Forkball usage question

[Sendak44]

Just some general questions about the Forkball...

Is a Forkball used more like a fastball or a breaking ball? Should i keep it low in the zone?

Also - does it differ much from the Sinker? I noticed that the both pitches have about the same movement.

[nomo17k]

Re: Forkball usage question

Splitter is probably the closest. Should be thrown low... if you hang then it's a long ball...

I don't necessarily agree with the movement in game. If anything it's probably closer to knuckle ball since it has less spin.

[ill23matic]

Re: Forkball usage question

Forkball is almost akin to the split finger fastball. The difference is, you jam the forkball deeper between your fingers and your fingers are lower on the baseball. The main difference between the two pitches is because the forkball is deeper in the fingers, the velocity isnt going to be as hard as the split finger and you are going to get a little more of a downward drop and its more of a tumbling drop than the sharp late drop with the splittie.

Nomo, you are partially correct, the splitter is the pitch thats going to have more of a knuckle rotation depending on how you grip. There are two ways to grip a splitter, with your thumb on a seam, or thumb off. Having your thumb on the seam produces spin, thumb off creates a knuckle and almost knuckle like late movement.

Its really easy to confuse the two and you see announcers (even very knowledgable ones/ex players) do it all the time.

And yes to the OP. Thats a pitch you want to start low in the zone. Bury it in the dirt for strikeout situations, or aim a little higher for groundouts. You dont even want the pitch to finish any higher than the bottom of the kneecaps at most.

[nomo17k]

Re: Forkball usage question

Forkball is almost akin to the split finger fastball. The difference is, you jam the forkball deeper between your fingers and your fingers are lower on the baseball. The main difference between the two pitches is because the forkball is deeper in the fingers, the velocity isnt going to be as hard as the split finger and you are going to get a little more of a downward drop and its more of a tumbling drop than the sharp late drop with the splittie.

Nomo, you are partially correct, the splitter is the pitch thats going to have more of a knuckle rotation depending on how you grip. There are two ways to grip a splitter, with your thumb on a seam, or thumb off. Having your thumb on the seam produces spin, thumb off creates a knuckle and almost knuckle like late movement.

Its really easy to confuse the two and you see announcers (even very knowledgable ones/ex players) do it all the time.

And yes to the OP. Thats a pitch you want to start low in the zone. Bury it in the dirt for strikeout situations, or aim a little higher for groundouts. You dont even want the pitch to finish any higher than the bottom of the kneecaps at most.

I think most people these days use "split-fingered fastball" (or "splitter") and forkball interchangeably since splitter got so popular a couple decades ago. And it's perhaps not even a misidentification since you do split fingers for both pitches...

But who throws "real" forkball these days anyways?? The last I remember really is Hideo Nomo and he did have the kind you described, slower one in low-70s (cannot replicate this in the game) often in the dirt for Ks but also threw faster one in high-70s to go for a strike.

Those are really effective pitches and I don't know why they have gone kinda out of fashion lately.

[seanjeezy]

Re: Forkball usage question

I think most people these days use "split-fingered fastball" (or "splitter") and forkball interchangeably since splitter got so popular a couple decades ago. And it's perhaps not even a misidentification since you do split fingers for both pitches...

But who throws "real" forkball these days anyways?? The last I remember really is Hideo Nomo and he did have the kind you described, slower one in low-70s (cannot replicate this in the game) often in the dirt for Ks but also threw faster one in high-70s to go for a strike.

Those are really effective pitches and I don't know why they have gone kinda out of fashion lately.

Off the top of my head, Jose Contreras, Brian Sanches, Scott Linebrink (maybe not anymore), Valverde, and various Japanese pitchers. The forkball has a low spin rate and is usually 10+ mph off the fastball, compared to 5-8 mph like the splitter. Its really popular in Japan, it seems like every Japanese pitcher who comes stateside has one nowadays; Kuroda, Iwakuma, Darvish...

[nomo17k]

Re: Forkball usage question

Off the top of my head, Jose Contreras, Brian Sanches, Scott Linebrink (maybe not anymore), Valverde, and various Japanese pitchers. The forkball has a low spin rate and is usually 10+ mph off the fastball, compared to 5-8 mph like the splitter. Its really popular in Japan, it seems like every Japanese pitcher who comes stateside has one nowadays; Kuroda, Iwakuma, Darvish...

It is true... in fact, in the States those pitches tend to be called "splitters" generally but in Japan they tend to use the term "forkball" to collectively mean both. So split-finger fastball is actually "fast-fork" or something like that, haha...

I guess it's historical...

[ill23matic]

Re: Forkball usage question

I think most people these days use "split-fingered fastball" (or "splitter") and forkball interchangeably since splitter got so popular a couple decades ago. And it's perhaps not even a misidentification since you do split fingers for both pitches...

But who throws "real" forkball these days anyways?? The last I remember really is Hideo Nomo and he did have the kind you described, slower one in low-70s (cannot replicate this in the game) often in the dirt for Ks but also threw faster one in high-70s to go for a strike.

Those are really effective pitches and I don't know why they have gone kinda out of fashion lately.

Well it is a misidentification, because technically they arent the same pitch, have different speeds and rates of sink/drop to them. And both used a "split" finger grip, but like I said, its how much of a split and where the ball is positioned between the fingers that is the difference. Guys still throw the forkball but
1) you dont hear it as much because just about every announcer on tv calls it a split finger
2) pitchers have strayed from using the forkball and most coaches have stopped teaching it because a forkball kills your elbow. A lot less stress throwing the split, so thats why that is used more these days.

Again, this is just being real technical. I dont jump on announcers or others who call a forkball a splitter.

[dbacks_Nation]

Re: Forkball usage question

I used to throw the forkball along with the screwball when I played. The forkball was basically like a splitter that is slightly slower, and mine hooked to the right a little.

[cardinalbird5]

Re: Forkball usage question

I haven't seen one forkball in this game. The splitter and forkball get no justice in this game. Those pitches used to be some of the hardest ones to hit and a lot of pitchers made themselves famous with it (Roger Clemens). The balls just fall out of the zone and usually end up in the dirt, but in this game they really just look and act like sinkers and fast changeups.