Two-seam fastball Main article: Two-seam fastballĪ two-seam fastball, sometimes called a two-seamer, tailing fastball, or sinker is another variant of the straight fastball. With this grip, the thumb will generally have no seam to rest on. The thumb then rests underneath the ball about in the middle of the two fingers. Keeping those seams parallel to the body, the pitcher places his index and middle fingers perpendicular to them with the pads on the farthest seam from him. The first and most traditional way is to find the horseshoe seam area, or the area where the seams are the farthest apart. There are two general ways to throw a four-seam fastball. It is most often the fastest pitch that a pitcher throws, with recorded top speeds in the 100+ mph range. The type of fastball is intended to have minimal lateral movement, if any. The four-seam fastball is a pitch that is used often by the pitcher to get ahead in the count or when he needs to throw a strike. Pitches Four-seam fastball Main article: Four-seam fastballĪ four-seam fastball is a variant of the fastball. Gripping the ball with the fingers across the wide part of the seam (" four-seam fastball") so that both the index finger and middle finger are touching two seams perpendicularly produces a straight pitch, gripping it across the narrow part (" two-seam fastball") so that both the index finger and middle finger are along a seam produces a sinking fastball, holding a two-seam fastball off-center ("cut fastball") imparts lateral movement to the fastball, and splitting the fingers along the seams (" split-finger fastball") produces a sinking action with a lateral break. Colloquially, use of the fastball is called throwing heat or putting steam on it, among many other variants. A pitch on which this effect is most marked is often called a "rising fastball", as the ball appears to rise to the batter. Fastballs are usually thrown with backspin, so that the Magnus effect creates an upward force on the ball, causing it to fall less rapidly than might be expected. The result is known as an "exploding fastball": a pitch that seems to arrive at the plate quickly despite its low velocity. The appearance of a faster pitch to the batter can sometimes be achieved by minimizing the batter's vision of the ball before its release. Others throw more slowly but put movement on the ball or throw it on the outside of the plate where the batter cannot easily reach it. Putz have thrown it 95-105 mph (150-160 km/h), and relied on this speed to prevent the ball from being hit. Some "power pitchers," like Nolan Ryan, Roger Clemens, Troy Percival, Bob Feller, Bob Gibson, Sam McDowell, Randy Johnson, Justin Verlander, Joel Zumaya, and J.J. They’ll never get hungry, they’ll never get old and gray.The fastball is the most common type of pitch in baseball. They were grateful that the Howards got something larger-than-life attached to their legacies.”Īnyone can see the road that they walk on is paved in goldĪnd it’s always summer, they’ll never get cold “They never made a disparaging comment about this alt-rock guy writing about their family.
In 1998 you couldn’t turn on a radio without hearing his song, titled “The Way.” Years later he met the couple’s children. But Scalzo didn’t change his lyrics-he preferred his version of what had happened to them.
Lost and far from home, they had died the day after leaving Salado. Less than two weeks later, the Howards were found in their car at the bottom of a 25-foot cliff near Hot Springs, Arkansas. At the chorus, he switched to a major chord, to capture the fanciful triumph he imagined for the couple: they had found a way to cheat death and live on. “I was thinking,” he says, “maybe they just wanted to get away from their responsibilities and get back to that time when they were young lovers.”Īs this story unfolded in his mind, he began crafting some lyrics, pairing the words with a minor-key melody. They had almost certainly met with a terrible fate, but as Scalzo read, he was moved to imagine a romantic alternative. The story noted that both husband and wife were ailing: she had Alzheimer’s and he was recovering from brain surgery. One morning he came across a story in the Austin American-Statesman: “Elderly Salado Couple Missing on a Trip to Nowhere.” Lela and Raymond Howard, both in their eighties, had left home a few days earlier, headed for the Pioneer Day festival in nearby Temple-and disappeared. In the summer of 1997 Tony Scalzo was living in Austin and writing songs for his band Fastball’s second album. Press spacebar to see more share options.
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