T.J.'s Secret Pitch
The Story
T.J. desperately wants to be a pitcher, but he's small and his pitches don't pack any power. Then he discovers a crazy pitch used by a real-life major leaguer in the 1940s. When he tries it out, his teammates laugh —until they try to hit it! But will T.J. get the chance to use it in a real game?
The History
In the 1940s, Pittsburgh Pirate pitcher Rip Sewell confounded batters with an off-beat lob pitch he called "The Eephus Pitch." Others called it the blooper pitch or La Lob. Over the years, other pitchers have used it. In fact, it was used against home-run slugger Mark McGwire in 1998. McGwire didn't hit that one out of the park.