What is a Curveball?
Throughout the course of baseball history, pitchers have experimented with countless different methods for hurling the ball at a batter. During the latter part of the 19th century, the curveball was born in order to deceive batters and give an advantage to the pitcher. The curveball breaks downward as it approaches home plate, and it curves either inward toward or outward away from the batter, thus throwing the batter off balance. Originally considered rule-breaking, the curveball has become a staple in the quivers of pitchers at every level of the game. Because of the arm motion necessary to effectively throw a curveball, it is not uncommon to see injuries result from throwing the pitch, especially to younger pitchers in their teens or younger. The rotation of a curveball must move forward rather than backward like a fastball, and must also curve slightly sideways. Therefore, the pitcher must allow his arm to move in an unnatural motion that puts stress on the shoulder and elbow. It i
