what is a "slider" baseball pitch?

Question

i know that its a type of pitch in baseball but why is it called a slider and what makes it different from the fastball or curveball? also what makes the fastball different arent all baseball pitches reletively fast?

Answer 1

While all pitches are fast, the names are given according to the speed of the ball and the path it takes to the strikezone.

Fastball are thrown between 90 to 100 mph and depend on the speed to overcome a batter's reaction speed. Pitchers may add a bit of side movement to their ball by the way the hold the ball to make it even harder to hit but speed is the key point.

A curveball is what the name implies: the ball curves and relies on the curve of the ball to keep the batter guessing where it will cross the strike zone but the way the pitch is thrown, a lot of speed is lost. The ball goes around 60 mphs.

A slider is kind of a combination of both: pitchers may use it because the release pattern is like that of a fastball but it also breaks at the end, causing movement either left or right and making it hard to hit. The speed of the ball is slightly less than a fastball.

Answer 2

In baseball, a slider, or nickel curve, is a pitch halfway between a curveball and a fastball, with less break but more speed than the curve. It will tend to drop less and move toward or away from the batter more than a curve. The extra speed can fool the hitter into thinking it is a fastball, until too late. Some pitchers also use a cut fastball (or cutter) which is one step closer than the slider to the fastball on the spectrum between fastballs and curves. A pitch that has movement similar to both a slider and a curveball is sometimes called a slurve.

The slider is also sometimes called "the great equalizer" and "the pitcher's friend," as its development caused pitchers to regain some dominance over hitters. The slider also causes great stress and wear on a pitcher's arm: for this reason the Dodgers organization forbade its pitchers to throw sliders for many years after the pitch became popular.

Answer 3

In baseball, a slider, or nickel curve, is a pitch halfway between a curveball and a fastball, with less break but more speed than the curve. It will tend to drop less and move toward or away from the batter more than a curve. The extra speed can fool the hitter into thinking it is a fastball, until too late. Some pitchers also use a cut fastball (or cutter) which is one step closer than the slider to the fastball on the spectrum between fastballs and curves. A pitch that has movement similar to both a slider and a curveball is sometimes called a slurve.

The slider is also sometimes called "the great equalizer" and "the pitcher's friend," as its development caused pitchers to regain some dominance over hitters. The slider also causes great stress and wear on a pitcher's arm: for this reason the Dodgers organization forbade its pitchers to throw sliders for many years after the pitch became popular.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slider

Baseball Pitching Grips: How To Grip And Throw 10 Big League Pitches
http://www.thecompletepitcher.com/pitching_grips.htm

Answer 4

a slider is an off speed pitch which moves towards or away from a batter (depending on whether the pitcher and or hitter is a righty or a lefty). A curve ball drops, a plit finger fastball descends, a rising fastball keeps rising. A fastball should be 8-10 miles per hour faster than a breaking ball and that enough to keep a hitter off balance.

Answer 5

What Is A Slider Pitch

Answer 6

a slider is almost as fast as a fastball but tails away usually about 9-5. A curveball is much slower and drops usualy at a 12-6. (on a clock) A fastball is different becuase it has very little movement which means you can throw it ezer and faster.

Answer 7

A slider is faster than a curve yet almost as fast as a fastball.

Answer 8

a slider is a breaking pitch whose movement is about halfway between a cutter (almost all horizontal movement) and a curve (almost all vertical movement). the name comes from its late break (down and away from a right-handed batter when thrown by a right-handed pitcher). the ball seems to slide away, as opposed to simply dropping. the speed and break varies depending on the pitcher, some throw it harder than others, and some pitches break more horizontally than others.