MLB network is so unbelievably high quality. I know NFL network is probably bigger but this is seriously the most high-quality professional sport content of any of the big three. It’s actually valuable it’s not just a bunch of drolll.

I get the impression he would gladly talk pitches FOR HOURS

Love seeing grown men in business attire and tires throw baseball and get excited about it. Baseball for life

"That's why you became a 2nd baseman" LMFAO!

You can tell he's so passionate about it

Baseball isn’t my favorite sport by a long shot but my lord the quality of these segments is astounding. These clips have gotten me interested in pitch mixes and I actually watch games here and there now. Every league in the country should be looking at the MLB formula for themselves

I started at age 3 and I struck out Babe Ruth, Pete Rose, and Willie Mays in an immaculate inning. I'm coming up on my 5th birthday.

I love when former and current baseball players just talk their positions you ask them a simple question and they can just talk about it for hours a lot of gems being dropped in these lessons and stories.

All these videos are great sh*t!! Anyone who loves the game should watch these repeatedly

As a pitcher in high school, let me tell all the parents and kids out there something. Just like it was explained in this video, there is no need for anyone under 13 years of age to throw a curveball. At the low velocities of youth pitchers, a curveball and good changeup are pretty much identical. Now that I play high level travel and face D1 commits regularly, I see that the changeup is the better pitch to get people out anyways.

What a great segment. Yall making me fall in love with baseball all over again.

I learned to throw a curveball at age 11 (a couple months shy of my 12th birthday). I believe there is a lot of risk when attempting to throw a curveball without proper instruction. But I completely agree that when proper form is used, the curveball puts less stress on the arm than a fastball. The reason why most coaches discourage throwing a curveball under age 12 or 13 is that most youngsters want to try and figure it out on their own. They think you have to twist your wrist/arm to get the ball to curve- which is generally what causes injury. Most kids don't have access to the proper instruction at that age to throw it properly, or they may not have the mental maturity or discipline to adhere to proper instruction. I believe if the player is mature enough, coachable, and has proper instruction, there is no reason he can't start learning to throw a curveball at a younger age.

I love soaking in the game from these guys

This is such gold! I love the baseball community.

Pure Gold.......Catcher for 15 yrs

My Grandson is in LL he starts live pitching next year. We have been working on his fastball but work really hard on his changeup. He cannot throw a curve ball until he is 12. But I told him some MLB picthes have a ok fast ball but a great change up and are in the HOF.

That man lost his mind for a moment but damn he put a lot of good information in to that short little segment.

Great advice love these kind of videos

What a great tutorial. I was never good enough to go far in baseball, but the (proper) techniques are fascinating.

If anyone wants to learn the correct way to throw curve go watch video of Nolan Ryan pitch. Besides having the greatest fastball in the history of baseball he also had one of the best curveballs to.

I grew up a mets fan in the late 80s until now so I grew up on guys like doc Gooden and John Franco , Al leiter didn’t really came during my childhood but I was like 21 22 and I still loved him , the only thing that team gave us other then being genuinely a fun team to watch the NL pennant in 2000 I loved it

I agree 100 percent! It all depends on how you throw the curveball. Good mechanics makes a huge difference.

What well-done commentary by a knowledgeable pitcher, and he's right--the curve ball (or any particular pitch for that matter) doesn't do damage to the arm/shoulder; improper mechanics do damage to the arm/shoulder.

3:06 the transfer and throw by HR was so clean

Totally agree with al here

I started practicing mine at age 11 and threw them at middle school games. I also threw sliders and other pitches for travel ball

So cool!!!

great video...

Best job ever.

I started throwing breaking balls at around age 10-11. Man that thing was practically unhittable by other kids that age. I loved throwing it in games. No strain on the elbow. I simply threw the ball like I was hammering a nail.

I cannot forgive the pitcher that struck me out 2x in a championship game. I was 0-3 with that pitcher. That's why I switch to chess

pretty sick burn at the end there.

As a very very casual fan, these videos are really cool. All we see is them throwing the ball, we don’t really see how it’s being done or why they do the things they do.

I love this level technicality

I tried pitching once in a practice game in Little League. I completely sucked at it, so I went back to second base, which I could do relatively well.

makes perfect sense about using the bigger muscles on the curveball

Not to take anything away from his son Jack and how great of a college pitcher he's been, but unless he was just surprisingly unathletic, how could he not be a success when his dad knows the art of pitching and the business of pro baseball so well. Great content guys!

Everytime I go through the motion and throw my curveball ima say woooo boom in my head to make sure im throwing it properly ha

once you know how to command your fastball well consistently, you can start throwing a curveball

Man, I wish KZfaq was around when I was younger. I would have been a much better player. It allows me to be a better coach though. I love how Leiter can hit the same exact spot over and over. I can't say the same about me when I pitch to my son.

I had thrown all of 5 curveballs in my pitching youth and I needed TJ at 14. Tbf I think it was a summer of throwing a football that was too big/threw it like a baseball that did the most damage.

man where was this when my ll coaches were telling me to pronate, turn my wrist in towards my shoulder etc that ended up following me to hs where I blew my arm out

For me though I would agree with Harold. I know that when he was in ESPN he used to tell people not to throw curveballs early(12 and 13)(I know this from highlights).I’m 18 now but six years ago I only had the two seam four seam and occasionally change up, and my arm didn’t hurt except when I tried to throw too hard hehe 😂😂 and kind of strained it. Having said that though, I think it kind of depends on the individual and how they throw it

I've heard breaking balls "should" try and be thrown harder than fastballs. And in every delivery the elbow should be above the shoulder to prevent injury.

The Birdman, baby 2:54

SHAME.....I WISH I HAD THIS WHEN I WAS PITCHING IN HIGH SCHOOL JEZZZZZ. NICE JOB MLB NIZE JOB!

At 10 I taught my son how the preset his arm and the proper arm technique for a curve. He only threw tennis ball cans so he could see the rotation. At 11 we started using a baseball but mostly still used the can. Now at 12 I have let him pitch the curve in games. His curve is nasty. His technique is great. No stress at all on his arm.

I’m 13 years old and i throw a curve and I have no problem with my arm. The only way you don’t have problems is if you throw it right so like Al Leiter said it depends the maturity of the pitcher so if you think you can throw a curve give it a try but make sure you throw it right.

I'm 15 and only started throwing a curveball last year.

I agree that it is healthy to throw one at 13. But I started throwing one at 11 and I have no elbow pain at all. If you throw it a certain way where it slips out of the outside part of your hand the ball will break more and you will have better elbow health.

What was he saying about the thumb, I couldn't see what he was doing. As a little leaguer I throw curveball, changeup, fastball but dropped my arm slot, I worked on getting it back up but lost my curveball, so trying to find any tips possible

I fucking love al leiter

I feel like curve balls are more of a wrist and finger twisting thing. My elbow has never felt a strain, I also never used to open up my my front foot, I landed at a 45 kinda closed and then the cleats dug in and twisted to face the catcher. Throwing feels like a natural thing when you don't force it.

My 9 year old throws a slider and a curve and 45 mph fastball, and he feels fine. He doesn’t throw the breaking pitches that hard, he just puts plenty of torque on them to make them break. There are major league pitchers whose arms have literally broke on the mound when throwing a fastball. It just depends on the individual.

at 11 we started throwing like it was you need to know this now

16 years old is the best time to throw a curveball. Little league elbow is real and it messes with the growth of the arm ligaments.

I didn't throw a curve till high school. Just fastball change up before that

I learned how to throw properly early so I was able to start throwing curves when I was 11

Our highschool varsity played this guys who had an 85mph fastball and a 70mph curveball and had pin point accuracy, we are one of the best hitting teams in the valley and he pitched 7 innings and destroyed us.

I start pitching in the Little Leagues tomorrow. Just getting any possible tips so I can improve my curveball. Thanks!

Cant agree more with the guy, curveballs felt much better on my arm than any other pitch. I guess we are all built differently. But slider and any moving fastball did hurt

Imo, don't through breaking pitches in a game until your body grows into itself. Lifting heavy weights and throwing breaking balls are for when your bones and tendons are grown and secure. I think coaches should look for the red flags of elbow below the shoulder. I love these MLB network segments

If i throw my curve from the side, but its lagged and doesnt lead, but thrown with hip tork, does it still damage my arm?

Need to learn curve

I picked up a curve around 7 or 8 but it was pitch #4 so I rarely used it. Especially since I was only mid 80's fastball at that time, my arm was fine!

fuck I love baseball

Bruh get these guys in shorts and windbreakers. These suits are tufff

I started to throw a curve at 16 my arm slot is better for a slider.

I dont want to show my age but I use the seam to rotate the ball in so much action not to kill it just as much velocity as possible I threw a curve for 2 years do you think I should start throwing harder so I snap it harder?

I once struck out Mike Trout throwing a beach ball.

"Good knowledge"

i was searching for pokemon go tipps

I think the most important thing is to learn how to throw a fastball and change up, learn how to locate them, then you can develop a breaking ball. It doesn't matter how good your curve is if you don't have any pitches to set it up with.

해석좀 ㅠㅠ

I'm 13 right now and I fractured growth plate in elbow

My old coach said not to throw a curve till 16 but I started throwing mine at 11

I'm 12 and I throw a curveball for middle school. Should I be worried hurting my arm?

I started a curve in 4th grade

380,300th like and 199th comment

Not 12. I had major tendonitis but I could bend it.

I started my curve when I was 10

My curve does hurt my arm at all but when I start throwing fastballs then is statrs to strain

My son learned all the off speed shit first . I grew up with all that “ don’t do this don’t do that you’re too young” The kid that used to throw cutters at our head got drafted by the Phillies and OD’d on hookers and blow. They don’t want you to throw the exotic stuff because they can’t hit it and their kids can’t hit it and little league is boring and strikeouts for the most part. Young kids should learn the slider the two seamer the fork the palm the circle the knuckle the 12-6 and the spit. The old timers that have seen my son throw the spitball are amazed. There are junior high kids that can’t hit a nine year old. Most of the pedigree of baseball cannot hit better than .250 after a lifetime. I’m telling him to throw it right at your sons head and when he cries we circle him on the lineup sheet. Survival of the fittest.

My dad played in the Tigers farm system in 1938 and bless his soul he spent ALOT of time with me and my brother playing baseball at Rouge Park and every night we played catch in front of our house. I was 5 years old when he taught us how to throw a curve ball and also back then what they called the inshute. I pitched in the Detroit city league and fooled many of batters, getting them to duck and then get called out on a third strike. When I got to be 10 years old I was lucky enough to get in to the Barney McKoskey league which was the league everyone wanted to play in. I threw so many curve balls and inshutes since I was 5 and I am tired of hearing about when youngsters should start throwing curve balls, it a bunch of Bull. And another thing, I pitched every single day and I could throw quite hard and it never hurt my arm or shoulder. This 3 & 4 pitcher rotation days are for woosies.

i started at 14 but my couch wasnt really focused on my curve

I usually start throwing a curveball when I have an 0-2 count, but yeah. Let's say when you're 13.

please come w ur son to the rangers lol we need coaches too

I just started and I'm 16 lol

My little league curveball was same as Harold's lol

I started at 11

its easier to do then to explain

2:33 that sounds kinda childish but understandable

I threw curve balls when I was 10 in little league , I'm 55 and can still Throw one . No arm problems . Pitched hundreds of innings .

yankees over jays... somethings not right

Al had a nasty cutter.

I still don’t understand

0:47 Poor guy got interrupted🙁

Left handed people to throw a nasty curve ball: get a two seam grip and lift you index finger and throw a curveball

Al sounds like he's dying lol

Let’s take the grey area out of play. Puberty. If he doesn’t have hair under his arms he shouldn’t consider a breaking ball. Period. Curve, slider, slurve, or even what they call a slip pitch. Physical growth. Structural stability. All keys for long term success. I have 15 year old now. He matured faster than his peers. He didn’t star his breaking ball until he left the 50 70 ball field. He did spin drills at 12 to get the feel. But didn’t throw it off a bump until he was at the 60 90 distance.