Who Doesn’t Love an Eephus Pitch?

Eephus pitches. Are you familiar? An eephus pitch is a type of pitch that is rarely used by starters in the major leagues. Essentially, an eephus pitch is just an unusually slowly thrown ball (50-60 MPH), with a high arc, right down the middle of the plate. When it works, it works because it catches the batter completely off guard. When it doesn’t work, it’s hilarious.

Alfredo Simon, though, was successful in his attempt of an eephus pitch on Sunday afternoon against the Seattle Mariners’ Shawn O’Malley:

But Simon’s wasn’t the only eephus pitch lately; Clayton Kershaw threw one, too, just a few weeks ago. And like everything related to pitching, Clayton Kershaw does it better:

Kershaw’s was so slow that the stadium radar gun didn’t even pick it up. PitchFX did manage to record the pitch though and it came in at a tortoise-tier 46 MPH. Funnier yet, according to Kershaw, the entire pitch was an accident due to crossed signs and a late reaction from the catcher.

It’s either that, or Kershaw is trying to keep his newest weapon a secret. I guess no one will know until the eephus gets you.