The funkiest windups in MLB history

Baseball is exclusive among the many sports activities in so some ways, however certainly one of them captures our consideration each few seconds of a recreation: the pitcher with the funky windup and supply. Just as each batter has his personal stance, each pitcher has his personal windup, and sure pitchers’ motions are unorthodox, to say the least. Here’s a have a look at a few of the weirdest windups in MLB historical past.

Fernando Valenzuela
He captivated the baseball world to such an extent in 1981 that the phrase “Fernandomania” was coined to explain the unbelievable phenomenon of followers packing Dodger Stadium to see him pitch. As he started his windup, he would raise his arms over his head, and as he started to carry them down to satisfy his proper leg, he’d “look to the sky,” because the legendary Vin Scully would say.

Valenzuela made his MLB debut for the Dodgers in 1980, however made his first begin on April 9, 1981 in opposition to the Astros in Los Angeles. The left-hander proceeded to throw 5 straight full video games, together with 4 shutouts, and ended up with a run of seven full video games (5 shutouts) in his first eight profession begins.

With his baffling screwball, Valenzuela grew to become the primary pitcher in MLB historical past to win his league’s Rookie of the Year Award and Cy Young Award in the identical season in 1981. Valenzuela pitched for 17 seasons within the Majors, however his glory years got here with the Dodgers from 1980-90. On June 29, 1990, he tossed a no-hitter in opposition to the Cardinals at Dodger Stadium.

Hideo Nomo
Let’s keep on with one other well-known Dodger, lets? There was Fernandomania, after which, 14 years later, there was “Nomomania.” Nomo grew to become the second Japanese-born participant to seem in a Major League recreation when he took the mound at Candlestick Park in opposition to the Giants on May 2, 1995. The solely different Japanese-born participant to play within the Majors was one other right-handed pitcher, Masanori Murakami, who pitched for the Giants from 1964-65.

Nomo was sensational, unveiling his unorthodox windup, which concerned elevating each arms straight up within the air, then torqueing his physique in order that his again confronted the batter earlier than taking the ball out of his glove and hiding it behind his physique. Then, when his physique unwound he launched the instantly reemerging ball towards the plate. He struck out seven and walked 4 over 5 scoreless innings of one-hit ball in a 4-3, 15-inning Dodgers loss.

Nomo was named the 1995 NL Rookie of the Year and completed fourth in Cy Young Award voting. He additionally began that yr’s All-Star Game on the Ballpark in Arlington. Nomomania wasn’t long-lived — Nomo had one other sturdy season in ’96, one which included the one no-hitter in Coors Field historical past, however his decline started the next season and he grew to become a journeyman towards the tip of his profession. Still, he had a 12-year MLB profession that included one other no-hitter and one other stint with the Dodgers from 2002-04.

Tim Lincecum
They referred to as him the “Freak” as a result of someway his small body produced a 96 mph fastball when he made his Major League debut with the Giants in 2007. The right-hander used an uncommon windup that produced a large amount of torque so as to add velocity to his fastball, which he paired masterfully with a devastating changeup — upon lifting his left leg to start his windup, he turned his complete physique towards middle discipline, hid the baseball behind his proper hip after which exploded towards the plate.

Lincecum gained back-to-back NL Cy Young Awards in 2008 and ’09, and within the following yr led San Francisco’s vaunted pitching workers to the franchise’s first World Series title since shifting to San Francisco in 1958. It was Lincecum’s Game 5 masterpiece in opposition to a strong Rangers lineup within the 2010 Fall Classic that put the Giants on the cusp of successful all of it. He then threw no-hitters in 2013 and ’14 in opposition to the Padres.

Ubaldo Jiménez
Jiménez was one of the profitable beginning pitchers in Rockies historical past, posting a 3.66 ERA (128 ERA+) over six seasons with Colorado, together with an unbelievable 2010 marketing campaign wherein he completed with a 2.88 ERA (161 ERA+) and was third in NL Cy Young Award voting. He additionally threw the one no-hitter in Rockies historical past on April 17 of that season in opposition to the Braves at Turner Field.

The right-hander’s pitching movement was type of herky-jerky, however featured taking the baseball method behind his again leg in order that it was powerful, if not not possible, to see till it was already on its technique to the plate. Overall, Jiménez pitched 12 seasons within the Majors, ending with a 4.34 ERA (100 ERA+), additionally pitching for the Indians and Orioles after being traded by Colorado.

Alex Wood
Wood, a left-hander who tilts his higher physique dramatically towards the again of the mound throughout his supply, additionally hides the ball properly behind his again leg, displaying it solely a cut up second earlier than it is on its method towards the hitter. He was an up-and-coming left-hander within the Braves group, and for a time, it seemed as if he may turn into a star. He made his MLB debut with the Braves in 2013, and in his two full seasons with Atlanta (he was traded through the third), he posted a 2.89 ERA over 249 1/3 innings.

Wood was dealt to the Dodgers, and from 2016-18, he turned in a 3.29 ERA for Los Angeles, together with a 2.72 ERA over 27 appearances (25 begins) in 2017 to assist his membership attain the World Series. But that offseason, Wood was traded to Cincinnati, and endured an injury-plagued ’19, struggling to a 5.80 ERA in seven begins. He returned to the Dodgers final yr, however threw solely 12 2/3 innings on account of harm.

Joey Lucchesi
Lucchesi has a mixture of unorthodox strikes in his windup. The left-hander begins along with his arms straight up over his head, then brings them again down earlier than formally starting his supply to the plate. He then goes again over his head to start the movement and brings his palms towards his midsection, the place they meet an enormous leg kick earlier than taking the ball again behind his left leg very similar to Wood. The hitter has to someway make sense of a jumble of legs and arms earlier than the ball will get on him fast.

Juan Marichal
The “Dominican Dandy” dominated the NL through the Sixties for the Giants, posting a 2.57 ERA and finishing 197 video games over the last decade. He led the NL in wins twice (25 in 1963, 26 in ’68) and the Majors with a 2.10 ERA in 1969. The Hall of Fame right-hander is known for his very excessive leg kick throughout his windup, and that pose is captured within the type of a statue to honor him outdoors Oracle Park in San Francisco. Over a 16-year profession, Marichal went 243-142 with a 2.89 ERA.

Orlando Hernandez
“El Duque” was sensational in his first yr within the Majors after defecting from Cuba in 1998, serving to the Yankees win their second World Series championship in three years. The brother of Livan Hernandez, who was the MVP of the 1997 World Series for the Marlins, El Duque dazzled on the mound with a supply that included a really excessive leg kick that introduced his knee as much as his left shoulder. The outcomes weren’t dangerous, both — Hernandez completed fourth in AL Rookie of the Year Award voting, posting a 3.13 ERA over 21 begins for New York within the common season.

In October, Hernandez yielded only one run over 14 innings (0.64 ERA) between AL Championship Series Game 4 in opposition to the Indians after which World Series Game 2 in opposition to the Padres. In the ’99 postseason, he turned in a 1.20 ERA over 4 begins and was named MVP of the ALCS in opposition to the Red Sox. He gained two extra rings with the Yankees in 1999 and 2000, and pitched by means of 2007 for the White Sox, D-backs and Mets.

Dontrelle Willis
“D-Train” took the baseball world by storm in 2003, when he helped lead the Marlins to a World Series championship whereas successful the NL Rookie of the Year Award. The massive left-hander completed his debut season with a 3.30 ERA over 27 begins for Florida, together with two shutouts. While he had a tough first two rounds of the postseason that fall, Willis pitched 3 2/3 scoreless frames out of the bullpen within the World Series in opposition to the Yankees.

Willis had a singular supply, particularly for somebody his measurement — he would raise his proper leg all the best way as much as round his collarbone whereas turning his again to the hitter, then launch the ball out of that maze of legs and arms.

Dan Quisenberry
Quisenberry was one of the dominant relievers within the recreation from 1980-87. Over that span, he had a 2.49 ERA with 232 saves for the Royals, ending within the prime 5 for AL Cy Young Award voting 5 occasions and runner-up twice. With his submarine-style supply that concerned his launch level being almost the mound itself, Quisenberry helped the Royals win their first AL pennant in 1980, set a then-record with 45 saves in ’83, and helped Kansas City win its first World Series title in ’85. Off the mound, he was extraordinarily quotable and additionally fairly the poet.

Kent Tekulve
Tekulve was a workhorse of a reliever for the Pirates, Phillies and Reds from 1974-89, with most of his profession coming with Pittsburgh from 1974-85. The right-hander unleashed pitches sidearm and the spin he placed on the baseball baffled hitters for greater than a decade. Tekulve led the NL in reduction appearances 4 occasions and pitched greater than 100 innings in a season seven occasions. He appeared in 5 of the seven video games within the 1979 World Series, and was on the mound when the ultimate out was made to clinch the championship for the Pirates over the Orioles.

Chad Bradford
Yes, he is recognized from his “Moneyball” fame, however Bradford’s supply is what made him unforgettable lengthy earlier than that film was made. The right-handed reliever had solely appeared in 44 Major League video games when the White Sox traded him to the A’s previous to the 2001 season. Over the following three seasons, his submarine-style supply baffled hitters and led to a fair 3.00 ERA (147 ERA+) for Oakland. He went on to pitch for the A’s till they traded him to the Red Sox in 2005. He additionally pitched for the Mets, Orioles and Rays in a 12-year profession. He appeared in 24 postseason video games and was stellar, posting a 0.39 ERA.

Pat Neshek
Neshek was distinctive in that he did not ship the pitch overhand, however he did not go low both — he was someplace in between, and notably for right-handed hitters, that was a significant downside. The right-handed reliever started his profession with the Twins, pitching for Minnesota from 2006-10. But he actually started having success whereas with the A’s from 2012-13 — over that span, he posted a 2.70 ERA in 69 appearances.

Neshek was an All-Star the next season with the Cardinals, and that started a interval wherein he pitched for 4 groups in six years. His ultimate season got here in 2019, when he had a 5.00 ERA over 20 appearances for the Phillies.

Johnny Cueto
The shimmy. Perhaps what makes it so nice is that it’s ever-changing. There could possibly be a single pause, a double-shimmy, an extremely sluggish windup due to what appears to be an interminable halt within the movement simply earlier than the ball is to be delivered, or perhaps a quick-pitch. Cueto is an artist on the mound, each with the pitches he throws and the best way he delivers them. Once requested whether or not he improvised the strikes on the spot or in the event that they had been premeditated, he merely responded: “It comes from the heart.”

Daisuke Matsuzaka
“Dice-K” signed with the Red Sox to nice fanfare, notably in his native Japan, in 2007. The right-hander made his MLB debut that season after eight seasons with the Seibu Lions of Nippon Professional Baseball. His pitching movement was distinctive in that he would raise his arms up over his head, then pause, then carry his palms down to satisfy his left leg as he started his supply to the plate. Needless to say, the timing mechanism threw off a number of hitters.

Though he held his personal in his rookie season (4.40 ERA over 204 2/3 innings), which ended within the Red Sox successful their second World Series title in 4 seasons, his best marketing campaign got here in ’08, when he posted a 2.90 ERA (160 ERA+) over 29 begins and completed fourth in AL Cy Young Award voting.

Luis Tiant
If you like watching Cueto, you’ll’ve cherished to look at Tiant, who patented the windup wherein the pitcher turns his again to the plate. Tiant, who pitched primarily for the Indians and Red Sox over a 19-year massive league profession, truly appeared to rotate on an axis, along with his proper leg being the axis and his higher physique rotating towards middle discipline after which unleashing the pitch out of obscurity because it rotated again towards dwelling plate.

Tiant’s finest performances got here in 1968 with Cleveland (AL-best 1.60 ERA over 258 1/3 innings) and ’72 with Boston (MLB-best 1.91 ERA over 179 innings). He threw three full video games, together with a shutout, within the 1975 postseason for the Red Sox, who misplaced the World Series in seven video games to the Reds.

Carter Capps
The first time you see Capps’ supply, you notice that he would cover the baseball behind his again leg very similar to the “magicians” famous above. But that is not the weirdest half — he would then skip ahead and down the mound, leaping towards the hitter, as he launched the ball. Capps was having an amazing 2015 marketing campaign for the Marlins, with a 1.16 ERA over 30 reduction appearances earlier than straining his elbow. He ended up having Tommy John surgical procedure and wasn’t the identical after that, showing in solely 11 extra MLB video games with the Padres in 2017.

Jordan Walden
Walden was additionally a “skipper,” although to a lesser diploma than Capps and with out the accompanying hidden ball trick. The right-handed reliever pitched for the Angels, Braves and Cardinals from 2010-15, and was an All-Star in ’11, when he had a 2.98 ERA over a career-high 60 1/3 innings out of the bullpen.

Mitch Williams
Ever see a pitcher fall down whereas making an attempt to ship a pitch? How about one who does that on each pitch. That can be Williams, also referred to as “Wild Thing” for his erratic management. Somehow, the left-hander grew to become an All-Star nearer regardless of strolling 17 p.c of the batters he confronted throughout his 11-year MLB profession, which completed with a 3.65 ERA (111 ERA+).

Williams’ supply was regular sufficient, but it surely was what occurred afterward that everybody remembers — he would fall off the mound towards the third-base aspect and land on his palms and knees. Williams will even be remembered for surrendering Joe Carter’s World Series-winning dwelling run in Game 6 of the 1993 Fall Classic between the Phillies and Blue Jays.