Sports News for Kids tagged with "nfl-week-3"

Pitching Techniques: What is a fastball? Why is it the most common pitch in baseball?

This article explores the fastball, baseball's most common pitch. It defines what a fastball is—a pitch thrown with maximum speed between 85-100 mph at the professional level. The article explains different fastball variations including the four-seam (straightest and fastest), two-seam (has more movement), and cut fastball (features a late break). Fastballs dominate baseball because their speed gives batters less reaction time, they're easier for pitchers to control accurately, they establish a foundation that makes other pitches more effective, and they put less stress on pitchers' arms. The article references notable fastball pitchers like Mariano Rivera, Jacob deGrom, and Aroldis Chapman to illustrate how effective this pitch can be even when batters know it's coming.