The Curve Ball

I've spent a lot of time during my life standing in a batters box. Literally, as a young boy and a young man playing the game of baseball. Figuratively, as a man, father, husband, and employee. I've come to the conclusion that it's all about learning how to hit a curve ball!

There is nothing quite as intimidating as standing in a 4' x 6' chalked out piece of earth called a batters box. Not just standing in it, but adding the following variables make it really interesting. 60 feet 6 inches away is a person called a pitcher. This pitcher is preparing to throw a rawhide covered hardball about 3-1/2" in diameter as hard as he can in your direction. In fact, more than in your direction. He is trying to throw it into a little area called a strike zone. The strike zone is the space defined by a 17" wide "plate" on the ground in front of you whose height is loosely calculated from your armpits to your knees. The pitcher doesn't necessarily like you and he doesn't like the team you play for. On top of that, he wants you to look bad. You don't necessarily trust him, or his ability to throw the ball within the strike zone. This is not a good recipe.

Every logical bone in your body is telling you to move from where you are standing before you get seriously hurt. Hurling the ball straight at the strike zone is not good enough. At some point in baseball and baseball throwing history, someone invented the curve ball. The ability to spin the ball and make the air passing over the surface of the ball cause the ball to bend or curve. The amount of curve is dependant on one thing; the speed of the ball. (The novice here should understand that there is such a thing as a slow curve and a fast one) The pitcher places his index and middle fingers parallel to the red stitching on the ball. At the top of his throwing arc the pitcher snaps his wrist hard and downward. This produces a spinning push on the ball, causing the ball to curve when it interacts with the oncoming air pressure. OK - enough of the scientific chatter.

I repeat, the pitcher doesn't like you. His goal is to have you swing and miss 3 pitches and then set your sorry butt back down in the dugout. The curve ball is the equalizer. When it is thrown correctly to a left-handed batter from a left-handed pitcher, it looks like it is being thrown from first base. The idea here is to stay in the batters box. Don't let your mind tell you that the ball is coming from first base and looks like it is going to hit you right in the ribs. You have to forget all the logical signals. Ignore the minds inner protection devices and not respond to the nerve wrenching signal your brain is screaming to the rest of your body, "GET THE HELL OUT OF THERE!"

You have to trust this person called a pitcher. Trust what you know about a curve ball and trust that it will ultimately end up out in front of you in the strike zone. At this point a couple of things can happen. You can engage your arms and legs into a twisting motion to bring the bat down and make contact with the ball. Hopefully hitting the ball straight back at the pitcher to let him know you don't like him either. Understand that this decision process has to take place in a nano second. The other thing is that it isn't a curve ball at all and your trust in the pitcher who hates you is misplaced. At that point the ball will hit you somewhere. Again, this is mind over matter. It's just a baseball. It only weighs about 5 ounces. It's only travelling at 80 or so miles an hour. You have a helmet on to prevent a "death-blow". What's the downside here?

I'll tell you the downside. It's a welt on your leg or back that will finally disappear after a week or two once it goes through a metamorphosis of color changes that encompass the entire rainbow. It is definitely a spot you don't want to touch for awhile or get poked or hit there again. But the real problem is the bruise it will put in your confidence. You just might want to listen to your brain when it shouts, "BAIL!!!!" next time a curve ball is approaching. You may move your back foot or interrupt the twisting motion. You may do a number of things that will cause you to never hit another curve ball solidly in your life. You may let your experience rent space in your head and bail on every curve ball in the future. You may never understand or have the confidence that you can actually hit a curve ball out of the park.

You have to hang in there. You can't listen to the wrong voices. Sometimes you have to go against everything logic is telling you. Stay planted. Keep your feet firm. Twist. Extend. Put the wood on it! CREAM IT! .... And if it hits you... it's just a welt. It will go away.

As for me; I've knocked a few out of the park.... and yes a few have left some serious welts.