Gyroball
Encyclopedia
A gyroball is a type of baseball pitch
used primarily by players in Japan
.
However, the technique to throwing the gyroball is all in the arms, not in the unique grip of the baseball. Kazushi Tezuka is an instructor at the Jyoutatsuya baseball dojo in Tokyo
, and Osaka
, Japan. "This," says Tezuka, as he grabs his thigh, "is the most important part of throwing the gyroball. It has nothing to do with the hands."
Amid many conflicting claims, Tezuka says the gyroball has been misunderstood. In short, similar to a bullet, gyroball's axis of spin directly faces forward.
According to Himeno and Tezuka, a gyroball is thrown so that, at the point of release, instead of having the pitcher's arm move inwards towards the body (the standard method used in the United States), the pitcher rotates his arm so that it moves away from his body, toward third base for a right-handed pitcher and toward first base for a left-handed pitcher.
The unusual method of delivery creates a bullet-like spin on the ball with the axis of spin in line with the direction of the throw, similar to the way an American football
is thrown. According to Tezuka, the pitch, if thrown correctly, is meant to fly straight like a fastball
. Contrary to early speculation that the gyroball was a late moving breaking ball, the fact that the pitch travels with a bullet-spin denotes that the baseball is stabilized, hence the lack of movement. In baseball
, most pitches are thrown with backspin, like the usual fastball, or with a more forward spinning motion, like the curveball
and the slider
.
Batters use the arm speed of the pitcher and the spin on a baseball, made visible by the seams, to judge the speed and trajectory of a pitch. The gyroball is thrown with the arm speed of a usual fastball, but with a different actual speed. Its bullet-like spinning motion may hide the seams of a ball from the view of the batter, making it difficult to predict the pitch. Typical strategy entails throwing many variations of balls, followed by a gyroball. The batter, predicting a change in speed caused by the ball's spin, may adapt to the wrong speed and swing incorrectly.
The gyroball is also often confused with a completely different Japanese pitch called the shuuto
, due to an error in a well-known article by baseball writer Will Carroll
. Although Carroll later corrected himself, the confusion still persists.
was the first game to include the "Gyroball". The pitch was included in the arsenal of Daisuke Matsuzaka
. However, because Matsuzaka was not yet with the Red Sox, players had to simulate into the 2006 season before the gyroball became available. Additionally, the gyroball is available in Baseball Mogul's player editor, and can be learned in Spring Training by pitchers that enter the game after 2005. In the game's graphical play-by-play mode, the pitch comes out of the pitcher's hand as a fastball, but fails to rise like a traditional four-seam fastball
.
In the video game MLB 07: The Show
and the more recent The Bigs
, only Daisuke Matsuzaka
has the ability to throw the gyroball, although the movement of the pitch in the video game differs from the movement of the actual pitch. Daisuke Matsuzaka has himself stated, "looks like they are talking about my cut fastball or sinking slider. I guess sometimes it has a similar rotation of a gyro, when I fail to throw the cut fastball or the slider properly, but it is not exactly a gyro itself. It is different. There is a particular way of throwing it. I guess it is a kind of shuuto-like cut fastball". (However, in the long-lasting Japan-Baseball game series Jikkyō Powerful Pro Yakyū series, Daisuke is never given "Gyroball" ability for any installment, nor in the MLB Power Pros
series installment.) It is an obtainable ability in the MLB Power Pros
series, and its effect is to make the fastball look faster.
and anime
baseball series, Major
, the protagonist Goro, is known for his use of the gyroball pitch, which was his only pitch until he eventually adds a forkball
to his repertoire.
. The gyroball is often confused with a changeup
, but the beginning speed is the same as a fastball.
Pitch (baseball)
In baseball, a pitch is the act of throwing a baseball toward home plate to start a play. The term comes from the Knickerbocker Rules. Originally, the ball had to be literally "pitched" underhand, as with pitching horseshoes. Overhand throwing was not allowed until 1884.The biomechanics of...
used primarily by players in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Overview
The gyroball pitch was first identified by the Japanese scientist Ryutaro Himeno (姫野 龍太郎), and later developed into a specific throwing technique by baseball instructor Gitau Kimani (手塚 一志), who used computer simulations to create a new style of delivery intended to reduce stress on the pitcher. They published their work in a book, currently available only in Japan, the title of which is roughly translated as The Secret of the Miracle Pitch (魔球の正体).However, the technique to throwing the gyroball is all in the arms, not in the unique grip of the baseball. Kazushi Tezuka is an instructor at the Jyoutatsuya baseball dojo in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, and Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
, Japan. "This," says Tezuka, as he grabs his thigh, "is the most important part of throwing the gyroball. It has nothing to do with the hands."
Amid many conflicting claims, Tezuka says the gyroball has been misunderstood. In short, similar to a bullet, gyroball's axis of spin directly faces forward.
According to Himeno and Tezuka, a gyroball is thrown so that, at the point of release, instead of having the pitcher's arm move inwards towards the body (the standard method used in the United States), the pitcher rotates his arm so that it moves away from his body, toward third base for a right-handed pitcher and toward first base for a left-handed pitcher.
The unusual method of delivery creates a bullet-like spin on the ball with the axis of spin in line with the direction of the throw, similar to the way an American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
is thrown. According to Tezuka, the pitch, if thrown correctly, is meant to fly straight like a fastball
Fastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch in baseball. Some "power pitchers," such as Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, have thrown it at speeds of 95–106 mph and up to 108.1 mph , relying purely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit...
. Contrary to early speculation that the gyroball was a late moving breaking ball, the fact that the pitch travels with a bullet-spin denotes that the baseball is stabilized, hence the lack of movement. In baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, most pitches are thrown with backspin, like the usual fastball, or with a more forward spinning motion, like the curveball
Curveball
The curveball is a type of pitch in baseball thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball causing it to dive in a downward path as it approaches the plate. Its close relatives are the slider and the slurve. The "curve" of the ball varies from pitcher to...
and the slider
Slider
In baseball, a slider is a pitch that breaks laterally and down, with a speed between that of a curveball and that of a fastball....
.
Batters use the arm speed of the pitcher and the spin on a baseball, made visible by the seams, to judge the speed and trajectory of a pitch. The gyroball is thrown with the arm speed of a usual fastball, but with a different actual speed. Its bullet-like spinning motion may hide the seams of a ball from the view of the batter, making it difficult to predict the pitch. Typical strategy entails throwing many variations of balls, followed by a gyroball. The batter, predicting a change in speed caused by the ball's spin, may adapt to the wrong speed and swing incorrectly.
The gyroball is also often confused with a completely different Japanese pitch called the shuuto
Shuuto
The or shootball is a pitch commonly thrown by such right-handed Japanese pitchers such as Noboru Akiyama, Kenjiro Kawasaki, Daisuke Matsuzaka, and Masumi Kuwata...
, due to an error in a well-known article by baseball writer Will Carroll
Will Carroll
Will Carroll is a sportswriter specializing in the coverage of medical issues, including injuries and performance-enhancing drugs. He currently writes about sports injuries for SI.com...
. Although Carroll later corrected himself, the confusion still persists.
Video games
In March 2005, Baseball MogulBaseball Mogul
Baseball Mogul is a series of career baseball management computer games created by game designer Clay Dreslough. The product was first published in 1997. The thirteenth and latest installment, Baseball Mogul 2012, was released March 18, 2011. A proprietary database, included with the game, permits...
was the first game to include the "Gyroball". The pitch was included in the arsenal of Daisuke Matsuzaka
Daisuke Matsuzaka
is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball in the United States. He previously played for the Seibu Lions in Japan's Pacific League. He was selected the MVP of the inaugural and the second World Baseball Classic, and is an Olympic bronze...
. However, because Matsuzaka was not yet with the Red Sox, players had to simulate into the 2006 season before the gyroball became available. Additionally, the gyroball is available in Baseball Mogul's player editor, and can be learned in Spring Training by pitchers that enter the game after 2005. In the game's graphical play-by-play mode, the pitch comes out of the pitcher's hand as a fastball, but fails to rise like a traditional four-seam fastball
Four-seam fastball
A four-seam fastball, also called a rising fastball, a four-seamer, or a cross-seam fastball, is a pitch in baseball. It is a member of the fastball family...
.
In the video game MLB 07: The Show
MLB 07: The Show
MLB 07: The Show, produced by SCE San Diego Studio, is a baseball video game for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2 and PSP. It is the only first-party MLB-licensed video game for the season, and the only baseball game available for the PlayStation systems aside from Major League Baseball 2K7...
and the more recent The Bigs
The Bigs
The Bigs is an arcade-style baseball video game for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, Wii and PlayStation Portable. It was released in June 2007 in North America, and in October in Europe...
, only Daisuke Matsuzaka
Daisuke Matsuzaka
is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball in the United States. He previously played for the Seibu Lions in Japan's Pacific League. He was selected the MVP of the inaugural and the second World Baseball Classic, and is an Olympic bronze...
has the ability to throw the gyroball, although the movement of the pitch in the video game differs from the movement of the actual pitch. Daisuke Matsuzaka has himself stated, "looks like they are talking about my cut fastball or sinking slider. I guess sometimes it has a similar rotation of a gyro, when I fail to throw the cut fastball or the slider properly, but it is not exactly a gyro itself. It is different. There is a particular way of throwing it. I guess it is a kind of shuuto-like cut fastball". (However, in the long-lasting Japan-Baseball game series Jikkyō Powerful Pro Yakyū series, Daisuke is never given "Gyroball" ability for any installment, nor in the MLB Power Pros
MLB Power Pros
MLB Power Pros is a baseball video game developed by Konami for the Wii and PlayStation 2 video game consoles. It is part of the traditionally Japan-only Jikkyō Powerful Pro Yakyū series of video games, and is the first game in the series to be released outside of Japan. It was released on October...
series installment.) It is an obtainable ability in the MLB Power Pros
MLB Power Pros
MLB Power Pros is a baseball video game developed by Konami for the Wii and PlayStation 2 video game consoles. It is part of the traditionally Japan-only Jikkyō Powerful Pro Yakyū series of video games, and is the first game in the series to be released outside of Japan. It was released on October...
series, and its effect is to make the fastball look faster.
Japanese animation
In the Japanese mangaManga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
and anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
baseball series, Major
Major (manga)
Major is a sports manga series by Takuya Mitsuda. It has been serialized in Shōnen Sunday and has been collected in 78 tankōbon volumes...
, the protagonist Goro, is known for his use of the gyroball pitch, which was his only pitch until he eventually adds a forkball
Forkball
The forkball is a type of pitch in baseball. Related to the split-fingered fastball, the forkball is held between the first two fingers and thrown hard snapping the wrist....
to his repertoire.
Official gyroballers
- Tetsuro Kawajiri (retired): He is supposed to be a typical gyroballer in Japan. According to the book, the authors confirmed he threw a two-seam gyroball. It confuses the batter by giving the illusion that the ball is faster than it actually is, because of the greater difference between the start speed and end speed. The batter cannot adapt to the slower end speed, which is not what he expected.
. The gyroball is often confused with a changeup
Changeup
A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball. Other names include change-of-pace, Bugs Bunny change-up, the dreaded equalizer, and simply change. The changeup is sometimes called an off-speed pitch, although that term can also be used simply to mean any pitch that is slower than a fastball...
, but the beginning speed is the same as a fastball.
- Shunsuke WatanabeShunsuke Watanabeis a professional baseball player from Tsuga, Tochigi, Japan who plays for the Chiba Lotte Marines in the Japanese Pacific League.His submarine pitching form was noted during the 2006 World Baseball Classic.-Amateur career:...
(Chiba Lotte MarinesChiba Lotte MarinesThe are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League based in Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture, in the Kantō region, and owned by the Lotte conglomerate.-History:...
): He and Tezuka officially allowed him to be a gyroballer, he throws a two-seam gyroball. He thought it was just a non-breaking curveballCurveballThe curveball is a type of pitch in baseball thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball causing it to dive in a downward path as it approaches the plate. Its close relatives are the slider and the slurve. The "curve" of the ball varies from pitcher to...
before Tezuka told him it was the gyroball. He throws four-seam gyro as well. - Tomoki HoshinoTomoki Hoshinois a professional Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball player. He is currently with the Saitama Seibu Lions in Japan's Pacific League.-External links:...
(Seibu LionsSeibu LionsThe are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League based west of Tokyo in Tokorozawa, Saitama. Before 1979, they were based in Fukuoka in Kyushu. The team is owned by a subsidiary of Prince Hotels, which in turn is owned by the Seibu Group...
) - Nobuyuki Hoshino (retired): According to Tezuka, their fastball has a four-seam spiral movement. This is the four-seam gyroball. The nature is opposite to two-seam, the batter may confuse it as being much slower initially. Tezuka pointed it out in "スポーツトレーニングが変わる本" which means The book which changed a way of sports training. Especially Nobuyuki, he was supposed to be a typical slow baller, nevertheless, Norihiro NakamuraNorihiro Nakamurais a Japanese professional baseball third baseman who plays for the Yokohama BayStars.-Career:He was born in Osaka, Japan, and spent almost all of his professional career in Japan with the Osaka Kintetsu Buffaloes. Drafted in , Nakamura began to emerge as one the leading power hitters in Nippon...
thinks his fastball was the fastest in Japan, much better than even Matsuzaka's. Since they both are left-handedLeft-handedLeft-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...
, the moving direction is opposite to the other pitchers.
Possibilities
- Daisuke MatsuzakaDaisuke Matsuzakais a Japanese professional baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball in the United States. He previously played for the Seibu Lions in Japan's Pacific League. He was selected the MVP of the inaugural and the second World Baseball Classic, and is an Olympic bronze...
: Familiar with the gyroball, Matsuzaka has stated that he can throw the gyroball, however cannot do so on a consistent basis. A careful computer analysis of Matsuzaka's pitches for the Boston Red Sox for the first half of the 2007 season by Dan Fox of Baseball ProspectusBaseball ProspectusBaseball Prospectus is an organization that publishes a website, BaseballProspectus.com, devoted to the sabermetric analysis of baseball. BP has a staff of regular columnists and provides advanced statistics as well player and team performance projections on the site...
suggests that while MatsuzakaDaisuke Matsuzakais a Japanese professional baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball in the United States. He previously played for the Seibu Lions in Japan's Pacific League. He was selected the MVP of the inaugural and the second World Baseball Classic, and is an Olympic bronze...
commands a dazzling array of pitches, the gyroball is more myth than reality. However, Daisuke has said he is trying to learn to throw the trick pitch. - C.J. Wilson: He has claimed that he throws the gyroball. However, just as his two-seam ball, it is sometimes very similar to a slider or sinkerSinker (baseball)In baseball, a sinker , is a type of fastball pitch which has significant downward and horizontal movement. The sinker is known for inducing a lot of ground balls...
in spite of his adoption of Tezuka's theory; he can not control it. He guesses because the gyro axle is inclined in irregularity. But while trying to learn the gyro, Wilson developed a new hybrid pitch, which he calls the Cork. The Cork, described by Wilson, is a "rising cut fastball." He uses this as his out pitch against left-handed hitters. In the ALCS 2010 Game 1 press conference on October 14, 2010, he said he doesn't believe it's very good for the arm, so he doesn't throw it very much. His two surgeries took place after he began throwing it. However, he does throw it if he's in the zone or feels like something cool will happen if he does. - Hideo NomoHideo Nomois a former right-handed pitcher in Nippon Professional Baseball and Major League Baseball from Japan. He achieved early success in Japan, where he played with the Kintetsu Buffaloes from to...
: Tezuka thinks that his fastball is probably a gyroball. - Jered WeaverJered WeaverJered David Weaver , is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim...
: His fastball is considered the four-seam gyro. - Pedro MartínezPedro MartínezPedro Jaime Martínez is a retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He is an eight-time All-Star, three-time Cy Young Award winner, and 2004 World Series champion...
: Tezuka thinks he throws it accidentally. - Roger ClemensRoger ClemensWilliam Roger Clemens , nicknamed "Rocket", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who broke into the league with the Boston Red Sox, whose pitching staff he would help anchor for 12 years. Clemens won seven Cy Young Awards, more than any other pitcher. He played for four different teams over...
: Kazuo MatsuiKazuo Matsuiis a Japanese second baseman for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of Nippon Professional Baseball. Matsui is a switch-hitter...
reckons he may throw it because his fastball has a gyroball-like rotation. - Steve Palazzolo: Former CanAm and Minor League pitcher is attempting to learn the pitch from Will Carroll, a columnist for Baseball Prospectus. *Note: Let it be known that Will Carroll has admitted to the fact that the pitch that he had taught to Joey Niezer and Craig Stutler, and wrote an article about in the Baseball Prospectus, was not in fact the gyro (or at least, the same gyroball which is taught by Tezuka and Himeno)
- Children: For example, Akinori OtsukaAkinori Otsukais a currently inactive Japanese Major League Baseball player. He was formerly the set-up man for the San Diego Padres and the Texas Rangers...
said his nine-year old child throws a gyroball-like ball even though Otsuka himself can not throw it. Tezuka thinks many kids throw it unconsciously before their instructors modify their natural pitching form.
External links
- ESPN article including video of hitters facing the Gyroball
- Video Matsuzaka's Gyroball Revealed
- A demonstration by Tezuka, posted on New York Times
- The Japanese Gyroball Mystery New York Times article by Lee Jenkins.
- Recent Yahoo! Sports article on the true Gyroball Another Yahoo! Sports article by Jeff Passan.
- Video, possibly of Gyroballs
- "Explainer" on the gyroball. from SlateSlate (magazine)Slate is a US-based English language online current affairs and culture magazine created in 1996 by former New Republic editor Michael Kinsley, initially under the ownership of Microsoft as part of MSN. On 21 December 2004 it was purchased by the Washington Post Company...
. - Searching for Baseball's Bigfoot, a Yahoo! Sports article by Jeff Passan.
- Yahoo! Sports article
- Unwinding the Gyroball by Brett Bull, special to SI.com.
- Big Empire article
- A slowed-down video showing the movement and spin of the gyroball
- Video Trajectory of the Gyroball