Trouble with the Fastball

If Gus Lobel, Clint Eastwood’s character in the 2012 film Trouble with the Curve, were to examine the Colorado Rockies, he would likely note their struggles with the breaking ball.

However, upon further look, he would discover that the Rockies are also struggling against the fastball, thus setting up a sequel titled “Trouble with the Curve 2: Trouble with the Fastball.”

The fastball is the premier pitch in baseball. While the evolution of the game has seen some of the nastiest breaking pitches in the history of baseball come to fruition, the fastball is still the foundational pitch upon which everything else is predicated.