The Splitty and Me

It is never a good idea to fall behind in the count with Cody Fassold on the mound. If you do, you are bound to look like Charlie Brown trying to kick a football. Run at full steam, wind up, and miss completely as Lucy pulls it away. It is the same principle with Cody Fassold's split-fingered fastball. As you prepare to swing with all their might, the ball suddenly disappears, diving to the ground like a 20 pound shot-put.

For Fassold, that was the reason he learned it. Not to mention his favorite pitcher threw it too. "Growing up [Roger] Clemens was my guy," says Fassold. "We throw kind of similar, kind of have the same build. So whatever team he was on, I would like." Not surprisingly, Clemens also had something to do with Cody learning how to throw the split-finger. "I picked that pitch up when I was in junior high," remembers Fassold. "I was watching an interview with Clemens, and I heard him talking about it. I kind of grabbed it and threw it and I've been trying to learn it since then."

The history of the splitter has been well chronicled. Besides Clemens, many big leaguers have adopted the split-finger as their outpitch. This includes the likes of Curt Schilling, Jonathan Papelbon, Roy Halladay and Hideo Nomo. For Cardinals great Bruce Sutter, the splitter proved to be his meal ticket into the Hall of Fame.

But history and practice are two different things. Most pitchers know how to grip a split-finger (by jamming a baseball between the index and middle finger of your pitching hand), however only a small percentage can explain how to execute it properly. "It's sort of a pitch that nobody really throws," Fassold explains. "One [guy] out of every bullpen will throw it. [It comes down to] finding that guy that throws it and has been effective with it to figure it out."

Fortunately for Fassold, Blue Rocks pitching coach Steve Luebber has been a big help. But even with his guidance, the right-hander realizes that throwing the splitter is nothing like commanding a fastball or curve. Whereas most offerings come out of a pitcher's hand naturally, a split-finger fastball could not feel any more different. "It slips out of your hand rather than rolling out of your hand," Fassold says. "It is a different feel it is hard to explain."

But when it feels right, it works. A quick check of Fassold's numbers are a good illustrator. Over the month of May, the right-hander registered a 2-0 record with a 2.51 ERA. He also held opponents to a .176 batting average, the lowest mark of any Blue Rocks reliever.

In turn, some have begun to ask Fassold about his "mystery pitch." Just not who you may expect. "There have been a handful of guys, but I'd say more outfielders than pitchers," Fassold jokes. In the meantime, the Oregon native will continue his own quest for knowledge about the splitter. "Everybody has to fine-tune their stuff," he says. "Any little tip can help."