An eephus pitch (sometimes called an ephus pitch) tossed by Chicago Cubs pitcher Carlos Villanueva this week left Washington Nationals right fielder Jayson Werth scratching his head.
Villanueva’s eephus pitch was thrown--slowly--after beginning with a 90 mph fastball.
The eephus pitch, a type of curveball, sailed by at 57 mph, falling in for a strike, said the Washington Post.
But Werth’s reaction is what was key. After the strike was called, Werth looked blankly up in the air.
“I immediately figured out what it was and stood there and thought to myself, ‘Here it comes,’” Werth told the Post. “Just lost in the abyss, really. About how it looked.”
“All I know is that I’ve never seen a pitch that slow,” Werth said. “Except when I struck out in slow-pitch softball.” He added that it was “good for good entertainment.”
According to the New Dickson Baseball Dictionary, the eephus is described as a “junk pitch” and is rarely used in the MLB.
