Chapter Thirty-Six: Dr. Mike Marshall's Training Programs and Drills . He was 78. Because the results contravened accepted wisdom that certain pitches are more harmful than others, for example Nissen believes that M.L.B. So one night recently I took an orange from the refrigerator and knocked on Teddys door. The constant amidst a whirlwind of unpredictable variables. Mike Marshall is 6-1 (185 cm) tall. By the time I got back, Santiago said, he was gone.. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Recently the evolution of major league baseball quietly started abandoning the junkballer. Polling Place: Is Patrick Kane the greatest Blackhawk ever? But Ive never sat in a hitters meeting and heard, This guys got a screwball. It doesnt come up. He was traded after the 1973 season to the Dodgers for outfielder Willie Davis and pitched for Los Angeles for three years. Moeller seemed surprised that someone with a pretty good fastball, spotty control and not much else would begin the season in a contending teams starting rotation. The Ballad of Bryan Wayne Galentine: How one man's dream led to creation of Lou Gehrig Day across MLB . Howard was like, What the hell? Affeldt said. He probably couldnt have done it without the screwball. Nobody else on the team could make that claim.. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. 2y. Six feet from him when it begins to drop, it has the appearance of a slow drop ball. The screwball has saved a lot of pitchers, says Ron Swoboda, a former teammate of McGraws. He jogged to the mound from the bullpen, common for relievers today, rather than be driven in a cart as was customary then. Mike Marshall used to throw the screwball all the time, and the only explanation I can think of is that he got away with it because he didn't throw hard enough to break a pane of glass or bruise someone's eye. The Associated Press contributed to this report. or redistributed. Youll never hear a pitchers regaling tale about where he learned how to throw a fastball. He is survived by his wife, Erica. If anyone could twirl a screwball offhand it would be Oliver Drake simply because of his natural throwing motion. Mike Marshall pitched in 106 games in 1974, all in relief, and won the National League Cy Young Award. Spin rate has been a widely accepted concept in baseball for about five years. Bruce Schoenfeld, The Mystery of the Vanishing Screwball, The New York Times Magazine. Major League Baseball is a funny little club, says Bob Sorrentino, a pitching guru who served as a personal coach for Craig Breslow of the Red Sox, among others. Today few, if any, minor leaguers are known to employ the pitch. He had not seen Santiagos screwball before, and he nearly jumped from his seat. Its actually good for the game, Sox manager Pedro Grifol said. Affeldt recalled him coming in with the bases loaded and the Phillies massive Ryan Howard at bat. Fox News Flash top headlines are here. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Marshall had been traded to the Dodgers by the Montreal Expos. The force exerted on Bartolomeis elbow while throwing the screwball was almost identical to that of the fastball and below that of the curveball. It didnt happen. Using the screwball that Maglie wanted him to abandon, Marshall appeared in 66 games and had 23 saves. Mike has three children -- Lucas, Brett and Erica. Longtime major league reliever and 1974 NL Cy Young winner Mike Marshall died Tuesday at his Florida home while under hospice care, the . Known to the world as the winner of the 1974 National League Cy Young Award for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Marshall went by a different name to the students at his pitching academy: Doc. But listen, theres no documentation on that. Hubbell would become one of the best pitchers of all time for McGraws New York Giants, amassing a record of 253-154 over 16 seasons with an ERA of 2.98. A preponderance of games ended in scores like 4-3 or 3-2. After developing a sore arm in his rookie season, Marshall studied ways to reduce stress on his arm by changing the dynamics of his pitching motion. Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the . Not at traditional high-cocked position. It helped that Mike Scioscia, the Angels manager, was the catcher for much of Valenzuelas tenure with the Dodgers. Maybe thats why a lot of people dont throw it, but I believe no pitch is any more dangerous than any other if you have a good delivery. He was the first relief pitcher to receive the Cy Young Award. Working on some mechanics, he texted me. Unfortunately Mathewson never said something like and then I pronated my arm upon release in a really screwed up kind of way. Michael Marshall (2485 Found) - View Court & Arrest Records, Personal Reviews & Reputation Score. Marshall thought many pitchers arm rotations led to ulnar collateral ligament injuries that required Tommy John surgery, named after Marshalls former Dodgers teammate. Consequently, it missed everything Doc was getting right. He was 78. She did not give a cause of death. Legendary manager John McGraw had the unique pleasure of managing both Christy Mathewson and Carl Hubbell. Bumgarner remained unconvinced. Byrd was willing to take any edge he could get when he needed it, remarking, Al Nipper taught me how to throw a screwball when I lost my changeup in two games; he got up on the mound and showed me how to do it.18. In the Dodgers only victory, he picked off Oaklands Herb Washington, their world-class sprinter, when Washington, representing the potential tying run, was taking a lead off first base in what became the Dodgers 3-2 victory in Game 2. It's the question that has trailed Las Vegan Mike Marshall for more than two decades. The couple had daughters Deborah, Rebekah and Kerry. He struggled to generate any downward break when throwing a conventional changeup and discovered that by pronating his wrist the opposite way he could get the diving movement he was looking foressentially training himself to throw the screwball without really realizing it.17. I was less certain, though, that a doctor could revive the flatlining screwball. He was 78. You need to find somebody in the minors who has all the intangibles, a great kid, just a little short on talent, not quite going to make it, says Rick Waits, the Mariners pitching coach. 2. Marshall had fantastic stuff, the best screwball Ive ever seen in my life, Fanning said in an interview during the 1990s. In 2011, he was assigned to a third straight season in the Class A Carolina League. All of them contain much more detail about the history of the screwball and its few practitioners. His first wife, Nancy, died April 30 at age 78. It just brings alertness and focus to the game., Mike Marshall, first relief pitcher to win the Cy Young Award, dies at 78, Why Cubs Keegan Thompson made his 2023 spring-training debut a week after the opener, White Sox manager Pedro Grifol likes Andrew Benintendi in the 3-hole, How Chicago-area native Mike Tauchman fits into Cubs outfield picture after Seiya Suzukis injury, The Astros Dusty Baker 73 years young is still at it, and hes one Hall of a manager. He throws a curve that he holds like a football, and a knuckle curve that his coach wants all his pitchers to learn. Back in 2008 Mike Fast put together an excellent deep dive into Herreras repertoire. I wanted Santiago, but the Angels had no games scheduled in the vicinity until later in the season. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com. He formed a circle with his thumb and forefinger, then spread his remaining fingers around the fruit with half an inch between each one. Michael Marshall (Marshall) See Photos. However, pull out the perception and youll find a game that doesnt look much like the original. All rights reserved. Marshall long wished for credit but never was willing to play the game -- to market himself or to acknowledge some of his flaws or to abandon the pitching motion that he convinced himself would rid the game of arm injuries. 4. Unfortunately Honeywell is doing no favors for anyone out there hoping to defend the screwball against the critics who stress its danger to pitchers elbows. If I make the All-Star team this year, a lot of people will start throwing it, Santiago had told me. View contact info: Address, Phone, Email & Photos. He led his league in games pitched four times, saves three times and games finished five times. With two strikes, Herrera floated a screwball. if you do it right, you wont hurt yourself. More surprisingly, Marshall was known for his screwball, a pitch strongly believed at the time (and still controversial today) for the damage it does to a pitcher's arm. The Christian Gentlemen was regarded as the perfect hero for his age and Connie Mack called him the greatest pitcher who ever lived.6 Recollections of Mathewsons nobility are borderline cartoonish. Hed even temporarily stopped throwing screwballs. But his legacy may have done more harm than good for the pitch. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. All three children were from his marriage to his first wife, Nancy Marshall, who died in April, The Associated Press reported. As he moved his arm forward in a slow-motion simulation, he pushed hard with his middle finger on the inside of the orange until much of his hand was beneath it, creating a clockwise spin. He was the first player to hit a grand slam in a league championship game, and remains the only pitcher to hit a grand slam in a league championship game. Screwballs have never been commonplace. . All rights reserved. Only a temporary measure. Dr. Mike Marshall: Pitcher Cy Young award, PhD. Like driving on your right wheels going around a curve, he said. Hes got all sorts of opinions. Most of its worthy practitioners are long dead. Former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Mike Marshall, who made history as the first reliever to win the Cy Young Award while leading the Dodgers to the 1974 National League pennant, died Tuesday in . Moeller was equally impressed. Comments About Mike Marshall's Pitching Motion And Mechanics Very early pronator. I, too, believed I had a myth ready to be busted. In 1984, Detroits screwballer, Willie Hernandez, was both the American Leagues top pitcher and Most Valuable Player. The screwball has nothing to do with it.. The origins of the screwball are murky. Also, Santiago started poorly. Sportswriter Jim Murray remarked The screwball was not really a pitch, it was an affliction.14 Perhaps. LOS ANGELES Mike Marshall, who became the first reliever to win the Cy Young Award when he set a major league record by pitching 106 games in a season for the Los Angeles Dodgers, has died. See it here along with some good GIFs and analysis. Market data provided by Factset. General Comments About Mike Marshall Won Cy Young in 1974. Gilded it was not, but then he was a 5-foot-8 right-hander who didn't throw particularly hard yet in his Cy Young season threw 208 innings over 106 relief appearances. The Sparks showcase includes slow motion, high-resolution video taken long before it was ubiquitous and readily available to every smartphone user. 0. He would join the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1974. Associated Press. Carl Hubbell was a physical train wreck by the end of his career. Beliefs handed down over time with no science behind them. But its effective., In a power culture, the screwballs potency has been forgotten. LOS ANGELES (AP) Mike Marshall, who became the first reliever to win the Cy Young Award when he set a major league record by pitching 106 games in a season for the Los Angeles Dodgers, has died. The screwball occupies some middle ground between breaking ball and off-speed pitch. Youre looking for dudes who are going to come in throwing 96, 97, and just power their way through., A screwball can make a hitter look silly, but it is not especially a strikeout pitch. The couple had daughters Deborah, Rebekah and Kerry. The Associated Press reported Marshall . Died: June 1, 2021 ( Who else died on June 1?) He finished second in National League Cy Young Award voting that season. Picture a curveball and reverse it. * Editors ask: if youre interested in purchasing any of these books, please consider clicking the big gold buy button before your purchase. Rob Neyer notes 1880s star Mickey Welch was once credited with throwing the first screwball, but isnt convinced given the fogginess of the source: In a recent Sporting News book titled Heroes of the Hall, Ron Smith wrote, When asked the secret of his success, Welch smiled and attributed it to drinking beer. Its not in the equation., Many of baseballs best hitters have never seen a screwball. In the four seasons covering 1933-1936, his age 30 through 33 seasons, Hubbell put together a remarkable stretch highlighting his Hall of Fame career. You would see him on a cold night at Jarry Park and no sweatshirt, just a short-sleeved uniform top.. Lurid stories about the pitch are commonplace. His right leg flies forward, and he lands perpendicular to the mound. Struck out. Affeldt reached for his phone to search for a video of the pitch. Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. With an electric screwball, Marshall became a workhorse for the Expos before a trade to the L.A. Dodgers, where he won the 1974 Cy Young Award. Even more remarkably, he did so by featuring the screwball, the pitch considered one of the most damaging . Marshall taught the pitch to Brent Sr. when the latter was a young player. No Gavin Lux -- big problem. A superb combination of encyclopedic comprehensiveness with the conversational feel like shooting the breeze over a couple beers. With its unpredictable downward break, it yields ground balls. Its a breaking / off-speed pitch hybrid that moves away from an opposite-handed batter; a right-handed pitchers screwball breaks away from a left-handed batter. Later, on slow-motion film, the ball looked like a radio-controlled plane that gets a sudden change in flight plan. Although the screwball is often described as a reverse curveball, its not a perfect designation. Mike Marshall, who became the first relief pitcher to win the Cy Young Award when he set a major league record by pitching 106 games in a season for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1974, died June 1. Mike Marshall, the first relief pitcher to win a Cy Young Award, died Monday. Modern baseball favors velocity, spin rate, clean mechanics and specialty. Hed heard someone was throwing it and come to see. Pitchers have given it up, says Don Baylor, the former player and manager, who now works with Angels hitters. Dr. Mike Marshall,. Marshall, an Adrian, Michigan, native, who held three degrees from Michigan State, died Tuesday at his Florida home, the Dodgers announced. Marshall is not related to outfielder Mike Marshall, who won World Series titles with the Dodgers in 1981 and 88. He might try throwing sidearm, adding a cut fastball, even a knuckleball. Marshall was 24 years old when he broke into the big leagues on May 31, 1967, with the Detroit Tigers. Countries of the World. LOS ANGELES Mike Marshall, who became the first reliever to win the Cy Young Award when he set a major league record by pitching 106 games in a season for the Los Angeles Dodgers, has died. Nazareth won its fourth state trophy since 2019, and more importantly the programs first state title. Hector Santiago, the lone purveyor of screwballs in the major leagues today. Lefty reliever Brandon Hughes also has been on a later game schedule after a heavy workload last season. In Byrds case the screwball was never a go-to. Finesse pitchers can survive, but only the best of the best. Mike Marshall was a cog in the Pennant Winning Season of '74, if he wasn't a Ironman the Dodgers would not of made the climb against Mr October and Catfish and the eventual World Champion A's.. After release, the forearm continues to pronate until the palm turns upward. A native of Adrian, Michigan, Marshall passed away Monday night while. Fernando Valenzuela later won the Cy Young throwing the same difficult pitch for the Dodgers. 1 2 And then, when they were done with that, they picked up baseballs and threw them in a fashion no one ever had seen, because that's what Dr. Mike Marshall taught them to do. I could not imagine hed be in the mood for scientific inquiry. Some of the most common include: Ultimately as long as theres primary pressure along a seam and pronation upon release, something like a screwball will result. His previous pitch, a fastball, hit 94 m.p.h. Luis Arroyo. This is a cinderblock. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for THE NUTTY NUT - DVD SCREWBALL COMEDY ACTION TRACI LORDS RARE at the best online prices at eBay! Its only when a pitcher fails to become the next Nolan Ryan that he starts looking for ways to keep a roster spot. Born Michael Grant Marshall on Jan. 15, 1943, in Adrian, Michigan, he began his big league career with the Detroit Tigers in 1967. In 1973, he appeared in a major league-leading 92 games and recorded a 2.66 ERA with 124 strikeouts and 31 saves. He worked out with weights and ran long distances instead of wind sprints. Ill irresponsibly speak beyond my paygrade: its like any pitching motion. Bumgarner followed him. I was like, Im good, but Im not going anywhere, he says. It pops up here and there with an obscure pitcher from time to time, but its been a long time since a front-line quality pitcher routinely featured the pitch: Fernando Valenzuela, Warren Spahn, Christy Mathewson, Carl Hubbell. Santiagos arc was nearly as drastic. Willie Hernandezs M.V.P. If you have a bad delivery, every pitch is freakin dangerous., Among baseball lifers, though, Coopers is decidedly a minority opinion. But it was difficult to find a screwballer willing to come to Farmington and get all calipered up. He was purchased by Detroit Tigers the following year. So by the time a screwball becomes a screwball, he concluded, an injury has either happened or not. What's the Dodgers' plan at shortstop? However, baseball historians typically name an all-time great as the originator of what we know as the screwball. Marshall developed extraordinary endurance through his knowledge of kinesiology, the mechanics of bodily movement, long before pitchers used high-tech equipment in hopes of improving their performance and warding off arm injuries. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. The cause of the death was not yet known, but Marshall was under hospice care. The wonderful Oliver Drake turned some heads with this delivery: This pitch might have broken physics. Hector Santiago of the Los Angeles Angels was sitting at a restaurant table in Glendale, Ariz., in March, holding an orange in his left hand. 1 He believed in pitching more, not less. In the 1974 postseason, Marshall pitched in two NL Championship Series games and all five World Series games, in which the Dodgers lost 4-1 to Oakland. Simultaneously a wonderful repository of information and a creatively weaved story of the game we revere. I had righties buckling, he says. He saved the Dodgers lone win, preserving a 3-2 victory in Game 2 by picking off speedy pinch-runner Herb Washington at first base in the ninth inning. He was preceded in death by first wife Nancy, who died April 30 in Minnesota at age 78. He looked all wrong for a pitcher, standing just 5-feet-8. I did things nobody had ever done. When a scout shared a concern about Hubbells use of the screwball and what it could do to his arm, McGraw laughed it off. A dozen cameras were mounted on the walls. LOS ANGELES (AP) Mike Marshall, who became the first reliever to win the Cy Young Award when he set a major league record by pitching 106 games in a season for the Los Angeles Dodgers, has. All rights reserved. However, Drakes extreme over-the-top delivery on top of apparent pronation upon release screams screwball. 3. There was something else making balls move, and Marshall believed that it had to do with the seam orientation of pitches. Too hard on the shoulder, insisted Arizonas manager, Kirk Gibson. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. There's good reason why The Glory of Their Times appears on every "best baseball book of all time" list you'll find anywhere. Mathewson defined his own pitches with language you dont hear in 2019: slow ball, drop curve, out curve, rise ball, spit balland fallaway.10 You could easily read his description of the fallaway as a changeup. Marshall is survived by wife Erica. Marshall won the NL Cy Young Award in 1974, going 15-12 with a 2.42 ERA and 21 saves. His fingers are directly behind it, so he has definitely changed his grip. Yet by that point, the data indicated, the peak stress on both elbow and shoulder had passed. Dominant and durable, he appeared in a record 106 games for the 1974 pennant-winning Dodgers. No pitcher ever leaned harder and depended more on the screwball and the repetitious pronation of the arm that comes with its heavy use. Born Michael Grant Marshall on Jan. 15, 1943, in Adrian, Michigan, he began his big league career with the Detroit Tigers in 1967. Madison Bumgarner, a starting pitcher, gave a disbelieving snort. Earlier that day, in a spring-training game, Santiago, a 26-year-old southpaw from Newark in his fourth season, threw a screwball to the All-Star outfielder Carlos Gomez of the Milwaukee Brewers. After he left baseball, Marshall taught physical education, coached college baseball and moved to Florida, where he set up a baseball clinic. Read more about cookies here. He also finished third in National League MVP voting in 1974 behind teammate Steve Garvey and St. Louis Cardinals legend Lou Brock. 1. This video shows the arm motion plainly. In 1974, Mike Marshall of the Los Angeles Dodgers won the National Leagues Cy Young Award by relying on the screwball. His tools? CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM. For the past 12 years, a team led by Dr. Carl Nissen, a surgeon, has been doing research into the stresses inherent in pitching. Dont hold your breath waiting for the next Carl Hubbellor the next Hall of Fame screwballer. Location. That prompted Jeremy Affeldt to come to Hudsons defense. The screwballs decline can be attributed partly to the emergence of other deceptive off-speed pitches: the circle change, the cutter, the split-finger. Last season, he became a starter. When play-by-play guys start dropping words like cagy, crafty or moxy. Privately, he noted, many of his teammates dislike his aloof, impersonal manner, but they tolerate it because of his durability and talent.. He threw 300+ innings apiece, totaled a 2.38 ERA overall and picked up two MVP awards (1933, 1936). Book Review: Future Value - Eric Longenhagen & Kiley McDaniel, Baseball players wear hats because wearing a hat is correct, Book Review: The Baseball 100 - Joe Posnanski. This spring, I spent time in nearly a dozen clubhouses asking about the pitch. Thats because reverse screwball isnt really covering it. The pronation creates the reverse curve breaking towards same-side batters. Getty Images. I dont think its physically possible, the Giants Buster Posey, the 2012 National League M.V.P., told me one morning. Mike Marshall, the 1974 National League Cy Young Award winner, died on Tuesday. Strange occurrences and the governess's curiosity lead her to unlock the secrets of the mysterious and uninhabited brownstone next door. James epic historical baseball abstract is a search engine on your shelf. Its the fastball, thrown again and again over time. And you go to him and say: You need one more pitch. We ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful. This book is delightful. More often than not the screwball was never anything more for a pitcher. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. In one of the most astounding performances by a relief pitcher in MLB history, Marshall appeared in 106 games for L.A. in 1974, working 208.1 innings and compiling a 15-12 record with 21 saves and a 2.42 ERA, which earned him the Cy Young Award as the National Leagues top pitcher. Marshall died Monday in Zephyrhills, Florida. Marshall earned his degree in kinesiology in 1978 while still pitching. Prominent screwballers run the gamut from hall-of-famers to journeymen big leaguers to obscurities and footnotes. 10. Within two months in 2011, he went from Class A to Class AA to the majors. But its certainly not a screwballers game anymore. Gomez swung mightily and missed. They sent him back to the minors in 1968, when he was drafted. Even Santiago acknowledged the possibility: They told me its bad for my wrist. He keeps throwing the pitch, he said, because you dont hear much about pitchers hurting their wrists.. But he gained a reputation for being condescending when baseball writers sought to interview him. Santiago is still kicking it in the big leagues as a reliever with the White Sox as this is written towards the end of the 2019 season. Instead of letting your arm and wrist fall straight down after release, you actually have to turn your arm to the outside upon release (for right handers, palm facing right for left handers, palm facing left). The WDRB is part of the Cable & Satellite industry, and located in Kentucky, United States. Unauthorized distribution, transmission or republication strictly prohibited. He threw a screwball, which breaks the wrong way from a curve. To them, he was a savant, a theorist whose understanding of pitching was so far ahead of his time that nobody in organized baseball was going to give him an opportunity because they couldn't fathom what he was talking about. Marshall, 1st reliever to win Cy, dies at 78. Alsoensure 1) your shelf brackets are mounted on studs or 2) you place the book in a ground storage unit. After going 4-19 from 1965 to 1967, Tug McGraw remade himself as a screwballer and pitched until 1984. He didnt pitch professionally until 1965 in the minors. LOS ANGELES Mike Marshall, who became the first reliever to win the Cy Young Award when he set a major league record by pitching 106 games in a . The genius of Mike Marshall lives on in that backyard, now free of nets and balls and the detritus of his $10-a-day academy. Never mind all those pitchers who kept using it into their late 30s and 40s, or that Valenzuela, at 53, maintains he can throw it today. Four months into the season, its safe to say that Santiago is the only pitcher who has thrown the screwball in a game this year. Santiagos career was languishing when he started throwing the screwball. MANDOLIN WORLD SICILY 2023 -September 4 - 8, 2023. Given its fallaway movement away from right-handers, you might think Herrera would show some reverse splits, but not soright handed batters OPSd .949 vs. Herrera vs. a .588 clip from lefties over the course of his career. He threw 300+ innings apiece, totaled a 2.38 ERA overall and picked up two MVP awards (1933, 1936). He was 78. He lived long enough to see some of his most foundational ideas -- weighted-ball training, emphasis on spin, the importance of slow motion video -- co-opted by major league organizations and spread to the masses. Thats when I understood.. Because its the right thing to do. Many others noted the discomfort of throwing a screwball and how they could only throw it so many times per game. Scroll up a ways and you can see him throwing a screwball (from the batters perspective). The everymen of the baseball world. In 1974, Mike Marshall of the Los Angeles Dodgers won the National League's Cy Young Award by relying on the screwball. Just an edge. Matthew Solomito, a biomedical engineer who with Nissen leads the research team, asked Bartolomei to throw pitches as the cameras rolled. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Best known as the first Yankee player born in Puerto Rico, Luis had a mean screwball that made him one the best relief men of his time. The screwball is sometimes referred to as a reverse curveball. This statement is delivered emphatically, but there is an educated disagreement on the subject. Nobody else appears eager to carry on the legacy. The obvious question is If curveballs are so popular, why doesnt anybody throw a screwball if its the same thing only the other way? Unlike the knuckleball, which is easy to throw but hard to master, the screwball requires special expertise just to get it to the plate. Please try again. When Santiago asked how, Miranda showed him the screwball. I was looking for it. He considers his discovery of David Grisman's music a significant event in his life, admiring how Grisman combined jazz . There are people who absolutely wont do things, no matter how much they might make sense.. July 10 2014. Mike Marshall pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1974, when he appeared in a major league season-record 106 games. Marshall still holds the American League record for games pitched in a season with 90 for the Minnesota Twins in 1979. Many would challenge the premise. That pitch was filthy, he told me later. Marshall moved to the Atlanta Braves from 1976-77 before switching to the American League with the Texas Rangers in 1977. I thought screwballs were just really, really good changeups. Anyone can read what you share. Doesnt exist, he said in Affeldts direction. He was 78. Given the speed of this pitch in the low 80s in comparison to Drakes high 80s fastball, this looks a lot more like a splitter than a screwball. In January 2009, while playing winter ball in Puerto Rico, he met ngel Miranda, who spent four years with the Brewers (1993 to 1997) and was still pitching more than a decade later, bouncing around various leagues, getting professional hitters out.