Coming off the popularity of one of my last blogs Mark Eichhorn: MLB's Slowest Pitcher Was Completely Unhittable I wanted to dedicate another entry to pitchers of this unique side arm delivery.
I grew up watching Dan Quisenberry and then Dennis Eckersley and as a kid tried out this style of pitching on the playground more than a few times, but I didn't realize just how powerful it could be to have a side arm delivery in a league of over the top pitchers until that Mark Eichhorn video.
Well as a followup here is another from Made the Cut covering the history of side arm pitchers. I didn't realize baseball initially started out with underhand pitching and overhand delivery was illegal until 1888!
Video Credit https://www.youtube.com/ @madethecut
Here's a brief list of some of the top sidearm pitchers in baseball history:
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Dan Quisenberry - Quisenberry is widely regarded as one of the greatest sidearm pitchers of all time. He had a unique submarine-style delivery that made him difficult for batters to pick up. He led the American League in saves five times and finished his career with 244 saves and a 2.76 ERA.
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Kent Tekulve - Tekulve pitched for 16 seasons in the majors, primarily with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He had a sidearm delivery that helped him become one of the most reliable relief pitchers of his era. He finished his career with 184 saves and a 2.85 ERA.
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Gene Garber - Garber pitched for 19 seasons in the majors and had a sidearm delivery that made him a valuable reliever for several teams. He finished his career with 218 saves and a 3.34 ERA.
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Darren O'Day - O'Day is a current pitcher who has been successful with his sidearm delivery. He has pitched for several teams, including the Texas Rangers and Baltimore Orioles. He has a career ERA of 2.51 and has been named an All-Star once.
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Steve Cishek - Cishek is another current pitcher who uses a sidearm delivery. He has pitched for several teams, including the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals. He has a career ERA of 2.78 and has recorded 132 saves.
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Brad Ziegler - Ziegler pitched for 11 seasons in the majors, primarily as a reliever. He had a sidearm delivery that helped him become a successful ground ball pitcher. He finished his career with 105 saves and a 2.69 ERA.
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Chad Bradford - Bradford pitched for 12 seasons in the majors, primarily as a relief pitcher. He had a sidearm delivery that helped him become a valuable specialist against right-handed batters. He finished his career with a 3.26 ERA.
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Mark Eichhorn - Eichhorn was a right-handed pitcher who played in the majors for 11 seasons. He had a unique sidearm delivery that helped him become a successful reliever for several teams. He finished his career with a 3.67 ERA and 166 saves.
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Dennis Eckersley - Eckersley is one of the most successful pitchers in baseball history. He pitched for 24 seasons and had a sidearm delivery that helped him become one of the best relievers of his era. He finished his career with 390 saves, a 3.50 ERA, and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2004.
These are just a few of the top sidearm pitchers in baseball history, each with their own unique delivery and approach to the game.
