Hagerty: When a minor-league pitcher threw a perfect game — underhanded

From SABR member Tim Hagerty at The Sporting News on April 28, 2016:

Tom Gheen proved there’s more to pitching than velocity.

Gheen, a minor league hurler in the 1920s, used an underhand delivery to deceive opponents. The Lincoln County News called him “the underhand curve-ologist” in a 1922 article.

He wound up and arced the ball underhand with great accuracy and astonishing movement, baffling batters and humoring fans along the way. 

Gheen’s greatest feat came on April 26, 1922, when he pitched a perfect game for Class C Winston-Salem against Greensboro. A professional pitcher tossed a perfect game while throwing underhand. Imagine that.

Read the full article here: http://www.sportingnews.com/mlb-news/4692993-tom-gheen-underhand-pitching-throwing-underhanded-winston-salem-greensboro-minor-league-no-hitter-perfect-game



Originally published: April 28, 2016. Last Updated: April 28, 2016.