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Daisaku Brings New Pitch to Game

While the world of sports may be busy looking elsewhere ? football fans anticipating the upcoming Superbowl, tennis fans watching the season begin with Federer repeating last season?s success, and so on ? there is baseball history being made in this the off-season. It involves Japanese 26 year old pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka, but does not have to do with the Boston Red Sox paying over $50 million for the right to negotiate the deal with him, money his team in Japan, the Seibu Lions has received when he finally inked the contract, itself worth over $50 million.

The story is about a pitch. A pitch never before seen in baseball, which ahs earned the name of the gyroball. The pitch is part of Daisaku?s repertoire of a 93 mile per hour fastball, a curveball and a changeup, which together have helped make him Most Valuable Player while posting numbers such as his 2006 season 2.13 ERA and 200 strikeouts. Daisaku, it should be noted, is expected to repeat these numbers or get near to them in his rookie season with the Red Sox.

The gyroball has been examined by physicist and determined to have a gyro spin. The pitch is delivered much like a football pass in a tight spiral. It changes direction because of the rotation, balancing around a single axle through the momentum generated by a ring spinning around it. Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek is practicing catching the ball and MLB?s batters on hitting it.