Was That the Gyro Ball?!?!?!?!?

Alright fine. The Red Sawx swept the Yankees. My dickhead roomate Steve has been giving me shit for the past 24 hours. I'd fire back, but everyone else already hates him so I'm just going to let him take his anger out on me. It's April, we had 2 minor league pitchers starting, and frankly I just don't care about the losses right now.

On Sunday night, the third game of the series was broadcasted on ESPN. The Japanese legend Dice K took the mound for Boston. Personally I think they should call him the "Asian Sensation." I just think that's a great nickname. Ever since his name popped up over the past off season, people have been gossiping over his secret pitch: THE GYRO BALL (oooo).

When I first heard about it, the image of a baseball spiraling up, down, left, and right towards the plate came into my mind. I mean that's really what a pitch should do to merit a name like Gyro. As time passed, I realized that that's not what a gyro ball is. I also realized that no one really knew what the hell a gyro ball was. Then I started seeing stories on sportscenter about if it really exists, and what it looks like, and if he really throws it.

But if I hear another announcer, friend, or random person I don't know ask if the last pitch was a gyro ball one more time, I don't know what I'm going to do but I'll be extremely angered. The entire night, all I heard was "WAS THAT THE GYRO BALL" after every damn pitch. Whether it was the announcer, my friend to the left, the one to the right, or a guy from the room next door, it just killed me. I feel so bad for the Boston fans who have to put up with that 35 games a year for the next 15-20 years.

Incidentally, all this talk over the gyro ball does make me wonder if it really exists and what it actually is. I've heard so much about it and seen so many differen't things. Recently I heard that it was a ball that spins like a slider but stays completely straight and keeps it's speed. I also heard that it's a ball with some weird diagnol spin that looks like a fastball and then at the last second breaks down, or sometimes from right to left. I don't know, the more I talk about it the more I'm confused. I just watched this video about it, and I still don't really know. Dice K still says he doesn't throw it in games, and a lot of people don't think it's possible. Either way it's not a big deal, won't revolutionize pitching, and like most things it's completley overhyped.

But from now on, please, don't ever let the words "Was that a Gyro Ball" leave your mouth.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=lFvNWDKAxAs (I guess this explains it)