I recently had the privilege of getting to know Ohio County Pitching Coach John Casteel. I had written a story about his son Cody, and misidentified who John was, what he was, and even what his name was! I’m still smarting over that one! John and Cody were both forgiving and gracious, so all is well. I should say all was well except one small detail…they both had something that I wanted. They knew the intricacies – the secret power of throwing a curveball, and I did not.
What to do, what to do…hmmmm…the idea for a story where they talked freely about what I wanted instantly invaded my mind! I’ll do a story on the pitch itself, and they’ll unknowingly grant me all the secrets that I desire! AH-HA-HA-HA-HA-HAAAAAaaaaaaaa! That was my evil, maniacal laugh, by the way. I gave John a call, and he walked right into my trap, and I got Cody ensnared, to boot! Now I could rule the world with my newfound ability to throw the hook!
Slowly, my mind let go of me, and my glazed-over eyes regained their focus once again. As co-workers either quickly scooted away from me or discreetly prayed for my well-being, my plans started to take shape. I received Cody’s summer ball schedule, and set up an appointment, AH-HA-HA-HA-HA-HAAAAAaaaaaa! I’ll stop that now; you all get the picture about how important this was to me.
I met up with John and Cody at Russell Shifley Park in Owensboro for my pitching lesson. They were in the middle of an away-game double-header, so we launched the interview after the game. As the home team took care of the field, we headed to the bullpen for the actual lesson, (ah-ha-ha-ha-haaaaaa, couldn’t resist).
The lesson was wonderful, with both Cody and John showing the knuckle-curve, side-to-side, and 12-6 curveballs. The grips are different for each pitch – even between these two artists! They would refer to each other’s curveball as if they were living beings. All the while, I was asking questions, and getting my answers.
John, did you pitch as a starting pitcher in high school?
Yes, I did. I pitched all 4 years in high school starting with my freshman year all the way through my senior year and went on to pitch in college.
Did you have the same type of curveball that Cody has?
Yes…well, different variations. I throw more of a knuckle curve and he throws more of a straight up curve. He has got a 12 to 6 and a right to left. I do too; we just hold it a little different.
Who taught you the most about throwing a curveball?
My old coach, Ronny Cundiff, back in Babe Ruth came up to the high school level after I got to high school. He used to play, but he got drafted into Vietnam so he didn’t get to go to school to play, but he got some offers to play ball in school because he could really pitch. He taught me 3 or 4 pitches that I threw when I was younger – probably about 13 or 14. He is the one that really helped me, and showed me how to throw mine.
Is there any danger for a young person who is trying to develop a curve ball and what age is safer for starting that?
We worked on Cody’s when he was about 10 or 11 years old. We didn’t throw a lot in a game but we would do some drills outside, showing him how to do it. He didn’t start doing it in a game until he was about 12; his last year in little league and the year in Babe Ruth. It kind of picked up the stronger he got. They if you start throwing it too early that you have a chance of messing your arm up. He has pitched several this year and thrown several of them and he is still strong and doing fine.
What kind of precautions do you stress for a young person who wants to throw a curve ball?
It’s probably not good to start throwing them till you are about 12. A lot of kids in little league about 11 or 12 starts to throw one, but not many about 5 to 10 a game. They usually throw mostly fast balls. We’ve been working on it for a while and he hasn’t hurt his arm any.
Cody, what is physically important to throwing a curve ball?
Your stance is obviously important just like any throw. When you throw a baseball normally, you are going to come back and there is going to be an imaginary line that should go straight through your feet. You can’t have this foot here, or you’ll be throwing it across your body. You need to have it on the left side of the line. Your arm needs to be at about 90 degrees and start from one hip (because that is where you get all your power from) and you bring it across to your other hip.
What is mentally important to throwing a curve ball? Do you throw them when your ahead in the count, or behind in the count?
I usually throw them any time in the count.
NOTE: Cody can get away with this easily – he went 7-3 on the year with an awesome 2.23 ERA, logging 59.2 innings pitched!
John, do you recommend that for just anybody?
No, because you have to be able to locate. You have to throw it on strikes cause with him this year – why he was so effective; we would throw a lot with 3-2…we would fool them. Most coaches are going to call a fast ball to make sure they’re getting it across the plate. We throw the big hook, and it has worked all year long. You’ve got to be able to locate and throw in the strike zone. If you have a kid that is struggling with it – not really sure and not really breaking it off, then you can’t really trust it down there when the count is 2-2 or 3-2.
With him, we throw it in all counts. We throw it the first pitch to get 0-1 and the last pitch at 3-2. He knows if we are starting off with it – it’s going to be in the zone. If we are finishing up with 3 2 pitch it’s got to be in the zone cause if its ball four, he walks
Do you try your hand at sliders at all and does throwing a slider mess up your ability to throw a curveball?
No, it doesn’t mess it up. What’s different about a slider is that it’s really hard on your elbow cause you are trying to throw it like a fastball but it has that late break in it once it gets up to the catcher. A curve ball you want to take a little bit off of it and speed your wrist up; really get the good flick from your opposite hip. A slider you can throw it just like a fast ball, but you are going to hold it like a curveball. It’ll have a late tale on it when it gets to the plate.
Now to test my newly-discovered knowledge and abilities! I took the mound, set up my stance just right, mentally checked off the things I’d learned, and fired my first curveball! I was less ecstatic than I thought I would be. My curveball really didn’t curve that well. John said that it had good rotation, and that it broke a little bit – I think he was being nice, though.
I tried three curveballs, and asked for a grade from my two instructors. Cody gave me a C, while John said gave me a C-, leading me to plan world domination around some other secret that might reveal itself at a later date.
Plus, it’s hard to feel as if you can lead the world when you and your interviewees attempt to leave a ball-field, only to find yourself locked inside the complex by the ground crew. My maniacal laugh given from the inside of a locked fence would not really lend itself to the world-conqueror image that I had in mind…it most likely would tend to make people think I was in need of a padded room, and a strait jacket. AH-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-haaaaaaaaaa!
