subclass_of screwball
In ___MASK45___ , a ___MASK14___ is a pitch that does not travel straight as it approaches the batter ; it will have sideways or downward motion on it , sometimes both ( see slider ). A ___MASK14___ is not a specific pitch by that name , but is any pitch that " breaks ", such as a curveball , slider , or cutter  also known as a cut fastball . A pitcher who primarily uses ___MASK14___ pitches is often referred to as a junkballer . Catcher is a ___MASK7___ for a baseball or softball ___MASK59___ . When a batter takes his / her turn to hit , the catcher crouches behind home plate , in front of the ( home ) umpire , and receives the ball from the pitcher . In addition to this primary duty , the catcher is also called upon to master many other skills in order to field the ___MASK7___ well . The role of the catcher is similar to that of the wicket - keeper in cricket . In ___MASK45___ , a slider is a ___MASK14___ pitch that tails laterally and down through the batter ' s hitting zone ; it is thrown with speed less than a fastball but greater than the pitcher ' s curveball . In ___MASK45___ ( hardball or softball ), a ___MASK11___ or starter is the first pitcher in the game for each team . A pitcher is credited with a game started if they throw the first pitch to the opponent ' s first batter of a game . A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher . Starting pitchers are expected to pitch for a significant portion of the game , although their ability to do this depends on many factors , including effectiveness , stamina , health , and strategy . In sabermetrics , the defensive spectrum is the graphical ___MASK77___ of the positions on a baseball ___MASK54___ , arranged from left ( the easiest defensive positions ) to right ( the hardest ). The ___MASK33___ is the most common type of ___MASK83___ thrown by pitchers in baseball and softball . " Power pitchers ," such as former American major leaguers Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens , rely on speed to prevent the ___MASK66___ from ___MASK92___ ___MASK82___ , and have thrown fastballs at speeds of 95  105 mph ( 152 . 9  169 . 14 km / h ) ( officially ) and up to 108 . 1 mph ( 174 km / h ) ( unofficially ). Pitchers who throw more slowly can put movement on the ___MASK66___ , or throw it on the outside of home plate where batters can ' t easily reach it . In ___MASK45___ , the ___MASK71___ is the ___MASK59___ who throws the ___MASK45___ from the ___MASK71___ ' s mound toward the catcher to begin each play , with the goal of retiring a batter , who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk . In the numbering system used to record defensive plays , the ___MASK71___ is assigned the number 1 . The ___MASK71___ is often considered the most important defensive ___MASK59___ , and as such is situated at the right end of the defensive spectrum . There are many different types of pitchers , such as the starting ___MASK71___ , relief ___MASK71___ , middle reliever , lefty specialist , setup man , and closer . In ___MASK45___ and softball , a ___MASK73___ pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who enters the game after the ___MASK11___ is removed due to injury , ineffectiveness , fatigue , ejection , or for other strategic reasons , such as ___MASK92___ substituted by a pinch hitter . Relief pitchers are further divided informally into various roles , such as closers , set - up ___MASK73___ pitchers , middle ___MASK73___ pitchers , left / right - handed specialists , and long relievers . Whereas starting pitchers usually rest several days before pitching in a game again due to the number of pitches thrown , ___MASK73___ pitchers are expected to be more flexible and typically pitch more games but with fewer innings pitched . A team ' s staff of relievers is normally referred to metonymically as a team ' s bullpen , which refers to the area where the relievers sit during games , and where they warm - up prior to entering the game . ___MASK45___ is a bat - and - ___MASK100___ played between two teams of nine players each , who take turns batting and fielding . Fastpitch softball , also known as fastpitch or ___MASK33___ , is a form of softball played commonly by women and men , though coed fast - ___MASK83___ leagues also exist . The International Softball Federation ( ISF ) is the international governing body of softball . The ISF recognizes three pitching styles : fast ___MASK83___ , " modified " fast ___MASK83___ , and slow ___MASK83___ . Fast ___MASK83___ is considered the most competitive form of softball . It is the form of softball that was played at the ___MASK40___ in 1996 , 2000 , 2004 , and 2008 . The fast ___MASK83___ style is also used in college softball and international competition . A screwball is a ___MASK45___ ___MASK83___ that is thrown so as to break in the opposite direction of a slider or curveball . Depending on the pitcher ' s arm angle , the ___MASK66___ may also have a sinking action . Carl Hubbell was one of the most renowned screwball pitchers in the history of Major League Baseball . Hubbell was known as the `` scroogie king '' for his mastery of the ___MASK83___ and the frequency for which he threw it . Other famous screwball artists include Tug McGraw and Cy Young Award winners Mike Cuellar , Fernando Valenzuela and Mike Marshall . The curveball is a ___MASK80___ of ___MASK83___ in baseball and fastpitch softball thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ___MASK66___ , causing it to dive in a downward ___MASK20___ as it approaches the plate . Its close relatives are the slider and the slurve . The " curve " of the ___MASK66___ varies from pitcher to pitcher . Outside the context of baseball , variants of the expression " to throw a curveball " essentially translate to introducing a significant deviation to a preceding concept . The slurve is a ___MASK45___ ___MASK83___ in which the pitcher throws a slider as if it were a ___MASK74___ ball . The term is a portmanteau of slider and ___MASK74___ .