Any team have a knuckleballer in their rotation? If so how are they doing? I have been interested to see if there has been more players to throw the pitch or is the pitch dying out?

I've seen the knuckleball thrown by quite a few pitchers this season. Though I've seen it thrown more while a pitcher is warming up than against batters.

I've seen guys throw it as a change up, but I've never seen any high schooler throw it as a primary pitch. I caught a guy in college who threw sidearm and used a knuckleball. First bullpen session of my freshman year I didn't even get my glove on the first few knuckles.

My ace, 40 years ago, was about 5'8" and weighed around 140. Fastball probably topped out in low 70's and the knuckle was his primary pitch (maybe 60% of his pitches). Best athlete on the team was our centerfielder that served as his designated catcher, simply because he was the only one that could catch him. It was a delight to watch him baffle batters from big time programs (Doug Flynn for one) pitch after pitch and then slip his fastball past them for strike three. He taught it to a couple of other players, but they never controlled it enough to use.

Caught for a guy in high school that had a knuckler that was pretty nasty at times. When he'd throw a good one it would just freeze the batter. :lol2:

Caught for a guy in high school that had a knuckler that was pretty nasty at times. When he'd throw a good one it would just freeze the batter. :lol2:

 

Did you follow Uecker's advice?

Tad Fisher from Bracken County throws a mean knuckle!

Did you follow Uecker's advice?

 

I should have. :lol2: Definitley dropped a couple of the real nasty ones.

Tad Fisher from Bracken County throws a mean knuckle!

 

I've seen it-- He can drop anyone with it!

Kenny Ball from Highlands (2015 class) threw it as a primary pitch and had some success with it. Fun to watch.

Used it as my go too pitch my junior and senior year at THE ROCK in the mid 80's after moving from middle reliever to starting pitcher. It lengthened my baseball career by a few years an saved my elbow and shoulder for baseball at the college level at CVC.

I don't know why but the pitch has always captivated me...I'd love to catch a high school game where it is being thrown as a primary pitch. I have watched a few minor league (Gamboa) and major league games (RA Dickey). I wonder if a player who threw this pitch as a primary pitch would actually get recruited as a knuckleball pitcher. I've never heard of one. Doesn't mean it hasn't happened though.

When I was in HS one of our starting pitchers threw one but not as his primary pitch. It was probably 40% Fastball 30% Knuckles 30% Curves. I was a catcher and it was not fun to catch him. I would often hesitate to call it with a runner on third.