Mathewson's Fadeaway

by arandy Wed May 07, 2008 8:27 pm

Christy Mathewson used to call it his "freak pitch". He learned it when he was in the New England League. Even though it was gripped like a normal curve, it moved in the opposite direction. After he released the ball, his palm would face up. Christy only used it a few times a game because it could cause serious injury.

If you know anything else about this pitch, I'd love to hear it.

Her is a cool video with a list of his pitches. The fadeaway is called the fallaway in this video: (get the popcorn popcorn

)

-Randy

by fisherboy7 Wed May 07, 2008 8:35 pm

It has always been my habit to experiment with freak deliveries and to try to develop and discover new curves along the lines of the fadeaway. Of course, I have seen what I could do with a spitter, but I don’t believe I have used it in championship [regular-season and post-season] games since I have been in the big league until this season".

“Once in a while previous to this year I used to cut loose a spitter in an effort to cross some batter who wouldn’t expect one from me. Three or four seasons back someone told me Hans Wagner couldn’t hit a spitball very well, and I used to slip one in occasionally until he pasted two or three of them a block or so, and then I decided to stick to the old stuff".

“What I am doing now is only what nearly every pitcher does when he begins to feel the old snap ooze out of his arm".

-Christy Mathewson, New York American, August 16, 1915.

Mathewson's Fadeaway

Mathewson's Fadeaway

In Matty's own words...