If you've ever watched a baseball game, odds are you've been befuddled by the sport's unique lexicon. Don't be embarrassed. Even the most loyal fan has Googled a word of jargon they heard on the broadcast.
Luckily, White Sox fans have a broadcast booth on NBC Sports Chicago that takes time to simplify the game for both casual and religious fans of the sport.
On Tuesday, White Sox color analyst and Cy Young Award-winner Steve Stone explained the intricate differences between two pitches, a sinker and a splitter, with a hands-on tutorial.
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The common sinker is a two-seem fastball where the pointer and middle fingers grip the seams along narrowest part of the horseshoe. The goal is to create side spin and downward movement, but it's a few ticks slower than a traditional fastball.
For a splitter, the pitcher's fingers are spread much farther apart with the middle finger gripping the seam. The pitch has no spin and comes in looking like a fastball with a sudden, sharp drop.
Steve Stone can certainly show better than anyone can tell.
