicist)|Robert Adair]], due to the physiological limitation of human [[reaction time]], a [[breaking pitch|breaking]] knuckleball may be impossible to hit except by luck.{{r|newyorker}} If a knuckleball does not change direction in mid-flight, however, then it is easy to hit due to its lack of speed. (A common phrase for hitting a knuckleball is "if it's low, let it go; if it's high, let it fly"; meaning that a batter should attempt to hit a knuckleball only if it crosses the plate high in the strike zone due to lack of break.) Since it typically only travels {{Convert|60|to|70|mph|km/h}},<ref>{{cite news|url=http://mlb.sbnation.com/2012/6/24/3112079/ra-dickey-knuckleball-fast-power-mets|title=Will R. A. Dickey's Angry Knuckleball Change The Game?|work=Baseball Nation|date=June 24, 2012|access-date=June 29, 2012|author=Neyer, Rob}}</ref> far slower than the average major league fastball {{Convert|85|to|95|mph|km/h}}, it can be hit very hard if there is no movement. One 2007 study offered evidence for this conclusion.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/butterflies-are-not-bullets/|title=Butterflies are not bullets|last=Walsh|first=John|date=November 27, 2007|work=The Hardball Times|access-date=31 October 2012}}</ref> To reduce the chances of having the knuckleball get hit for a [[home run]], some pitchers will impart a slight [[topspin]] so that if no force causes the ball to dance, it will move downward in flight. Another drawback is that runners on base can usually advance more easily than if a conventional pitcher is on the mound. This is due to both the knuckleball's low average speed and its erratic movement, which force the catcher to keep focusing on the ball even after the runners attempt to [[Stolen base|steal]] a base. However, since a typical major league starting rotation exceeds the length of a series against any one opponent, one way a manager can mitigate this disadvantage is to adjust his team's pitching rotation so as to eliminate (or at least minimize) games in which a knuckleballer would pitch against teams with a preponderance of fast baserunners.

A paper presented at the 2012 Conference of the International Sports Engineering Association argues, based on [[PITCHf/x]] data, that knuckleballs do not make large and abrupt changes in their trajectories on the way to home plate—or at least, no more abrupt than a normal pitch. It speculates that the appearance of abrupt shifting may be due to the ''unpredictability'' of the changes in direction.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Nathan|first=Alan M.|date=February 29, 2012|title=Analysis of knuckleball trajectories|journal=Procedia Engineering|volume=34|pages=116–121|doi=10.1016/j.proeng.2012.04.021|doi-access=free}}</ref>

==Naming and relationship to other pitches==
[[Image:Wakefield Throws a Knuckleball.jpg|thumb|right|267px|[[Tim Wakefield]] in his throwing motion, showing his grip of the knuckleball]]
Since it developed during a period when the [[spitball]] was legal and commonly used, and was similarly surprising in its motion, the knuckleball was sometimes called the "dry spitter". Cicotte was widely reported to throw both the knuckleball and a variant on the spitball known as a "shine ball" (because he would "shine" one side of a dirty ball by rubbing it on his uniform). However, Cicotte called the shine ball "a pure freak of the imagination", claiming that he did this to disconcert hitters and that the pitch was still a knuckleball.

Other names for the knuckleball have generally alluded to its motion and slower speed. These include the flutterball, the floater, the dancer, the butterfly ball (the name for the pitch used by French language game commentators employed by the [[Montreal Expos]]), the ghostball, and the bug.

The knuckle curve has a somewhat similar name because of the grip used to throw it (also with the knuckles or fingernails), but it is generally thrown harder and with spin. The resulting motion of the pitch more closely resembles a [[curveball]], which explains the combination name. [[Toad Ramsey]], a pitcher from 1885 to 1890, is credited in some later sources with being the first knuckleballer, apparently based primarily on accounts of how he gripped the ball; however, based on more contemporary descriptions of his pitch as an "immense drop ball", it may be that his pitch was a form of knuckle curve.  Two later pitchers, [[Jesse Haines]] and [[Freddie Fitzsimmons]], were sometimes characterized as knuckleball pitchers even by their contemporaries, but in their cases it again refers to a harder-thrown, curving pitch that would probably not be called a knuckleball today. Historically, the term "knuckle curve" had a usage that was different from what it has in the game today. Many current pitchers throw a curveball using a grip with the index finger touching the ball with the knuckle or fingertip (also called a spike curve). This modern pitch is unrelated to the knuckleball.

==Physics==
The erratic movement of knuckleballs is of interest of study in the field of [[fluid dynamics]]. It is widely believed that the "knuckling" behavior is caused by [[laminar–turbulent transition]], as the [[Reynolds number]] of most knuckleballs is usually near the critical Reynolds number for spherical objects.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Higuchi |first1=Hiroshi |last2=Kiura |first2=Toshiro |date=2012 |title=Aerodynamics of knuckle ball: Flow-structure interaction problem on a pitched baseball without spin |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S088997461200028X |journal=Journal of Fluids and Structures |volume=32 |pages=65–77|doi=10.1016/j.jfluidstructs.2012.01.004 |bibcode=2012JFS....32...65H |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

The seams of a baseball have been shown to affect the separation of the [[boundary layer]] of air around a baseball, contributing to knuckleball movement.<ref>{{cite journal| last1=Borg |first1=John|last2=Morrissey|first2=Michael|date=2014|title=Aerodynamics of the knuckleball pitch: Experimental measurements on slowly rotating baseballs |url=https://baseball.physics.illinois.edu/KBall/Borg-AJP-Oct14.pdf |journal=American Journal of Physics |volume=82 |issue=10 |pages=921–927|doi=10.1119/1.4885341 |bibcode=2014AmJPh..82..921B }}</ref> However, "knuckling" behavior has also been observed in perfectly-spherical and smooth [[steel]] beads.<ref>{{cite news |last=American Physical Society's Division of Fluid Dynamics |date=November 2012 |title=What's behind the success of the soccer 'knuckleball' |url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121116085201.htm}}</ref>

==Rarity==
{{as of|2004}}, only about 70 Major League Baseball pitchers have regularly used the knuckleball during their careers, and its use has become rarer over time. This can be attributed to a variety of factors. The first is [[selection bias]] in [[Scout (sport)|scouting]]. Because the speed of any prospect's pitch is one of the quickest and easiest metrics in judging the skill of the prospect, the knuckleball, which is thrown slower than any other pitch, gets overlooked. [[Tim Wakefield]] argued that "The problem is that [baseball] is so radar gun-oriented." Former knuckleballer and pitching coach [[Charlie Hough]] says that the increased rarity of the knuckleball is due to scouts increasingly looking only for the best arm.<ref name="MLB.com">{{cite web|url=http://m.mlb.com/news/article/13690088/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141024180429/http://m.mlb.com/news/article/13690088/|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 24, 2014|title=Knuckleballers' paths as tricky as the pitch|work=Major League Baseball}}</ref> This effect is increasing over time as the modern game continues to emphasize power in pitching and average pitch speed increases.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://triblive.com/sports/mlb/5423918-74/mph-velocity-cole|title=MLB pitchers setting velocity records, altering balance of power|work=TribLIVE.com}}</ref>

[[Hoyt Wilhelm]], [[Phil Niekro]], and [[Jesse Haines]], three pitchers who primarily relied on the knuckleball, have been inducted into the [[Baseball Hall of Fame]]. Additionally, [[Ted Lyons]], another member of the Hall of Fame, relied heavily on the knuckleball after injuring his arm in 1931.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://research.sabr.org/journals/ted-lyons/|title=The Sunday Saga of Ted Lyons|author=Administrator|work=sabr.org}}</ref> Niekro was given the nickname "Knucksie" during his career. Other prominent knuckleball pitchers have included [[Joe Niekro]] (Phil's brother), [[Charlie Hough]], [[Dave Jolly]], [[Ben Flowers]], [[Wilbur Wood]], [[Barney Schultz]], [[Tom Candiotti]], [[Bob Purkey]], [[Steve Sparks (pitcher, born 1965)|Steve Sparks]], [[Eddie Rommel]], Tim Wakefield, [[Steven Wright (baseball)|Steven Wright]], and [[R. A. Dickey]]. During the 1945 season, with talent depleted by call-ups to fight in World War II, the [[Washington Senators (1901–60)|Washington Senators]] had a pitching rotation which included four knuckleball pitchers ([[Dutch Leonard (right-handed pitcher)|Dutch Leonard]], [[Johnny Niggeling]], [[Mickey Haefner|Mickey "Itsy Bitsy" Haefner]], and [[Roger Wolff]]) who combined for 60 complete [[game]]s and 60 wins, carrying the Senators to second place. Hall of Fame pitcher [[Bob Gibson]] said he threw a knuckleball in practice, and that one time in a game he used it to get [[Hank Aaron]] out.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Gibson |first1=Bob |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8yQrrSERsu0C |title=Sixty Feet, Six Inches: A Hall of Fame Pitcher & a Hall of Fame Hitter Talk About How the Game Is Played |last2=Jackson |first2=Reggie |last3=Wheeler |first3=Lonnie |date=2011-04-05 |publisher=Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group |isbn=978-0-7679-3110-6 |pages=88–89 |language=en}}</ref>

In November 2008, it was announced that 16-year-old knuckleballer [[Eri Yoshida]] was drafted as the first woman ever to play in Japanese professional baseball for the [[Kobe 9 Cruise]] of the [[Kansai Independent Baseball League]]. On March 2, 2010, she trained with Tim Wakefield at the [[Boston Red Sox]] minor-league training facility.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.weei.com/sports/boston/baseball/red-sox/alex-speier/2010/03/03/knuckleball-life-comes-full-circle-wakefield|date=March 3, 2010|title=Knuckleball life comes full circle for Wakefield|last=Speier|first=Alex |work=[[WEEI (AM)|WEEI]]|access-date=May 24, 2011}}</ref> And on April 8, 2010, she signed with the [[Chico Outlaws]], debuting on May 29, 2010.<ref name="Knuckle Princess Arrives">{{cite news|last=Witz|first=Billy|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/31/sports/baseball/31pitcher.html?src=me&ref=general|title=Japan's 'Knuckle Princess' Arrives in U.S.|newspaper=The New York Times|date=May 30, 2010}}</ref>

Another factor contributing to the rarity of the knuckleball is the difficulty of throwing it. [[R. A. Dickey]] estimates that it takes at least a year to grasp its fundamentals. The knuckleball is radically different from any other pitch in a pitcher's arsenal, being less predictable and difficult to control. It is for this reason that the knuckleball is widely regarded as unreliable, and knuckleball pitchers are prone to extended slumps, such as when Tim Wakefield was released from the Pirates in a mid-career slump during spring training in 1995.<ref name="MLB.com"/> Another reason for the difficulty of the knuckleball is due to the [[network effect]]. Because there are so few knuckleball pitchers, the resources for learning and improving the knuckleball are few compared to more common pitches. Pitching coaches often struggle with knuckleball pitchers due to a lack of experience with the pitch. "I think the hardest thing for me is just the alone-ness that you feel sometimes because nobody else really does it," said Wakefield.<ref name="MLB.com"/>

Coaches have also been seen as a barrier to succeeding with the knuckleball. [[Jim Bouton]] said, "coaches don't respect it. You can pitch seven good innings with a knuckleball, and as soon as you walk a guy they go, 'See, there's that damn knuckleball.{{'"}} R. A. Dickey argues that, "for most managers, it takes a special manager to be able to really trust it—the bad and the good of it. Coaches are quick to banish the pitch after one bad outing. This was common due to the amount of practice one must put into the pitch. And traditionally, if you look at Tim Wakefield, Joe and Phil Niekro, Tom Candiotti, Wilbur Wood, Hoyt Wilhelm and all the guys that threw it, through their success they had guys who really believed in what it could do long-term and committed to giving them the ball every fifth day to do it."<ref name="MLB.com"/>

In 1991, Hall of Fame catcher [[Rick Ferrell]] was quoted as saying, "I think the knuckleball is fading out." Ferrell knew knuckleballs: he had the task of being the Washington Senators catcher in 1944–45, when the Senators had four knuckleball pitchers in their starting rotation. Furthermore, other factors, such as a dearth of knuckleball teachers and the dramatic increase in the running game—base stealing is often easier against knuckleball pitchers—may be contributing to its demise.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1876&dat=19910804&id=LrEeAAAAIBAJ&pg=6855,777685|title=Knuckleball pitchers may be a dying breed|work=Herald-Journal|via=Google News Archive Search}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1817&dat=19910706&id=KzgdAAAAIBAJ&pg=1980,731371|title=The art of the mysterious knuckleball is on the verge of extinction|work=The Tuscaloosa News|via=Google News Archive Search}}</ref>

Perhaps as a result, knuckleball pitchers often view themselves as members of an exclusive club, with its own [[uniform number]] (49, first worn by Wilhelm) and leader (Phil Niekro, whom ''The New Yorker'' in 2004 called "the undisputed Grand Poobah" of the group after Wilhelm's death).{{r|newyorker}} Because they cannot discuss pitching with non knuckleball-using teammates, they often share tips and insights even if on competing teams, and believe that they have a responsibility to help younger players develop the pitch.<ref name="mcadam20080722">{{cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/columns/story?id=3500094|title=Wakefield, Dickey share a unique relationship|work=ESPN|date=2008-07-22|access-date=2013-05-03|author=McAdam, Sean}}</ref> When, in 2012, R. A. Dickey became the first [[Cy Young Award]]-winning knuckleball pitcher, he called the award "a victory for … the knuckleball fraternity", and of the dozens of phone calls he received after the announcement, Niekro's was the only one he answered.<ref name="schilken20121115">{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/sports/la-xpm-2012-nov-15-la-sp-sn-r-a-dickey-20121115-story.html|title=R. A. Dickey calls Cy Young Award a victory for all knuckleballers|work=Los Angeles Times|date=2012-11-15|access-date=2013-04-07|author=Schilken, Chuck}}</ref>

When originally developed, the knuckleball was used by a number of pitchers as simply one pitch in their repertoire, usually as part of changing speeds from their [[fastball]]. It is almost never used in a mixed repertoire today, however, and some believe that to throw the knuckleball effectively with some semblance of control over the pitch, one must throw it more or less exclusively.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7FfRLE6I5EEC&pg=PA44|title=The Neyer/James Guide to Pitchers|isbn=9781439103777|last1=James|first1=Bill|last2=Neyer|first2=Rob|date=16 June 2008|publisher=Simon and Schuster }}</ref> At the same time, pitchers rarely focus on the knuckleball if they have reasonable skill with more standard pitches. Unlike conventional pitches, which perform fast results without much exertion, a knuckleball pitcher must train his body and muscle memory to be able to execute a 65&nbsp;mph pitch with less than one rotation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bleacherreport.com/articles/23525-the-future-of-the-knuckleball|title=The Future of the Knuckleball|author=Nate Beard|work=Bleacher Report}}</ref>

On June 24, 2023, the [[San Diego Padres]] called up [[Matt Waldron]] to start against the [[Washington Nationals]];<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/padres-calling-up-knuckleballer-matt-waldron-to-start-saturday-vs-nationals/ |title=Padres calling up knuckleballer Matt Waldron to start Saturday vs. Nationals |author=Mike Axisa |date=June 23, 2023 |access-date=June 24, 2023 |website=CBSSports.com}}</ref> this makes him the most recent and only active knuckleballer in Major League Baseball. Prior to Waldron, [[Steven Wright (baseball)|Steven Wright]] of the [[Boston Red Sox]] was considered to be the last active knuckleballer in the MLB; he has since been released from the team.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/steven-wright-released-by-red-sox |title=Red Sox release knuckleballer Wright |author=Ian Browne |date=October 18, 2019 |access-date=January 27, 2021 |website=MLB.com}}</ref> [[Mickey Jannis]], prior player of the [[Baltimore Orioles]] organization, also throws the knuckleball, and made his major league debut on June 23, 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2021/06/24/orioles-mickey-jannis-knuckleball-pitcher-debut |title=Knuckleballer Mickey Jannis Making His MLB Debut at Age 33 Is So Cool |author=DAN GARTLAND |date=June 24, 2021 |access-date=June 28, 2021 |publisher=Sports Illustrated}}</ref>

Among [[Pitching by position players|position players making pitching appearances]], those who have utilized the knuckleball include [[Wade Boggs]],<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-aug-11-sp-64806-story.html | title=Boggs Can be a Pitcher Too | website=[[Los Angeles Times]] | date=11 August 1999 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.mlb.com/cut4/wade-boggs-pitches-against-angels-throws-knuckleball-c290620092 | title=You knew Wade Boggs could hit, but did you also know he had a nasty knuckleball? | website=[[MLB.com]] | date=19 August 2018 }}</ref> [[Danny Worth]],<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.mlb.com/news/tigers-danny-worth-debuts-knuckleball-in-rare-mound-appearance/c-76419228 | title=Worth debuts knuckleball in rare mound appearance | website=[[MLB.com]] | date=22 May 2014 }}</ref> [[Alex Blandino]],<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/mlb/reds/2018/07/12/alex-blandino-pitches-8th-blowout-reds-strikes-out-two-indians/777902002/ | title=Position players pitch: Alex Blandino outdoes fellow St. Francis HS alum Daniel Descalso }}</ref> and [[Ernie Clement]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.mlb.com/news/ernie-clement-on-pitching-debut-vs-twins | title=Catcher turned third baseman turned knuckleballer ... In one day | website=[[MLB.com]] }}</ref>

On October 1, 2023, pitcher [[George Kirby (baseball)|George Kirby]] of the [[Seattle Mariners]] threw his first knuckleball in an MLB game, drawing a swing and miss from the [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]]' [[Corey Seager]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-10-01 |title=Mariners' George Kirby unveils knuckleball in final game of the season |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/mariners/mariners-george-kirby-unveils-knuckleball-in-final-game-of-the-season/ |access-date=2023-11-17 |website=The Seattle Times |language=en-US}}</ref> After the game, Kirby confirmed that he chose this day to debut the pitch as a tribute to [[Boston Red Sox]] knuckleballer and World Series champion [[Tim Wakefield]],<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Williams |first=Madison |date=2023-10-02 |title=Mariners' George Kirby Had the Best Tribute to Tim Wakefield |url=https://www.si.com/mlb/2023/10/02/george-kirby-tim-wakefield-mariners-red-sox-best-tribute |access-date=2023-11-17 |magazine=Sports Illustrated |language=en-us}}</ref> who had died that morning.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sandomir |first=Richard |date=2023-10-01 |title=Tim Wakefield, Pitcher Who Helped Boston Break the Curse, Dies at 57 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/01/obituaries/tim-wakefield-dead.html |access-date=2024-07-05 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

==Use in pitching==
The knuckleball does provide some advantages to its practitioners. It does not need to be thrown hard (in fact, throwing too hard may diminish its effectiveness), and is therefore less taxing on the arm. Knuckleball pitchers can throw more [[inning]]s than other pitchers, and, requiring less time to recover after pitching, can pitch more frequently. The lower physical strain also fosters longer careers. Some knuckleballers have continued to pitch professionally well into their forties: [[Tim Wakefield]], [[Hoyt Wilhelm]], [[R. A. Dickey]], [[Charlie Hough]], [[Tom Candiotti]], and the brothers [[Phil Niekro]] and [[Joe Niekro]].{{r|newyorker}}

Pitchers like Bouton have found success as knuckleballers after their ability to throw hard declined. Bouton's famous best-selling book ''[[Ball Four]]'' (1970), while scandalous at the time for its unvarnished and often uncomplimentary portrayal of player behavior and coaching small-mindedness, is primarily about trying to stay in the major leagues as a knuckleball pitcher.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/10/sports/baseball/jim-bouton-dead-ball-four.html | title=Jim Bouton, Author of Tell-All Baseball Memoir 'Ball Four,' Dies at 80 | author-first=Bruce | author-last=Weber | newspaper=The New York Times | date=July 19, 2019}}</ref>

==Catching==
{{rquote|right|The way to catch a knuckleball is to wait until it stops rolling and pick it up.|[[Bob Uecker]]{{r|hoffman}}}}
As with hitters, the unpredictable motion of the knuckleball makes it one of the most difficult pitches for catchers to handle, and they tend to be charged with a significantly higher number of [[passed ball]]s. Former catcher [[Bob Uecker]], who caught for Phil Niekro, said, "The way to catch a knuckleball is to wait until it stops rolling and pick it up."<ref name=hoffman /> Bouton said, "Catchers hate it. Nobody likes to warm up with you." According to Adair, the 150&nbsp;ms minimum human [[reaction time]] may be too slow to adjust to a knuckleball's changing direction.{{r|newyorker}}

A team will sometimes employ a catcher solely for games started by a knuckleballer.{{r|keating20130402}} The "knuckleball catcher" is equipped with an oversized knuckleball catcher's mitt,<ref name="sullivan20120710">{{cite web | url=https://www.sbnation.com/2012/7/10/3150552/carlos-ruiz-josh-thole-ra-dickey-glove | title=All-Star Game 2012: The Glove To Catch R. A. Dickey | publisher=SB Nation | access-date=26 May 2014 | author=Sullivan, Jeff| date=10 July 2012 }}</ref> similar to a [[first baseman's glove]]; [[Doug Mirabelli]], formerly of the [[Red Sox]], used a [[softball]] catcher's mitt. The [[Boston Red Sox]], in their [[2004 in baseball|2004]] world championship season, had Mirabelli regularly catching in place of [[Jason Varitek]] when [[Tim Wakefield]] was pitching. This use of a "specialist" catcher continued into the 2008 season following the signing of [[Kevin Cash]], and 2009 saw [[George Kottaras]] fulfill this role. On August 26, the first time [[Víctor Martínez (baseball)|Victor Martinez]] caught Wakefield, he used a [[first baseman's glove]], instead of a regular catcher's mitt.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://soxblog.projo.com/2009/08/victor-martinez-1.html |title=Victor Martinez passes the Wakefield test |date=August 26, 2009 |last=Barbarisi |first=Dan |work=[[The Providence Journal]] |access-date=May 24, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715121744/http://soxblog.projo.com/2009/08/victor-martinez-1.html |archive-date=July 15, 2011 }}</ref> For a catcher, a key disadvantage to using a first baseman's glove mitt is that they are not designed for easy extraction of the ball from the glove, making it harder to prevent baserunners from [[stolen base|stealing]].

On occasion, teams have traded knuckleball pitchers and their catchers in the same transaction. In baseball terminology the pitcher and catcher together are known as a "battery", and having a catcher experienced in catching a knuckleball pitcher is preferable, so the trade of pitcher and catcher together is sometimes referred to as a "batteries included" trade.  For example, [[Josh Thole]] and [[Mike Nickeas]] went with Dickey when the pitcher was traded to the [[Toronto Blue Jays]] in late 2012, and the team later signed [[Henry Blanco]], who also caught for Dickey.<ref name="keating20130402">{{cite news | url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-baseball-bluejays-knuckleball-idUSBRE93203V20130403 | title=Arencibia lives knuckleball nightmare on opening day | date=2013-04-02 | work=Reuters | access-date=2013-04-07 | author=Keating, Steve}}</ref>

The record for passed balls in an inning (4) was first set by [[Ray Katt]] of the [[History of the New York Giants (NL)|New York Giants]] in 1954, catching Hoyt Wilhelm.<ref name="mlbcom2013">{{cite news|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130806&content_id=56093818&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb |title=Red Sox catcher Ryan Lavarnway ties big league record with four passed balls |work=mlb.com |access-date=September 27, 2013}}</ref> It was tied by [[Geno Petralli]] of the Texas Rangers in 1987 while trying to catch knuckleball pitcher [[Charlie Hough]], and tied again in 2013 when [[Ryan Lavarnway]] of the Boston Red Sox had four in the first inning, catching knuckleballer [[Steven Wright (baseball)|Steven Wright]] in Wright's first major league start.<ref name="mlbcom2013"/>

Varitek holds the postseason record with three passed balls in the 13th inning of [[2004 American League Championship Series#Game 5|Game 5 of the 2004 American League Championship Series]] while catching Wakefield.<ref>{{cite web|author1=Mark Feinsand|title=Yanks, Sox headed back to NY|url=http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/content/printer_friendly/nyy/y2004/m10/d18/c899464.jsp|work=MLB.com|access-date=2014-09-18|date=19 October 2004|archive-date=2016-03-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304054100/http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/content/printer_friendly/nyy/y2004/m10/d18/c899464.jsp|url-status=dead}} The passed balls allowed Yankee Gary Sheffield to reach first after a strikeout and then advance to second and third; but didn't score, and the Red Sox won the game.</ref>

In 2013, [[J. P. Arencibia]] set a [[Toronto Blue Jays]] franchise record by allowing four passed balls in the season opener (a 4–2 loss) while catching for knuckleballer R. A. Dickey. He never caught for Dickey again.

==Use in other sports==
===Cricket===
{{main|Knuckle ball (cricket)}}
The knuckleball is also employed by [[cricket]] fast bowlers [[Zaheer Khan]], [[Bhuvneshwar Kumar]] and [[Andrew Tye]] as their slower delivery. The physics of the operation are largely the same. However, the seam on a cricket ball is equatorial, and thus the extent of erratic movement is reduced due to the symmetry (at least in the conventional release position where the planes of the ball's trajectory and the seam are nearly co-planar). In addition, the lack of backspin does shorten the length of the delivery, and also tends to make the ball skid off the pitch—faster than it would come off a normal delivery.<ref>{{cite news |title=Cricket World Cup: The writers' verdicts |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2011/apr/04/cricket-world-cup-writers-verdicts |access-date=7 October 2012 |newspaper=The Guardian |date=April 4, 2011 |location=London |first1=Mike |last1=Selvey |first2=Vic |last2=Marks |first3=Andy |last3=Bull |first4=David |last4=Hopps}}</ref>

===Volleyball===
In [[volleyball]], the [[float serve]] involves hitting the volleyball in such a way to minimize the rotation of the ball, causing unpredictability in the ball's movement. When done correctly, the float serve is hard for opponents to predict where the ball will end up, thus rendering it hard to pass.

===Association football===
In [[association football]] (soccer), the method of [[Shooting (association football)#Depending on the ball movement|striking]] the ball so that it produces almost no [[Curl (football)|spinning]] motion during its flight has been colloquially described as "'''knuckleballing'''" by commentators, due to the ball's motion that resembles a baseball thrown with a knuckleball pitch. This shooting technique is frequently used by players for long-range shots and [[Direct free kick|free kicks]]. A successful knuckleball shot will move, dip, or wobble in the air unpredictably, making it difficult for the goalkeeper to save.<ref name =fifa1>{{cite web|url=https://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/news/newsid=625416.html |title=Who is the free-kick master? |publisher=FIFA.com |date=30 October 2007 |access-date=27 April 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080418062530/http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/news/newsid%3D625416.html |archive-date=18 April 2008 }}</ref> This technique has also been described as the "dry leaf" or "dead leaf" ({{Lang|pt|folha seca}} in Portuguese),<ref name="FIFA2"/> the "tomahawk",<ref name="dilemma"/> or even "the accursed" ({{Lang|it|maledetta}} in Italian).<ref name="maledetta"/>

One of the main proponents of this shooting technique was Brazilian playmaker [[Juninho Pernambucano]], who popularised it in particular during his time with [[Olympique Lyonnais|Lyon]] in the mid 2000s;<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/article/7ff3d21d-6ff3-480b-b22c-3b198bad381f |title=Noughty Boys: No one hit a free-kick quite like Juninho Pernambucano |publisher=BBC Sport |last1=Anka |first1=Carl |date=16 December 2018 |access-date=26 October 2019 }}</ref> however, it is commonly thought to have been invented by compatriot [[Didi (footballer, born 1928)|Didi]],<ref name="FIFA2">[https://web.archive.org/web/20120617103741/http://www.fifa.com/newscentre/features/news/newsid=1551015/index.html "Kings of the free-kick"]. FIFA.com. Retrieved 20 May 2014</ref><ref name="obituary1">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2001/may/15/guardianobituaries.football|title=Didi|work=The Guardian|author1=Brian Glanville|date=15 May 2001|access-date=21 February 2017}}</ref><ref name="obituary2">{{cite web|title=Didi|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1330266/Didi.html|publisher=The Telegraph|access-date=21 February 2017|date=15 May 2001}}</ref> although Italian forward [[Giuseppe Meazza]] before him is also credited with using the technique.<ref name="The inimitable Giuseppe Meazza">{{cite web|url=https://www.fifa.com/mensyoutholympic/news/y=2011/m=1/news=the-inimitable-giuseppe-meazza-1363217.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191026180026/https://www.fifa.com/mensyoutholympic/news/y%3D2011/m%3D1/news%3Dthe-inimitable-giuseppe-meazza-1363217.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 26, 2019|title=The inimitable Giuseppe Meazza|publisher=FIFA.com|access-date=21 January 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1584379-pele-to-zico-to-beckham-to-ronaldo-evolution-of-the-free-kick-masters |title=Pele to Zico to Beckham to Ronaldo: Evolution of the Free-Kick Masters |publisher=Bleacher Report |last1=Tidey |first1=Will |date=23 March 2013 |access-date=26 October 2019 }}</ref><ref name="magliarossonera.it">{{cite web|url=http://www.magliarossonera.it/protagonisti/Gioc-Meazza.html|title=Giuseppe Meazza|publisher=Magliarossonera.it|language=it|access-date=3 January 2016}}</ref><ref name="Technical gifts">{{cite web |url=http://www.giuseppemeazza.it/en/goal-a-invito-meazza |title=Technical gifts |publisher=www.giuseppemeazza.it |access-date=26 October 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/fantasy/story/_/id/27910799/looking-deeper-el-clasico-hold |title=Giuseppe Meazza: Champion of the world |publisher=ESPN FC |last1=Hackett |first1=Robin |date=13 September 2012 |access-date=26 October 2019 }}</ref> This technique has also been used and even adapted by several other players, such as [[Andrea Pirlo]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://copadomundo.uol.com.br/noticias/redacao/2014/06/11/mestre-de-pirlo-juninho-pernambucano-ensinou-italiano-a-bater-falta.htm#fotoNav=21|title=Mestre de Pirlo, Juninho Pernambucano ensinou italiano a bater falta |publisher=[[uol.com.br|UOL]] |language=pt|first=Mauricio|last=Stycer|date=11 June 2014}}</ref><ref name="maledetta">{{cite news|url=http://www.gazzetta.it/Calcio/Squadre/Juventus/11-11-2013/juventus-pirlo-ma-che-punizione-hai-tirato-maledetta-che-sfida-fisica-201549826321.shtml|title=Juventus: Pirlo, ma che punizione hai tirato? La maledetta che sfida la fisica|work=La Gazzetta dello Sport|language=it|last=Gerna|first=Jacopo|date=11 November 2013|access-date=21 January 2015}}</ref> [[Ronaldinho]], [[Cristiano Ronaldo]],<ref name="Shooters"/> [[Didier Drogba]],<ref name="Shooters">{{cite news |title=The Top 15 Best Shooters in World Football |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/748074-the-top-15-best-shooters-in-world-football |access-date=15 October 2020 |magazine=Bleacher Report}}</ref> [[Marcus Rashford]], [[Gareth Bale]],<ref name="dilemma">{{cite web |url=https://as.com/diarioas/2013/09/14/english/1379173980_744863.html |title=Set-piece dilemma: CR7 Tomahawk vs Bale Knuckleball |publisher=as.com |first=Pedro P. |last=San Martín |date=14 September 2013 |access-date=13 December 2018 }}</ref> and [[Barbara Bonansea]].<ref name="FIFA2019">{{cite web|url= https://www.fifa.com/womensworldcup/news/bonansea-i-was-always-daydreaming-of-football-in-class |title= Bonansea: I was always daydreaming of football in class |publisher=[[FIFA.com]] |date=4 February 2019}}</ref>

===American football===
In [[American football]], a knuckleball is occasionally employed by [[Punter (gridiron football)|punters]]. [[Chris Gardocki]] achieved a knuckleball effect by [[Punt (gridiron football)|punting]] towards the left sideline with his left foot, leading to unpredictable results. [[Sam Koch]] developed the technique further, kicking the [[Ball (gridiron football)|football]] at an angle to reduce spin. Koch would often aim his knucklers towards the middle of the field in an attempt to bait the [[Return specialist|returner]] into trying to catch the ball. Because of the unpredictable nature of a knuckler, this could lead the returner to [[Muffed punt|muff the punt]] and cause a turnover.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Seifert |first=Kevin |date=December 15, 2015 |title=Sam Koch has changed the punting game -- and almost no one noticed |url=https://www.espn.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/191948/sam-koch-has-changed-the-punting-game-and-almost-no-one-noticed |access-date=November 2, 2022 |website=ESPN.com |language=en |archive-date=November 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221102181700/https://www.espn.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/191948/sam-koch-has-changed-the-punting-game-and-almost-no-one-noticed |url-status=live }}</ref> A knuckleball may also be used to describe a kick by a [[Placekicker|kicker]], either field goals or extra points, if the ball is not hit well.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tyler Bass tucks 52-yard knuckleball FG inside left upright |url=https://www.nfl.com/videos/tyler-bass-tucks-52-yard-knuckleball-fg-inside-left-upright |access-date=2024-08-05 |website=NFL.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Baseball}}
*[[List of knuckleball pitchers]]
*''[[Knuckleball!]]'', 2012 documentary

==References==
'''Notes'''
{{Reflist|2}}

'''Bibliography'''
* {{cite book|last=Adair|first=Robert Kemp|title=The physics of baseball|year=1990|publisher=Harper & Row|location=New York|isbn=0-06-096461-8|edition=1st|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/zdanh_test_031_physicsofbasebal00adai}}
* {{cite magazine|last=McGrath|first=Ben|title=Project Knuckleball|magazine=[[The New Yorker]]|date=May 17, 2004|url=http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2004/05/17/040517fa_fact1|quote=An article in ''[[The New Yorker]]'' about the history of the knuckleball and contemporary knuckleball pitchers.}}
* {{cite news|last=Center|first=Bill|title=Q&A with Josh Banks|url=http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2008/jun/28/q-josh-banks/?padres|access-date=May 24, 2011|newspaper=[[The San Diego Union-Tribune]]|date=June 28, 2008}}

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
* [http://www.oddball-mall.com/knuckleball Knuckleball Headquarters] – Comprehensive collection of information about the pitch and those who have thrown it
* [http://www.oddball-mall.com/knuckleball/list.htm The (Mostly) Complete List of Knuckleball Pitchers] – A list of just about everyone who's thrown the pitch in the major leagues, with links to each player's career stats.
* [https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5377333 NPR.org on the Red Sox's re-acquisition of Doug Mirabelli]

{{Baseball pitches|state=expanded}}
{{Baseball}}

[[Category:Baseball pitches]]