Foreign Knuckleballer in Korea
The Sports Chosun recently did a short look ot Tim Oxspring, a foreign pitcher in the KBO who sometimes throws the mysterious knuckleball.
Tim Wakefield is famous for throwing the knuckleball for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. When thrown, it’s difficult to predict where a knuckleball will go. Like sliders and forkballs, it’s tough to track its motion. It’s not speedy, but it makes timing difficult for the hitter.
Even so, not just anybody can throw it. Because the ball must be gripped and thrown with the first three fingers, considerable skill is required. In both Korea and Japan there is nobody who throws the knuckleball.
But this season one of those rare knuckleballers has turned up in Korea — LG foreign pitcher Oxspring. On the 13th Okspring threw 6⅓ innings against Doosan in Jamshil, with 5 or 6 of his pitches being knuckleballs. It was fun to see the knuckleball, with its movement so different from fastballs, sliders, and changeups.
Oxspring learned the knuckleball in the minor leagues but had actually never thrown it in a game until last year, because he worried that speed and lack of movement would lead to a long ball. But in spring training he decided to dust it off and add a new weapon just in case.
His knuckleballs hit the bats of the Doosan hitters, but the result was always a foul tip or checked swing.
Oxspring said, “being able to throw something with different movement is an advantage in the battle with a hitter. They looked really confused by it today. But I don’t think I’ll start throwing it a lot. Throwing more than 10 a game would diminish its effectiveness.”
Oxspring now has two wins in three games. With the rising temperature his fastball is getting faster too, and he could win 15 games this year. Confidence in his knuckleball is partly responsible.
Manager Kim Jae-bak gave a thumbs-up when the subject of Oxspring’s knuckleball came up. “Did you see that? It was like a slow curve last year but this year it’s much better. It moved all over the place and the hitters couldn’t hit it.”