Pitching Cheat Code or Gimmick?
Dr. Pratt connects sports, history, culture, and cards every Wednesday to further your Hobby and collecting edification. Don’t worry, there’s no final exam, but the good doctor might ask to see your PC.
Illustration of legendary knuckleballer Tim Wakefield. (Illustrated by Ben Katchor)
A favorite of Shohei Ohtani, the “sweeper” pitch has skyrocketed in popularity over the past few years. It’s not a gimmick; it’s an effective pitch that can make some very good hitters look hapless. But beyond the wave of sensational headlines about baseball’s latest “new pitch,” the truth is, the sweeper is just a flattened slider—useful, but not extraordinary.
On the other end of the spectrum, the almost forgotten Eephus pitch, generally attributed to Pittsburgh’s Rip Sewell, was certainly extraordinary. Traveling in a high arc between the mound and home plate, the Eephus pitch clocked in at around 45 mph. Although it has been used recently, occasionally by pitchers as serious as Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke, the Eephus pitch has been classified as a gimmick since Ted Williams smashed a homerun while facing Rip Sewell in the 1946 All-Star game.
1949 Bowman #234 Truett Sewell
In the history of baseball, there is only one pitch that consistently and truly defies categorization: the knuckleball. Like the elusive Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena that military pilots now discuss in Congressional hearings, the knuckleball has rarely been filmed, and the reports batters give of its nature seem to defy simple observational data. Take Willie Stargell’s word for it: “Throwing a knuckleball for a strike is like throwing a butterfly with hiccups across the street into your neighbor’s mailbox.”
The Pioneering Knuckleballers
The first great knuckleballer in the game’s history was Eddie Cicotte, who was nicknamed “Knuckles.” In a fourteen-year career between 1905 and 1920, using the knuckler as a consistent part of his arsenal, Cicotte racked up 209 wins and only 148 losses. His lifetime ERA of 2.38 seems like it might have qualified him for the Hall of Fame, but Cicotte was banned from baseball for his role in the 1919 World Series “Black Sox” scandal. Cicotte’s T206 is not as rare as the famous Honus Wagner, but it is a desirable card even when found in ruinous condition.
1909-1911 T206 White Border Eddie Cicotte
The heyday of the knuckleball may have been in the 1930s, and in that period, its greatest artist was probably Dutch Leonard, a five-time All-Star who played the best years of his career with the Washington Nationals in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Over a twenty-year career, Leonard pieced together a 191-181 record and impressive 3.25 lifetime ERA. Interestingly, in 1944, Leonard was part of a four-man Nationals rotation that featured four knuckleballers. Leonard’s best card is probably his 1941 Play Ball #24, though he did stick around long enough to be included in the Topps 1952 set.
The first Hall of Famer to deploy the knuckleball regularly was Hoyt Wilhelm. At age 29, Wilhelm finished second in Rookie of the Year voting in 1952, then went on to pitch for twenty years, retiring at age 49. He posted sub 2.00 ERA numbers in seven different seasons. Wilhelm’s most prized card is certainly the 1952 Topps #392. His 1961 Topps card #545 is notable for featuring a grinning Whilhelm demonstrating his knuckle grip for the camera.
1952 Topps Baseball #392 Hoyt Wilhelm
Golden Age Knuckleballers
If the knuckleball became a fascination during the first half of the 20th century, it was finally mastered toward the end of the century. For good reason, the most famous knuckleballer of all-time is Hall of Famer, Phil Niekro, who racked up 318 wins between 1964 and 1987. A five-time All-Star, Niekro threw more than twenty complete games each year from 1977-1979, and his 1.87 ERA led the league in 1967. Like Willie Stargell, Bobby Murcer had to resort to analogy to describe what he saw from Niekro: “Trying to hit Phil Niekro is like trying to eat Jello with chopsticks.” Niekro’s cards are widely available, but his 1964 rookie card #541 can hold significant value in mint condition. Phil’s younger brother, Joe Niekro, was also a successful MLB knuckleballer.
1964 Topps Baseball #541 Phil Niekro/Phil Roof
A rare lefty knuckleballer, Wilbur Wood was an MLB journeyman for six years before settling in with the Chicago White Sox from 1967-78. From 1972-75, Wood started more than 40 games per year, including 49 starts in 1972 – and he often finished those games himself, racking up more than 100 career complete games. While his career 164-156 record and 3.24 ERA are certainly respectable, his 1964 rookie card #267 is easily acquired.
Perhaps the knuckleball was not intimidating, but it seems to have been easy on pitchers’ arms. Charlie Hough (1970-94) mastered the eccentric pitch early in his career, and like Wood and Niekro before him, turned in more than 100 career complete games. Hough’s career record was 216-216, and his 3.75 ERA was not so exceptional, but he was ever-present and managed to make one All-Star appearance with Texas in 1986.
Modern Knuckleballers
The career statistics of knuckleballer R.A. Dickey (2001-2017) look unremarkable, except for one thing: in 2012, Dickey became the only knuckleballing pitcher to win the Cy Young Award. Starting 33 games for the Mets that year, Dickey posted a 20-6 record and an era of 2.73. His 230 strikeouts proved that he was “feeling it” all year, and some of the game’s best hitters were baffled by his stuff that season. Dickey’s 1997 Bowman Chrome #108 is an impressive card—one worth checking out.
1993 Topps Baseball #163 Tim Wakefield
From 1992-2011, Boston’s Tim Wakefield was by far baseball’s best-known knuckleballer. He wasn’t perfect, but he won more games than he lost, and on his best days, he could make some of baseball’s best hitters (and his own catcher) look foolish. In 1995, Wakefield finished the season 16-8 with a 2.95 ERA; he finished 3rd in Cy Young voting that year. His 1993 Topps Gold #163 features a beautiful action photo of Wakefield in a Pirates jersey.
Is the knuckleball headed for extinction? The Padres demoted pitcher Matt Waldron, who had been the MLB’s only currently active knuckleballer, to their AAA club just weeks ago. Appropriately, Waldron’s 2023 MLB TOPPS NOW® card #872 highlighted his eccentric grip on the baseball. But, with a 7-11 record this year and a 4.79 ERA, perhaps we will have to accept Waldron’s flop in 2024 as evidence that MLB hitters have finally figured out baseball’s most mysterious pitch.
2023 MLB TOPPS NOW® #872 Matt Waldron
