Video: Rick Porcello loses the handle

The eephus, when thrown intentionally, can be an effective pitch. It’s all based on surprise. The batter is expecting a normal human pitch and here comes this 35 mph arcing change-up-of-death.

At worst, the batter swings way early and pulls it super-foul. At best, he flails helplessly at the pitch like a crazy man attempting to murder a butterfly. And all his teammates laugh at him.

Rick Porcello doesn’t have the eephus in his repertoire. So the thing he threw Tuesday afternoon against the Braves? That was completely unintentional.

He just lost the handle.

The only one looking stupid on the unintended eephus is the pitcher. Though for a split second, I bet the batter wanted to run up on that and take a swing.

If that was intended to be some kind of rainbow off-speed pitch from Porcello, he needs to go back to square one on that. Not an effective pitch if it doesn’t even make it to the plate.

(via)

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