Why aren't knuckleballers used as reliever?

Yea I see why you wouldn't do it in the middle of an inning.

Imagine having a knuckleballer as the set up man then a guy throwing 95+ as your closer

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Why aren't knuckleballers used as reliever?

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#1 - I don't remember there being a lot of knuckleball pitchers
#2 - they typically required their own catcher who is accustomed to catching knuckleballs; Wakefield's catchers used something like a softball mitt or a first baseman's glove.
#3 - the flutter of the knuckleball depends on a variety of factors - this can lead to bad days

See R.A. Dickey - Cy Young award winner in 2012; has gone 39-52 since then.

I mean I thought a little bit, makes sense to me

He's a reliever so you don't have to use him if it's bad weather, wrong catcher, etc....

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mean I thought a little bit, makes sense to me

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If the "setup man" and "closer" do their respective jobs, will they be facing the same hitters?

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#3 - the flutter of the knuckleball depends on a variety of factors - this can lead to bad days

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This. I used it almost exclusively with great effect in my high school days. But I had to be so careful with something as small as trimming my nails because if I took too much off and couldn't dig in, it was way too hit and miss. Anybody that's ever faced a knuckleballer that's off knows what I mean. A knuckleball that doesn't dance is better than BP. Also, our catcher was my lifelong best friend and had caught for me coming up. Even he didn't know what the ball was fixing to do, he just was accustomed to breaking down the proper way when he noticed the ball doing certain things. Our senior year, he got trucked at home plate in a vicious way and missed 2-3 games from a concussion. Well, I couldn't pitch at all because our coach didn't have anybody he trusted to handle a ball that the bottom may fall out of at any point.

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It seems like having a knuckleballer go out there for an inning after they have been seeing regular pitching all day would be perfect.

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Does it? Sending a guy out there who literally has no idea where the ball is going when he throws it is a good idea with a lead late in a game?


Maybe when you're getting blown the frick out but all I have to think about is Boone vs Wakefield Game 7 extra innings....no thank you

Watch that great doc on Netflix on the Knuckleball...

Even Wakefield says..."the pitch is too unpredictable" - even I don't know what's going to happen..."it has a mind of its own."

You put a little too much pressure or your finger slides or one of your fingertips catches on the ball - the ball tumbles...and the ball will spin and then you are screwed...as they said in the doc..."you just served up batting practice to an MLB player if you aren't perfect on your knuckleball everytime."

And that's what happened with Boone. He got served batting practice on that one pitch.

And there's "never been more than 3-4 in the league at one time" during baseball's history. Can't really have relievers doing something almost nobody has trained themselves to do.

One of the best baseball books ever

I wonder why some don't use it as a secondary pitch. I guess it's because of the need for a special catcher.
Part of a different era, I guess. Breaking pitches are more in favor than sinkers. The cut fastball seems to have replaced the split-finger for many pitchers, e.g.