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Is it worth trying to get into baseball?

ripper868

International Coach
None of these young prospects are guaranteed to make it, regardless of approach.

Scouts and managers just really aren't looking for good knuckleballers, until one falls into their lap. It's something of an inefficiency in the sport imo, because there are upsides to fielding one or more knuckleball pitchers in your side, as it's a style which is not as hard on the arm. It could help counter the current attritional trend in baseball pitching as well.
Basball has an attrition problem with pitchers for sure, thing is though, for every 1 pitcher who breaks down wtih Tommy John etc, there another 500 who are almost as good willing to break their arms as well, so the well will never really run dry.
 

shortpitched713

International Captain
Basball has an attrition problem with pitchers for sure, thing is though, for every 1 pitcher who breaks down wtih Tommy John etc, there another 500 who are almost as good willing to break their arms as well, so the well will never really run dry.
I'm referring more from a self interest perspective for a given team. There is a limit to pitcher roster spots, so one that could eat up potentially many more innings than others could be an invaluable asset.
 

RossTaylorsBox

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Being able to pitch more/give guys rest means nothing if you can't put up the numbers though. Teams aren't deliberately ignoring big-league level knuckleballers, it's just that they hardly exist.
 

Ali TT

International Vice-Captain
Presumably knuckle ballers are like wrist spinners in England - they're going to get smacked around so much learning their trade that few coaches/captains are going to have the necessary patience to foster their development in junior and amateur grades.
 

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