What Is The Eephus Pitch In Baseball? Who Threw the Slowest?
Zack Greinke reportedly delivered an Eephus pitch throughout a baseball game around 2021 that hit the headlines on Television and social networking sites. Many spectators were caught off guard when Greinke fired the pitch at considerably over 50 miles per hour. Perhaps even more astonishing is the reality that this methodology has a title: the Eephus pitch. What is the Eephus pitch in baseball? Find out a little more about pitch, who made it, and so on in the specific sections beneath!
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What is an Eephus Pitch in Baseball?
Slow delivery from a pitcher to the hitter is characterized as an Eephus pitch. The low-speed pitch is intended to catch a hitter off the shield at the box. As per The Atlas, the typical baseball pace in the Major league baseball in 2016 was approximately 91 miles an hour, and an Eephus might reach up to 50 miles per hour.
Throughout a ball game, you could witness spectators or commentators have been using a slang phrase to mean the slow pitch of baseball. Folly floater, overhand softball pitch, balloon ball, rainbow pitch, and spaceball are some of the terms used only to characterize the pitch. Someone else might regard the pitch as slow-pitch baseball because the flight is elevated to lower to the batter.
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Why is it called an Eephus Pitch / Who Invented It?
In the 1940s, Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Rip Sewell invented the Eephus pitch. The term “efes” is inspired by the Hebrew term “efes,” which means exactly “nothing.” The Hebrew word properly reflects a nothing pitch. After all, it would be considered a trash pitch because it contains almost nothing extraordinary.
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Is the MLB Eephus Pitch Legal?
Major League Baseball allows the Eephus pitch to be somehow played. There seems to be no problem for most people as the pitcher does not somehow mislead the hitter by slowing or stopping in their pitching loop. Pitchers can incorporate this throw into their armoury because there is no minimal pace restriction.
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What is the Slowest MPH Pitch in MLB History?
Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers has the slowest throw in major league history. In a 2016 ballgame against the Atlanta Braves, Clayton Kershaw delivered a 46 MPH Eephus pitch. Clayton did not show up to be intending to give an Eephus pitch. Hence the baseball might well have left his grip a tad bit earlier.
Zack Greinke holds the world record for the slowest acknowledged Eephus pitch in baseball that he delivered in 2021. Against the Detroit Tigers, Zack Greinke launched a 51 mph striking throw.
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Why is the Eephus Pitch Effective?
Since it can knock off a batter’s sequencing, the Eephus pitch can indeed be beneficial. For instance, a batter would be used to pitchers hurling a 90 Miles Per Hour fastball; therefore, encountering a throw 30-40 Miles per hour slow can suddenly take them away. If they are unsure when they will see the next slow delivery, the timeframe can impair their upcoming movement.
Why is the Eephus Pitch Not Effective?
A hitter at the home plate does not in itself have an out once the Eephus pitch is delivered. In 2002, pitcher Orlando Hernandez challenged pitcher Alex Rodriguez. The Eephus pitch was provided by Orlando Hernandez to Rodriquez, who hammered the baseball for a fly ball.
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Has Anyone Thrown the Eephus Pitch in the World Series?
In 1975, the Boston Red Sox were already in the World Series there against the Cincinnati Reds. Bill Lee delivered an Eephus pitch to Tony Perez, who hit a grand slam in game 7 of the world series. The Red Sox ultimately lost the World Series in the final and pitching an Eephus baseball certainly didn’t make them succeed.
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The Bottom Line on What Is The Eephus Pitch In Baseball?
What is the Eephus pitch in baseball? Well, for so many years, the Eephus pitch has been used in Major League Baseball. Pitchers frequently execute this pitch nowadays, according to Rip Sewell’s initial idea in the 1940s. While a few pitchers, such as Greinke, can still carry off with delivering this ball, several others, such as Orlando Hernandez, have been most renowned for the moonshot base hit they pretty much gave up to Alex Rodriguez while they could.
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