What’s the Deal with Lobs in Baseball?

Lobs are an important part of baseball. Here’s what you need to know about them.

What is a Lob?

In baseball, a lob is a soft, high-arcing pitch. It is meant to be difficult for the batter to hit, and it is often used as a strategic move to retire a batter.

Lobs can be thrown by any type of pitcher, but they are most commonly thrown by relief pitchers. In fact, many relief pitchers specialize in throwing lobs. There are two types of lobs: the fastball lob and the curveball lob.

The fastball lob is thrown with the same arm motion as a fastball, but the pitcher doesn’t put as much velocity behind it. The idea is to make the ball look like a fastball, but then have it drop off at the last second. This can be difficult to master, and it’s one of the reasons why relief pitchers who specialize in throwing lobs are so valuable.

The curveball lob is thrown with a normal curveball motion, but again, the pitcher doesn’t put as much velocity behind it. The goal is to make the ball break earlier than expected, causing it to drop off at the last second. This can also be difficult to master, but it can be an effective way to retire batters.

Lobs can be effective pitches, but they are also high-risk pitches. If a pitcher doesn’t have good control over his or her lobs, they can end up being easy home runs for hitters. So while there is certainly value in knowing how to throw a good lob, it’s not something that every pitcher should try to do.

History of the Lob

The lob has been a part of baseball since the game’s inception. In the early days of the sport, pitchers threw underhanded, and the ball was often lobbed to hitters in order to keep them from hitting the ball too hard. As the game evolved and pitchers began throwing overhand, the lob became less common. However, it has remained a part of the game and is still used by pitchers today.

There are a few reasons why a pitcher might choose to lob the ball. First, it can be used as a way to get an out without having to throw the ball too hard. This is especially useful when pitching to batters who are known for hitting home runs. Additionally, the lob can be used to “freeze” a runner on base, meaning that the runner cannot advance while the ball is in the air. This can be useful when trying to prevent a run from scoring.

While the lob is not used as often as other pitches, it can still be effective when used correctly. If you’re ever at a baseball game and you see a pitcher toss up a slow, high-arcing pitch, you’ll know that they’re lobbing the ball!

How is a Lob Used in Baseball?

Lobbing the ball is a key strategy in baseball, particularly in the infield. A lob is a high, slow arc of a ball that is meant to land within the infield. The objective of a lob is to give the fielder more time to make a play on the ball, since it will take longer to reach them.

Lobbing can be used for various purposes in baseball. It can be used as a defensive tactic, for example, when there is a runner on first base and the batter hits a grounder to the shortstop. In this case, the shortstop may choose to lob the ball over to second base in order to get the out at second.

Lobbing can also be used offensively. For example, if there are two outs and bases are loaded, the batter may try to hit a fly ball that will be caught by an infielder close to the plate. This would enable the runners on base to score before the ball is caught, since they would have time to run around all the bases while the infielder tries to retrieve the ball.

Finally, lobbing can be used simply as a way to get an easy out. If an infielder catches a grounder that was hit slowly, they may choose to lob it over to first base rather than making a throws themselves. This is because it is easier for them to make an accurate throw by lobbing it than by making a direct throw.

Advantages and Disadvantages of the Lob

The lob is a type of pitch in baseball that is meant to be thrown high in the air so that the batter has less time to react and hit it. While this may seem like an easy way to get a batter out, there are actually both advantages and disadvantages to throwing a lob.

One advantage of throwing a lob is that it can be used to surprise the batter. If a pitcher has been throwing fastballs all game, the batter will be expecting another one. However, if the pitcher suddenly throws a lob, the batter may not be able to react in time and will either miss the ball or hit it weakly.

Another advantage of the lob is that it can be used to throw off the timing of a power hitter. A power hitter likes to time their swing so that they make contact with the ball when it is right in front of them. However, if they are thrown a lob, they will have to adjust their timing and may not be able to hit the ball as hard.

There are also some disadvantages to throwing a lob. One is that it takes more time for the ball to reach home plate, which means that the catcher has less time to react if the batter does make contact. This can lead to more hits and runs being scored off of lobs than other types of pitches.

Another disadvantage is that if the pitch isn’t thrown high enough, the batter can still hit it well. In general, pitchers need to have good control in order to make sure that their lobs aren’t too low or too high. If they don’t have good control, then their pitches will be easier for hitters to take advantage of.

Famous Lobs in Baseball History

There have been some incredible lobs in baseball history. Here are just a few of the most famous:

In 2001, Detroit Tigers pitcher Jeff Weaver stunned the Cleveland Indians with a perfectly executed lob to first baseman Karim Garcia. The Tigers went on to win the game 3-2.

In 2006, Chicago White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle pulled off a remarkable feat when he tossed a lob over the head of Minnesota Twins first baseman Justin Morneau. The ball landed in the glove of catcher A.J. Pierzynski for an out.

In 2012, San Francisco Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner made headlines when he tossed a lob over the head of Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. The ball landed in the glove of Giants second baseman Marco Scutaro for an out.

While these are all great examples of perfect execution, there have been plenty of other memorable lobs in baseball history, even if they didn’t result in an out. In 2002, Baltimore Orioles pitcher Scott Erickson gave up a home run to Tampa Bay Devil Rays outfielder Carl Crawford on a poorly executed lob attempt. And in 2015, New York Mets pitcher Dillon Gee was forced to leave a game after being hit in the head by a line drive off the bat of Atlanta Braves shortstop Andrelton Simmons.