Nobody knows what backdoor curve means anymore

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Dec 7, 2011
2,368
38
I guess I am officially "old". At least that's what I thought given all this redefinition of what a "backdoor curve" is (origin I see as the dummies on ESPN)

Todays definition has become so prevalent that to prove I am not senile yet I had to investigate on the great internet what was engrained in my head from playing baseball through into my mid 30's....

Today's redefinition => Any breaking ball thrown starting outside the strike zone then breaking back in on the back half of the same side of the plate to be a strike.

ORIGINAL definition from the beginning of time thru to the Softball ESPN redefinition in the 2000's => (quoting probably an old baseball guy on FoxSports) "You can throw a backdoor breaking pitch only to an opposite-handed hitter. That means left-handed pitchers can throw backdoor breaking pitches only to right-handed batters, and vice-versa. If you hear or read some describing a left on left or right on right backdoor breaking pitch they’re using the terminology improperly"


You can choose if you want to propagate the smartness of ESPN.....
 

Me_and_my_big_mouth

witty softball quote
Sep 11, 2014
437
18
Pacific NW
I am not as well-versed as you, as my interest in the game is only a couple of years strong by now - but your original definition is exactly as it was explained to me (but smaller words and more pauses were probably necessary). DD pitched a couple years before moving on.

Hmmmm, if I can't trust ESPN, who can I trust? #FakeSports

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
 
Mar 28, 2016
164
18
I guess I am officially "old". At least that's what I thought given all this redefinition of what a "backdoor curve" is (origin I see as the dummies on ESPN)

Todays definition has become so prevalent that to prove I am not senile yet I had to investigate on the great internet what was engrained in my head from playing baseball through into my mid 30's....

Today's redefinition => Any breaking ball thrown starting outside the strike zone then breaking back in on the back half of the same side of the plate to be a strike.
ORIGINAL definition from the beginning of time thru to the Softball ESPN redefinition in the 2000's => (quoting probably an old baseball guy on FoxSports) "You can throw a backdoor breaking pitch only to an opposite-handed hitter. That means left-handed pitchers can throw backdoor breaking pitches only to right-handed batters, and vice-versa. If you hear or read some describing a left on left or right on right backdoor breaking pitch they’re using the terminology improperly"


You can choose if you want to propagate the smartness of ESPN.....

That's incorrect. More than half of curve balls start at the batter and break onto the plate. That is not a backdoor curve.

As you mentioned, it has to be to a batter of the opposite hand. The idea is that the batter gives up on the pitch (thinking it an outside ball) and than it sneaks in through the 'backdoor' for a strike.
 

MTR

Jun 22, 2008
3,438
48
I guess I am officially "old". At least that's what I thought given all this redefinition of what a "backdoor curve" is (origin I see as the dummies on ESPN)

Todays definition has become so prevalent that to prove I am not senile yet I had to investigate on the great internet what was engrained in my head from playing baseball through into my mid 30's....

Today's redefinition => Any breaking ball thrown starting outside the strike zone then breaking back in on the back half of the same side of the plate to be a strike.

ORIGINAL definition from the beginning of time thru to the Softball ESPN redefinition in the 2000's => (quoting probably an old baseball guy on FoxSports) "You can throw a backdoor breaking pitch only to an opposite-handed hitter. That means left-handed pitchers can throw backdoor breaking pitches only to right-handed batters, and vice-versa. If you hear or read some describing a left on left or right on right backdoor breaking pitch they’re using the terminology improperly"


You can choose if you want to propagate the smartness of ESPN.....

That's okay, many have no idea what a hook slide is and I love it when someone mentions a drag bunt from the right side :)
 

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