OT: Best Overhand Curveballs

[rudad02]

Don't see the overhand curve[12 to 6] anymore. Was a really tough, if not impossible, pitch to hit.
Best I ever saw:
Camilo Pascual--Washington Senators & other teams. Ted Williams said that Pascual had the most feared curveball in the Big Leagues for 18 years;
Sandy Koufax--LA Dodgers. Williams didn't face Koufax, who broke out just as Williams was going out. Pretty GD unhittable;
Carl Erskine--Brooklyn Dodgers. Great overhand Curve. Struck out 14 yanks in the Series.

The following may not have been quite [12 to 6], but were really close & tough to hit: Nolan Ryan, Jerry Koosman, Bert Blyleven, Don Sutton, Herb Score.

 

[e5fdny]

Don't see the overhand curve[12 to 6] anymore. Was a really tough, if not impossible, pitch to hit.
Best I ever saw:
Camilo Pascual--Washington Senators & other teams. Ted Williams said that Pascual had the most feared curveball in the Big Leagues for 18 years;
Sandy Koufax--LA Dodgers. Williams didn't face Koufax, who broke out just as Williams was going out. Pretty GD unhittable;
Carl Erskine--Brooklyn Dodgers. Great overhand Curve. Struck out 14 yanks in the Series.

The following may not have been quite [12 to 6], but were really close & tough to hit: Nolan Ryan, Jerry Koosman, Bert Blyleven, Don Sutton.

@zappaa, do you think Rube Walker might have helped with those two?

 

[Westcoast]

Gooden and Wainright come to mind.

 

[rubaseball78]

Regarding Ryan I recently read he was clocked at 85 mph throwing out a first pitch at 60+ years of age.

 

[RUforJERSEY]

There's no such thing as a real curve on a thrown baseball. It's all an optical illusion. Bur seriously from my recollection former Met starter turned reliever Neil Allen also had a very good curve.

 

[rudad02]

There's no such thing as a real curve on a thrown baseball. It's all an optical illusion. Bur seriously from my recollection former Met starter turned reliever Neil Allen also had a very good curve.

No shit. Ever try hitting a 12-6 curveball.

 

[newwavedave1]

Kershaw has a great one.

 

[RUforJERSEY]

No shit. Ever try hitting a 12-6 curveball.

I'm far more adept at hitting the heat. Like Jay Johnstone there wasn't one I wouldn't turn on. LOL

 

[MADHAT1]

Camilo Pascual, brings back some old time bb memories.
Liked him and Pedro Ramos , both played for a loser, in Washington, but were winners in their own right
Camilo's curve was feared
Pedro's ( tobacco juice) Cuban Palm Ball was well known

 

[Rutgers1976]

from the mid 60s I thought I remembered Jim Bouton having a good curve before his arm went bad and turned to the knuckeball. I looked it up and found that he used to tell a story about Joe Morgan who said there are two types of curveballs. A curveball that you could see and occasionally hit and a "motherf***ing* curve that was unhittable. I believe he may have been referring to a Steve Carlton curve.

 

[nutfromSEC117]

Me !!
9 pitches 3 K’s all curves vs Wildwood SR year

Pat myself on the back 😂😂😂😂

 

[MADHAT1]

from the mid 60s I thought I remembered Jim Bouton having a good curve before his arm went bad and turned to the knuckeball. I looked it up and found that he used to tell a story about Joe Morgan who said there are two types of curveballs. A curveball that you could see and occasionally hit and a "motherf***ing* curve that was unhittable. I believe he may have been referring to a Steve Carlton curve.

I believe it was Carlton's slider that was considered unhittable
He did have a good slow breaking curve that set up his slider
and his fastball had some speed to it.
But the slider was what Steve was known for

 

[Kbee3]

On his good days Domingo German's curve is virtually unhittable.

 

[ClassOf02]

Mine is pretty strong….with a whiffle ball.

 

[yesrutgers01]

I didn't see Koufax. First big CB's I got to see were Koosman and Blyleven. And when Doc was on- his curve just froze the shit out of hitters. Having a nasty attitude and a blazing fastball is always helpful too. I would put Nolan up there but his complete lack of control just keeps him off my list.

 

[RUBubba]

First three that came to mind were Gooden, Blyleven, and Kershaw.

Neil Allen did have a good one too.

 

[rudad02]

Gooden and Wainright come to mind.

Yeah Gooden had a nasty hook. Can't seem to remember Wainright.
Best I ever faced belonged to Roger Bowman. Bowman played parts of three seasons with the NYG & parts of two with the Pirates. He had a great minor league career including one with the Jersey City Giants & several with Triple A clubs, including two no hitters in the Pacific Coast League.
After he retired he pitched for the Amsterdam Textiles, a fast semi- pro club from his hometown Amsterdam NY.
We used played the Textiles home & home for a couple of years. Bowman was a tall lefty with a great overhand curveball. One game he struck me out with it 3 times. And I was a real good curveball hitter & didn't strike out much. That ball started out at the bill of your cap & ended up at your shoe tops--straight down. I would see it swear I was going to hit it & swing right through it. Most have lost his mind one at bat & threw me a straight ball that I lined for a triple. He was also the only guy I couldn't run on. Brought that right leg up real high & just hung it there, no way I could tell where he was going to go.

 

[mikebal9]

Barry Zito had one of the best I've ever seen.

 

[Westcoast]

Yeah Gooden had a nasty hook. Can't seem to remember Wainright.
Best I ever faced belonged to Roger Bowman. Bowman played parts of three seasons with the NYG & parts of two with the Pirates. He had a great minor league career including one with the Jersey City Giants & several with Triple A clubs, including two no hitters in the Pacific Coast League.
After he retired he pitched for the Amsterdam Textiles, a fast semi- pro club from his hometown Amsterdam NY.
We used played the Textiles home & home for a couple of years. Bowman was a tall lefty with a great overhand curveball. One game he struck me out with it 3 times. And I was a real good curveball hitter & didn't strike out much. That ball started out at the bill of your cap & ended up at your shoe tops--straight down. I would see it swear I was going to hit it & swing right through it. Most have lost his mind one at bat & threw me a straight ball that I lined for a triple. He was also the only guy I couldn't run on. Brought that right leg up real high & just hung it there, no way I could tell where he was going to go.

Wainright just retired. But Carlos Beltran remembers his curve.

 

[NewJerseyGuy]

Dr. K

and me.

 

[Kbee3]

Koufax was the best I've ever seen.

 

[yessir321]

Closest thing in today’s game is Felix Bautista’s Splitter

 

[yesrutgers01]

Closest thing in today’s game is Felix Bautista’s Splitter

If we want to change it to splitters- then there is a complete different list- let's keep it to the 12-6

 

[rubaseball78]

from the mid 60s I thought I remembered Jim Bouton having a good curve before his arm went bad and turned to the knuckeball. I looked it up and found that he used to tell a story about Joe Morgan who said there are two types of curveballs. A curveball that you could see and occasionally hit and a "motherf***ing* curve that was unhittable. I believe he may have been referring to a Steve Carlton curve.

Carlton’s pitch was a slider.

 

[willisneverrana43]

Lord Charles.

 

[zebnatto]

Bill Monboquette (sp), old days Red Sox

 

[rudad02]

Bill Monboquette (sp), old days Red Sox

Yeah, he had a good hook if I remember correctly, though I don't think it was an overhand curveball.

 

[e5fdny]

Bill Monboquette (sp), old days Red Sox

Yeah, he had a good hook if I remember correctly.

Also one of those real fun baseball names that are fun to say out loud.