Baseball's first curveball was thrown underhand and inspired by seashells

Рет қаралды 232,427

5 жыл бұрын

In the early days of baseball, the role of the pitcher was more like that of a basketball ref at opening tip: get the action going and don't get cute. But as the sport grew and evolved, pitchers became a more strategic piece of the puzzle. And that led to the odd, long-disputed birth of one of baseball's best weapons: the first curveball.
Written and produced by Mike Imhoff
Shot and edited by Ryan Simmons
Graphics by Philip Pasternak
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Пікірлер: 164

@captainkirkwood5957 5 жыл бұрын

Candy Cummins a sweet nickname in the 1800s a pornstar in the 2000s 😂

@bezllama3325 4 жыл бұрын

True

@KaiOcean408 4 жыл бұрын

@joeblow9657 4 жыл бұрын

you're turning me on

@tiger5869 5 жыл бұрын

I don't really know who invented the curveball, but I think it is possible that multiple people invented it without knowledge of each other at the same time

@Tehcarp 5 жыл бұрын

Tiger58 like the bow and arrow

@chriswebster24 4 жыл бұрын

That’s preposterous.

@guppy719 3 жыл бұрын

@@chriswebster24 This is pre mass media and the fact that spin makes the ball move is easily observable

@christophermichaels6569 5 жыл бұрын

Fredrick Goldsmith is my great great grandfather. This truly means so much to see this. My uncle John wrote a biography on him and how he had grown up with him in his later years of life. And did a wonderful job expressing details on how Fredrick was as a husband, father, and a fantastic baseball player. Thank you SB Nation!

@theyungjesus8959 Жыл бұрын

Ive read the book a bit but im his great great grandson and they co founded it but i dont believe that I think great grandpa Freddie was the founder of it and it's an amazing tale and should be more recognized and Freddie should be in the hall of Fame with him whether or not he found it or not he was an amazing player with an amazing story and I cannot believe we are related

@christophermichaels6569 Жыл бұрын

@@theyungjesus8959 holy crap dude so we are family! And, you’re right. Even if he didn’t create it, it is a fantastic story and a really cool part of our family history. This is so crazy that over 3 years after I made this comment, somebody that I’m related to is replying to it. Wow. I’m 25 and live in Idaho. The relation comes from my moms side of the family, her last name is Castle. It would be cool to get in touch somehow. Totally made my night.

@myfbusters 5 жыл бұрын

*David Attenborough voice* And thus, with a whole two and a half hours of Jon Bois content released, the timid SB Nation emerges from the nest with its usual content series, knowing that they have a limited time before the cries for a third season of Breaking Madden begin anew

@jccs98 5 жыл бұрын

i was literally half way through typing word for word this exact comment when i scrolled down to see what the rest of y'all thought. great minds i guess. breaking madden aint coming back tho, because fixing rugby is coming, and that is a fact

@aaronscarpa7469 5 жыл бұрын

The first batter to see a curveball was probably so mind blown and thought Satan was responsible.

@gabrieleriva651 5 жыл бұрын

Or the Irish.

@malgold88 5 жыл бұрын

@@gabrieleriva651 probably both

@lordmikethegreat 5 жыл бұрын

What sorcery is this?

@lewissunflower6397 5 жыл бұрын

He probably ducked if it was inside because he thought it was going to hit him in the face.

@aaronscarpa7469 4 жыл бұрын

MANCHESTER UNITED there aren’t even 240 countries...

@Tombomb615 5 жыл бұрын

I watched the clip of Will pitching like 100 times. Will is a national treasure that should be preserved at all costs.

@breadvelvet 5 жыл бұрын

the way you just dropped the book at the end had me in tears

@user-xs1nh3hy5n 5 жыл бұрын

I’ll join the army when Jon Bois tells me to...

@elihernandez800 5 жыл бұрын

No be a man. Join the Marines.

@user-xs1nh3hy5n 5 жыл бұрын

Eli Hernandez are you Jon Bois?

@wellesradio 5 жыл бұрын

Marcus I can't think of a bigger insult than to call someone a "follower".

@createnewhandle_ 5 жыл бұрын

@@elihernandez800 marines is for the boys. Navy all the way.

@bvailcards44 5 жыл бұрын

@@elihernandez800 *Navy

@vontosmagicmurderbag2611 4 жыл бұрын

So slow pitch softball is the purest form of baseball.

@KTF0 5 жыл бұрын

My favorite team was the Brooklyn Excelsiors. I hated the New York Mutuals. I also despise the Staten Island Haberdashers, and the Newark Ninnies. My mom was Rochester Rapscallions fan who were rivals to the Portsmouth Picaroons during the Pennysworth Chesterfieldshire era.

@justmetal227 5 жыл бұрын

Statutory Grape woah that’s a mouthful

@JeevesAnthrozaurUS 5 жыл бұрын

In New York style baseball, if you get hit by a pitch you HAVE to say "I'm walkin 'ere!"

@josephD32 3 жыл бұрын

New Jersey style baseball is the same, only with an added "ah" at the end.

@Personal_Chizo 5 жыл бұрын

SB Nation: Alright! Time to get those sweet Bois/Biederman clicks! Also SB Nation: Alright! Time to get those sweet US Army dollars!

@adamg7984 5 жыл бұрын

Wow that 14 year old boy has one hell of a beard. I guess they hit puberty early back in the civil war era.

@Il_Exile_lI 4 жыл бұрын

Candy Cummings led the league in strikeouts in 1875 with 82 strikeouts in 416 innings. He also had nearly 3x as many unearned runs allowed as earned runs. Defense sure was great back then.

@onenerdvs9639 5 жыл бұрын

I just found this channel and Jon Bois yesterday. That means I have hundreds of hours of Jon Bois content and it's all fresh and new. Are you old timers jealous?

@beckobert 5 жыл бұрын

Where's Jon Bois? It's been a full day since his last video on this channel!

@SecretBaseSBN 5 жыл бұрын

who?

@mjstecyk 5 жыл бұрын

@@SecretBaseSBN everyone loves jonny boi

@bufordmaddogtannen5164 4 жыл бұрын

JOM BOY

@coltin1494 5 жыл бұрын

I think multiple people could have invented it without realizing they weren't the only one doing it, but I'm calling bullshit on the 3 pole demonstration

@zerebusgarago6223 5 жыл бұрын

SB Nation getting in on the lucrative "Tricking the underprivileged into dying in a god forsaken desert" racket.

@AndrewDangerously 5 жыл бұрын

You want college and healthcare without moving to Canada?

@RobertJW 5 жыл бұрын

I just wanted to say thanks SBNation for taking the U.S. Army’s money and using it to create interesting content on a global platform for viewers around the planet to enjoy, everywhere, for everyone.

@openingband 5 жыл бұрын

My man is back! Happy to see you and your origin together again.

@user-fr6qn9xl9e 5 жыл бұрын

0:25 "He said what?" -Francis Ngannou

@CrusaderDom3 4 жыл бұрын

Knickerbockers.

@stevemccart9109 4 жыл бұрын

I knew Cummings invented the curve many years ago. As an elementary kid i loved baseball and read history books ,but i never tire hearing storys about the game. Keep em informed. Go trollydodgers!!!

@tinyistobig 5 жыл бұрын

Well sb...youve done it again!!!!...another captivating mini doc...can u plz do more of the (fighting in a time of loneliness) type series....id pay for it

@jojokesnow1712 5 жыл бұрын

Man I love these videos

@KidFresh71 3 жыл бұрын

Candy job with this piece!

@Aangs112 5 жыл бұрын

interesting that sb nation just posted "fighting in the age of loneliness" which was decidely anti-US army yet they're sponsored by them lol

@cherokeeoutlaw2.011 2 жыл бұрын

This is unbelievably entertaining and interesting

@tycalvert9633 5 жыл бұрын

Damn that casual book drop. 😅😅

@AlanGohel 5 жыл бұрын

The Evolution of a pitcher bit got me good

@bassistwithadeathwish7277 5 жыл бұрын

Or 'The First man to yeet a ball sideways'

@Exayevie 5 жыл бұрын

I have ALWAYS wondered this!

@jessewisdom1356 3 жыл бұрын

I think it's neat that the two rules were "New York and Massachusetts style." Humm. That rivalry in baseball has lived forever.

@dezznutz3743 4 жыл бұрын

As the Winklevoss brothers will tell you, its not always the ones with the original idea that make it happen, but those who perfect the idea.

@thenbagreatteller1855 5 жыл бұрын

This video will go down as one of your greatest SB Nation 👍

@varuntheseagod4963 5 жыл бұрын

Candy Cummings sounds so wrong

@Karmy. 5 жыл бұрын

Stripper name

@emanuelmartinez7267 5 жыл бұрын

@@Karmy. correction, pornstar name

@Twinspinner 5 жыл бұрын

And yet, so right

@galil_6863 3 жыл бұрын

If Candy Cummings was a girl she'd be playing with a different type of balls...

@coolmanjack1995 5 жыл бұрын

Ok so I figured this guyu was innovative to be able to throw a curveball but then he describes how he did it to the paper using essentially the same understanding we have today, that the ball follows the path of least resistance which is different than straightforward because the spin of the ball create pressure zones around the ball. It's called the magnus effect and apparently this amateur athelete was fully aware of it during the civil war

@jacobbyers7914 5 жыл бұрын

Can you please do a rewind on Hideo Nomo's Coors no-hitter???

@user-fr6qn9xl9e 5 жыл бұрын

I see Mike, I click.

@harrisoncaldwell4541 5 жыл бұрын

The first touchdown celebration

@SecretBaseSBN 5 жыл бұрын

Your wish is my command: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/hs54nq2L1di0hHU.html

@ny9thzouave 5 жыл бұрын

To add to the confusion, Cummings is quoted as saying that Martin was throwing a kind of slow curve before him, but not like his curve ball. Martin also mentions that he experimented with the pitch while in the Union army during the Civil War on Roanoke Island, North Carolina.

@thickyc8629 5 жыл бұрын

Underhanded like a gentleman

@jumbo_jimbodad9543 5 жыл бұрын

Rewinder suggestion: Kings v Grizzlies. Tyreke Evans game winning shot from before the half Court Line

@jacobweldon6026 5 жыл бұрын

What song is in the background??

@joeblow9657 4 жыл бұрын

I got a bit teary eyed at the end

@BillyMcBillface 5 жыл бұрын

Howdy! I’d like to give my recommendation for a future episode of 1st, entitled: “The First Episode Of 1st” Thanks for your time and consideration.

@joyceblackmon1745 5 жыл бұрын

Nicknames have changed drastically we had a pitcher for another HS team tht we called cake because thts what he threw, he had decent speed 85-86mph but it was always right over the plate so it just like taking bp. Someone being called candy i figure would mean bout the same thing today

@thedenver2724 5 жыл бұрын

Nice vid!

@candybanks8717 5 жыл бұрын

Sounds like another Tessa/Marconi story. Sometimes a thing gets invented twice but sepeately. I don't think it's despare-worthy. Cool video!😎

@HoopTY303 Жыл бұрын

18-6 loss! So Candy had a "Colorado style" ERA.

@djtommyc.3678 4 жыл бұрын

The first TV commercial break

@kevinrobinson6601 5 жыл бұрын

"Brooklyn Excelsiors" lol

@joeblues2000 5 жыл бұрын

Stern and Goldsmith there some names you can trust

@jamespierce4386 4 жыл бұрын

Well. That take a turn.

@danielcrespo6736 5 жыл бұрын

How about the 1st strictly kicker position in the NFL for the next vid?

@KC-bg1th 4 жыл бұрын

You were a little to excited with your pronunciation of ‘knickerbocker’ lol.

@bowerbjo 4 жыл бұрын

Learning about baseball has made me consider a career as a professional murderer.

@DeathViper28 5 жыл бұрын

This video should be called, "The Founding of Kershaw"

@TheAlexwilhelm 5 жыл бұрын

army trying to poach the demographic!!!!!!!

@XxGavinRMxX 5 жыл бұрын

whoa us Camry ad out of nowhere

@twirlypenpsn4771 5 жыл бұрын

Goldsmith sounded like he whined a lot, at least according to that radio guy

@bencross3061 4 жыл бұрын

The ending

@adamania31 5 жыл бұрын

You re the only person that I’ll watch other than JOn bois

@Tigerpuffer 4 жыл бұрын

It wasnt a curveball in 1872... it was a curved ball.

@Eno22921 3 жыл бұрын

Of course new york style pitching was underhand at first😂

@PC-uh6hk 3 жыл бұрын

Okay, if you must.

@Sam-lr9oi 5 жыл бұрын

So whats the deal with Comcast subsidiaries and Army advertising? I just saw it on the PL on NBC Sports too, not to mention that Verge video.

@FeintMotion 5 жыл бұрын

All branches are running out of cheap bodies to throw at imperialist efforts.

@MrEazyE357 4 жыл бұрын

But wouldn't the "3 poles" demonstration be more of a slider?

@cyruslever586 4 жыл бұрын

Hey guys, remember to keep comments respectful and to follow the community guidelines

@harryrs7293 5 жыл бұрын

Pitchers love them, Elbows hate them.

@billyoung1585 5 жыл бұрын

The first slap shot please

@stevenschroeder1947 4 жыл бұрын

The 1st time someone was crossed In basketball

@jinxgenleigh6795 4 жыл бұрын

He is one of my relatives NO JOKE

@pansnemesis 5 жыл бұрын

Would have been cool to play with the gang in rdr2

@rogerszmodis 10 ай бұрын

So, major league baseball started out as beer league softball?

@possumverde 5 жыл бұрын

If the curve it around the pole demonstration was actually real, dude invented the slider not the curve

@treymagathan847 5 жыл бұрын

Presented by the US Army? What?

@Slackmana 5 жыл бұрын

Under Trumps leadership I've had fewer concerns with the US military. But not nearly enough to endorse them in anyway... Maybe I'll resubscribe when they stop dealing weapons to a certain terrorist kingdom.

@treymagathan847 5 жыл бұрын

Slackman I don't much care about that, more so why the US Army wants to sponsor SB Nation in the first place.

@farpointgamingdirect 3 жыл бұрын

Unfortunately for Bill Stearn, he had a habit of telling tall tales on his radio program...

@991theguy 3 жыл бұрын

Excuse me, what was that end card? I feel exposed

@kyugull 5 жыл бұрын

eesh, taking army sponsorships is a bad look

@ryanhouk3560 5 жыл бұрын

Not for nothing, but I figured out how to throw a ninja star in a curve. ... this is not a useful skill and it took forever, but I am still proud

@hurakagame9195 4 жыл бұрын

Ryan Houk ...use the same technique, but tilt it 33° up and it will Corkscrew in a forward path. 👍

@Funkyent Жыл бұрын

Whatever happened to this series?

@I_IS_A_SPOON 5 жыл бұрын

Mysteries at the museum did a really good telling of this too. Wasn't quite as deep but was fun to listen to.

@poisonpotato1 5 жыл бұрын

Maybe baseball would be more interesting if there role was still just getting things started

@NateWild 5 жыл бұрын

Wait where did Jon go

@ivycactus7862 5 жыл бұрын

OH your back? OK

@Lance-Stroll 5 жыл бұрын

My uncle Charlie was the first

@cralix2782 5 күн бұрын

Why does he look like amish happy gilmore

@edwardiii8409 5 жыл бұрын

Show him the curve!

@KenMac-ui2vb 4 жыл бұрын

54 Kershaw hof-type curve balls in Game 5. ZERO swing throughs. MLB has ZERO INTEGRITY. None.

@alexau9657 3 жыл бұрын

SB nation heart this comment to show you actually read the comment section, like if you want to see SB nation like it LOL.

@SwoteOffical 3 жыл бұрын

@ktat01 5 жыл бұрын

Reminds me of the episode of the Simpsons when they made a boy band and were singing songs subliminally tricking kids to enter the Air Force..

@kylew.4896 4 жыл бұрын

But I'm the teacher and I did smoke pot with the cool kids

@jedistreaming4006 5 жыл бұрын

Don't remember the league but it was in the late 1890's or so, a Catholic church banded the pitch because it was unethical to deceive the batter.

@Ekorslk 5 жыл бұрын

I’m sorry the WHAT rules?!

@QuarrelsomeLocalOaf 5 жыл бұрын

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knickerbocker_Rules

@SamBrickell 5 жыл бұрын

Jon Bois sucks. Sorry, just evening things out a bit.

@shatterdpixel 5 жыл бұрын

SAM BRICKELL scumbag

@nicholasbyram296 4 жыл бұрын

It is significant to note that none of the supposed "inventors" of the curve ball have any documentation of quibbling amongst themselves over who was "first." Only the beta spectator/commentators resorted to argument and dispute. If you have a good curve, you only care about another pitcher's curve when you are at bat (and you can see it in his wrist better than the fielders).

@butterboi6714 5 жыл бұрын

SECOND

@coachmcguirk6297 5 жыл бұрын

When is more Jon Bois?

@gravityvertigo13579 5 жыл бұрын

Def not gonna continue watching Army shills lmao hope this is the only video they're sponsoring

@Drestanto 5 жыл бұрын

There is no such thing as the inventor of curve ball. You can claim you're the first one to do it, but still, not an inventor Same thing as there is no such thing as the inventor of football (soccer)