Apology to all of you coaches out there

Hi Mark
Yeah, you better get out your copy of Bean's. My thought on curveballs at 45 feet is right there on page 134.

Bottom line, a curveball thrown at forty five feet will wiggle a little, if the kid can get enough turns on it, the stock market is up, the wind is just right, and the moon...well you catch my drift.
The realities are these: Optimistic dads play catch with their budding pitcher and they get so excited about that four inch wiggle. They don't even realize that most of that four inch fade is occurring in the last three feet of that ball's trajectory I.E.
BETWEEN THE BATTER'S CONTACT POINT AND THE CATCHER'S MITT! But visions of fathering another Sandy Koufax(sp?) and following him around the big league circuit will not die in their loving heart.
Curveballs are wonderful, as are knuckleballs. I got an (almost) free education at Baylor University throwin' 'em. I had to because my fastball wasn't, and my control of it...well let's just leave it there.
I also wore my arm in a sock which covered a liberal coating of analgesic Balm, (remember that smell?) and was in turn wrapped in saran wrap to keep the heat in, and to protect the delicate sensibilities of my classmates from that smell. I wore that sock 12 months a year.
Another reality: If a pitcher, (or his dad), is in love with his curveball, in fifteen minutes I show my kids how to wait for it, and park it, and certainly not fear it. Conclusion: A curveball thrown from a forty six foot rubber to rubber distance has only about 42 feet to do it's thing. By definition, then it is ALWAYS a "hanging curveball".

Great to hear from you. Give me a buzz at beans@pdq.net