Slider (pitch) - Wikipedia

Baseball pitch

In baseball, a slider is a type of breaking ball, a pitch that moves or "breaks" as it approaches the batter. Due to the grip and wrist motion, the slider typically exhibits more lateral movement when compared to other breaking balls, such as the curveball.[1]

The slider is generally among the fastest breaking balls, commonly ranging 80 to 90 mph (130 to 140 km/h).[2] A variation of the slider, known as the sweeper, is characterized as being slightly slower, but having more lateral movement.[3] Pitches that exhibit qualities similar to that of both a slider and a curveball are referred to as a slurve.[4]

Grip and action

[edit]

The grip for a slider is characterized as being similar to that of a fastball.[5] Like all pitches, the grip can take many different forms, with slight variations between pitchers suiting their individual preferences. A common feature in most slider grips is the index and middle finger being close to each other.[6]

The associated wrist motion often contributes a large amount to the pitch's movement, and is characterized by a more supine positioning upon release. Like many other breaking balls, such as the sweeper (a type of slider) this motion can cause significant strain on the arm, and thus is not recommended for players under the age of 13.[7]

Effects

[edit]

The slider will typically move laterally towards the pitcher's glove-side. For example, when thrown by a right-handed pitcher, from the pitcher's perspective, the pitch will "slide" from the right (the arm-side) to the left (the glove-side). When thrown by a left-handed pitcher, the pitch breaks in the opposite direction, moving from the left to the right.

Notable slider pitchers

[edit]

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Many famous pitchers have been known for their slider. Hall of Fame pitcher Randy Johnson was well-known for his unusually fast slider, which he nicknamed "Mr. Snappy".[8] Other Hall of Fame pitchers renowned for their excellent slider include Steve Carlton, Dennis Eckersley, Bob Gibson, and John Smoltz.

Other pitchers with notable sliders have included:

• Matt Brash
• Dylan Cease
• Gerrit Cole
• Jacob deGrom
• Zack Greinke
• Clayton Kershaw
• Brad Lidge
• Sparky Lyle
• Shohei Ohtani
• Chris Sale
• CC Sabathia
• Max Scherzer
• Dave Stieb
• Spencer Strider
• Justin Verlander

History

[edit]

The innovator of the slider is debated, but some credit Charles Albert "Chief" Bender as the first to use the pitch.[9] Other players claimed to be the inventor include George Blaeholder and George Uhle.[9]

References

[edit] Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sliders (pitch).

1. ^ "Slider (SL) | Glossary". MLB.com. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
2. ^ "Baseball pitches illustrated | Lokesh Dhakar". lokeshdhakar.com. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
3. ^ "Sweeper (ST) | Glossary". MLB.com. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
4. ^ "Slurve (SV) | Glossary". MLB.com. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
5. ^ "Slider 101: Everything You Need to Know to Master the Pitch". pitchlogic.com. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
6. ^ "Pitch Grips: Sliders". Driveline Baseball. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
7. ^ "MLB | Pitch Smart | Pitching Guidelines | Ages 9-12". MLB.com. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
8. ^ "Crasnick: Starting 9 -- Memorable moments in Big Unit's career". ESPN.com. June 3, 2009. Retrieved May 21, 2024.
9. ^ a b Griffin, John (August 23, 2022). "The New Breaking Ball on the Block: The early history of the slider". Pinstripe Alley. Retrieved May 21, 2024.

v t e Baseball pitches
Fastballs	Cutter Four-seam Two-seam Shuuto Sinker Gyroball
Off-speed pitches	Breaking balls Curveball 12–6 knuckle curve Screwball Slider sweeper Slurve Changeups Circle changeup Forkball Fosh Palmball Splitter Straight changeup Vulcan changeup Junk pitches Eephus pitch Knuckleball
Purpose pitches	Inside pitching brushback Intentional walk pitchout
Illegal pitches	Beanball Emery ball Shine ball Spitball Quick pitch 2021 pitch doctoring controversy
Other	Balk Wild pitch
Deliveries	Pitching position Overhand Sidearm Submarine
Related	Strike zone The Neyer/James Guide to Pitchers (2004 book) Knuckleball! (2012 documentary)

v t e Baseball and softball concepts
Outline · Glossary
Baseball rules	Cheating Comparison of baseball and softball fastpitch softball 16-inch softball Ejections Ground rules Infield fly rule In flight Interference Pitch clock Protested game Strike zone Suspended game Unwritten rules
Ballpark/field	Backstop Baseball diamond Batter's box Batter's eye Bullpen Dugout Foul pole Foul territory Infield On-deck circle Outfield Warning track
Equipment	Ball Bat Batting cage Batting glove Batting helmet Cap Doughnut Glove (defense) Pitching machine Protective cup Shin guard Stirrups Uniform Uniform number
Game process	Batting order Innings extra innings Out Positions Run Pace of play
Batting	At bat Baltimore chop Bat flip Batted ball Batting count Batting out of order Bunt sacrifice bunt slap bunt squeeze play Charging the mound Checked swing Cleanup hitter Contact hitter Designated hitter Double Double switch Foul ball Foul tip Golden sombrero Ground rule double Hat trick Hit Hit and run Hit by pitch Hitting for the cycle Home run Grand slam Inside-the-park Walk-off Moonshot Chinese Infield hit Leadoff hitter Lefty-righty switch Line drive Mendoza Line On-deck Pinch hitter Plate appearance Platoon system Power hitter Pull hitter Sacrifice fly Single Strikeout Strike zone Sweet spot Switch hitter Triple Walk
Pitching(softball)	Balk Beanball Breaking ball Brushback pitch Changeup Vulcan changeup Curveball Eephus Emery ball Fastball two-seam four-seam cutter sinker split-finger Full count Immaculate inning Inside pitching Intentional balk Intentional walk Knuckleball Maddux No-hitter Perfect game Pickoff Pitch count Pitching by position players Pitching position Pitchout Quick pitch Screwball Shutout Slider Spitball Strikeout Strike zone Striking out the side Switch pitcher Time of pitch Wild pitch
Base running	Automatic runner Balk Bases loaded Caught stealing Hit and run Lead off Left on base Obstruction Pinch runner Rundown Safe Scoring position Slide Small ball Squeeze play Stolen base Tag up Tie goes to the runner
Fielding(positioning)	Appeal play Assist Blocking the plate Catch Caught stealing Covering a base Defensive indifference Double play Error Fielder's choice Fifth infielder Force play Fourth out Hidden ball trick In-between hop Infield fly rule Infield shift Interference Neighborhood play Passed ball Pickoff Putout Rundown Tag out Triple play unassisted Uncaught third strike Wall climb Wheel play
Related	Baseball card Baseball statistics Bench jockey Bench-clearing brawl Dead ball Doubleheader Jargon Injured list List of baseball films Pepper Scorekeeping Series Seventh-inning stretch Shagging Sign stealing Slump Streak losing winning Variations of baseball
Category Portal WikiProject