- Curveball
Curveball was the designation for a claimed "Iraqi chemical engineer" who the United States claimed had served as an informant. Curveball would be the attributed source of pivotal information concerning weapons of mass destruction leading up to the 2003 Invasion of Iraq. The name Curveball is a reference to a curveball baseball pitch, which is US English slang for something that behaves indirectly, erratically, or surprisingly. - Daisuke Matsuzaka
is a Japanese starting pitcher for the Boston Red Sox. He previously played for the Seibu Lions in Japan's Pacific League. He was selected the MVP of the 2006 World Baseball Classic and is an Olympic bronze medalist - Ben Sheets
Ben M. Sheets (born July 18, 1978 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana) is a Major League Baseball pitcher who currently plays for the Milwaukee Brewers baseball team. He throws a four-seam fastball clocked between 94-98 MPH, a big, sharp breaking curveball in the 80-83 MPH range, and a changeup. He also has great command of his three pitches, as evidenced by the outstanding strikeout-walk ratios he has posted over recent seasons. - John Smoltz
John Andrew Smoltz (born May 15, 1967 in Warren, Michigan) is a Major League Baseball player. He is predominantly known as a starter and former Cy Young Award winner. However, before the 2001 season, his 13th, he became a closer, a role in which he is no longer serving. In 2002 he became only the second pitcher in history to have had both a 20-win season and a season with 50 saves (the other being Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley). - Jonathan Papelbon
Jonathan Robert Papelbon (born November 23, 1980 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana) is the closer for the Boston Red Sox. He bats and throws right-handed. Papelbon was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in 2002 out of Mississippi State. Papelbon throws a fastball clocked as high as 99 mph, typically hitting the mid-90s, with great command. He has a good slider, changeup, curveball, as well as a splitter which he added to his arsenal after some tutoring from teammate Curt Schilling. - Mark Prior
Mark William Prior (born September 7, 1980 in San Diego, California, USA) is a right-handed starting pitcher for the Chicago Cubs. His career has notably been muddled with injuries after a promising start. His repertoire of pitches includes a low to mid 90's fastball, a curveball, a slurve, and a changeup. Prior graduated from University of San Diego High School. He was originally drafted by the New York Yankees in the 1998 amateur draft, … - Mark Buehrle
Mark Alan Buehrle (pronounced BUR-LEE)(born March 23, 1979 in St. Charles, Missouri) is a left-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who has played for the Chicago White Sox since 2000. Buehrle is a command pitcher, relying on finesse and accuracy. He is considered an efficient pitcher, pitching quickly and keeping his pitch count low. Buehrle throws a fastball, curveball, changeup, slider, and cut fastball. - Cliff Lee
Clifton Phifer "Cliff" Lee (b. August 30, 1978 in Benton, Arkansas) is a left-handed starting pitcher for the Cleveland Indians in Major League Baseball. He was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the 8th round of the amateur draft out of high school, but chose to attend the University of Arkansas. He was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 20th round of the 1998 amateur draft, but did not sign. - Rich Hill
Richard Joseph Hill (b. March 11, 1980, in Milton, Massachusetts) is a left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball with the Chicago Cubs. Rich Hill played for Milton High's Varsity baseball team when he was a freshman. He is one of four to do that in the school's history. A 4th round pick out of the University of Michigan in the 2002 amateur draft, Hill made his major league debut on June 15, 2005. As a minor leaguer, Hill compiled high strikeout totals, … - Kyle Lohse
Kyle Matthew Lohse is a right-handed relief pitcher/starting pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds. Originally drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 1996 (29th round), Lohse was traded to the Minnesota Twins in 1999 in a deal involving Rick Aguilera. It was in Minnesota that Lohse made his MLB debut, with the Twins on June 22, 2001. Lohse is one of only two Native American players in Major League Baseball (MLB). The other is Bobby Madritsch of the Kansas City Royals. - Tyler Drumheller
Tyler Drumheller is the former chief of the CIA covert operations in Europe, who has said that the CIA had credible sources discounting some weapons of mass destruction claims before the 2003 Invasion of Iraq. He received and discounted documents central to the Niger yellowcake forgery prior to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He has also stated that senior White House officials dismissed intelligence information from his agency which reported Saddam Hussein had no WMD program. - Bert Blyleven
Rik Aalbert "Bert" Blyleven (born April 6, 1951 in Zeist, Netherlands), is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played from 1970 - 1992, and was best known for his curveball. - Daniel Cabrera
Daniel Alberto Cabrera is a right-handed starting pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles. Cabrera throws three pitches: a fastball, a curveball, and a changeup. His fastball is strongest pitch - he is able to throw it consistently in the upper 90s, with significant sinking and tailing action. He throws two different curveballs. One is a sharp-breaking, hard curve that behaves like a slurve and tops out in the mid-upper 80s. - Doug Davis
Douglas P. "Doug" Davis (born September 21, 1975) is a starting pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Davis was born in Sacramento, California and went to Northgate High School in Walnut Creek California. Later, he attended the City College of San Francisco; he earned Second Team All-Conference honors as a pitcher in his junior season. - Bobby Jenks
Robert "Bobby" Scott Jenks (born March 14, 1981 in Mission Hills, California) is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Chicago White Sox who made his debut in 2005. He is one of the hardest-throwing pitchers in baseball, with a fastball that routinely hits 100-101 mph. According to the "Baseball Almanac", his fastest pitch was clocked at a "Ryanesque" 102 mph on August 27, 2005 at Safeco Field. He also has a slider that he throws in the mid-80s, and a hard, … - Kelvim Escobar
Kelvim Jose Escobar Bolivar [ess-coe-BAR] (born April 11, 1976 in La Guaira, Venezuela) is a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who currently plays for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2004-present). He bats and throws right handed. Escobar throws a four-seam 97 MPH fastball, a two-seamer, and a deceptive changeup. He has good command of a wide variety of other pitches, including a split-finger, a curve, and a slider that is a mainstay of his repertoire. - Jorge Sosa
Jorge Bolivar Sosa (born April 28, 1977 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) is a Major League Baseball pitcher, who plays for the New York Mets. Sosa stands at 6'2" tall and weighs 177 pounds. He bats and throws right handed. Signed by the Colorado Rockies as an amateur free agent in 1995, Sosa spent his first five minor league seasons as an outfielder, but was converted to a pitcher when it was discovered that his arm strength was superior to his batting abilities. - Jaret Wright
Jaret Samuel Wright (born December 29, 1975 in Anaheim, California) is a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who currently plays for the Baltimore Orioles. He is the son of former major league pitcher Clyde Wright. He attended Katella High School. As a youngster with the Cleveland Indians, Wright threw a two-seam fastball that topped out at 98MPH, along with a hard curveball and a changeup. - Zack Greinke
Donald Zackary Greinke (born October 21, 1983 in Orlando, Florida) is a Major League Baseball player for the Kansas City Royals. He went to high school in Apopka, Florida. He is a right-handed pitcher, who throws a fastball topping out at 97 miles per hour; a slider; changeup; curveball; and a slow curve, which he has thrown as slow as 50 miles per hour. After being selected out of high school (and turning down a scholarship to Clemson) in the first round of the 2002 draft, … - Vicente Padilla
Vicente Padilla (born September 27, 1977 in Chinandega, Nicaragua) is a professional baseball player, a right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball for the Texas Rangers. He has also played for the Arizona Diamondbacks and, most notably, the Philadelphia Phillies. He is known for his 96 mph (154 km/h) fastball and devastating curveball. Padilla was traded from the Diamondbacks to the Phillies on July 26, 2000 along with three other players for pitcher Curt Schilling. - Kason Gabbard
Kason Ronald Gabbard (born April 8, 1982 in Oxford, Ohio) is a starting pitcher who plays for the Boston Red Sox. He bats and throws left handed. A 29th-round draft pick in 2000, Gabbard started the 2006 season with Double-A Portland and posted a 9-2 record with a 2.57 ERA in 13 starts. Promoted to Triple-A Pawtucket on June 23, he went 1-3 with a 4.97 ERA in five starts. He earned a promotion to the Boston Red Sox on July 21 to replace Tim Wakefield, … - Brian Burres
Brian Burres is a left handed pitcher who plays for the Baltimore Orioles. Burres' best pitch is his changeup, which is highly regarded. He also has a high 80s-low 90 MPH fastball and a decent curveball. He was originally drafted by the San Francisco Giants. He was in the Giants' system for three years. Following the 2005 season, the Giants signed utility infielder José Vizcaíno. They made room for Vizcaíno on the roster by designating Burres for assignment. - Glendon Rusch
Glendon James Rusch (born November 7, 1974, in Seattle, Washington) is a left handed starting pitcher who last played for the Chicago Cubs. He has previously played for the Kansas City Royals ('97-'99), the New York Mets ('99-'01), and the Milwaukee Brewers ('02-'03). He is now a free agent. Glendon has not enjoyed the success of an ace pitcher, he has, however been able to contribute both in a starting role, and out of the bullpen. - Byung-Hyun Kim
Byung-Hyun John Kim (born January 21, 1979 in Gwangju, South Korea) is a right-handed pitcher who plays for the Florida Marlins. Previously, he played for the Arizona Diamondbacks (1999-2003), Boston Red Sox (2003-2004), and the Colorado Rockies (2005-2007). Usually described as a submarine pitcher, Kim is a side-arm and under-arm hard thrower who uses a great variety of deliveries. Kim possesses a fastball frequently hitting the low 90's, a curve, a slider, a sinker, … - John Patterson
John Hollis Patterson (born January 30, 1978 in Orange, TX) is a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball, currently with the Washington Nationals. A USA Today prep All-American in his senior year at West Orange-Stark (TX) High School, Patterson was drafted by the Montreal Expos in the first round (5th overall pick) of the 1996 Major League Baseball Draft. After Montreal lost the draft rights to Patterson on a technicality, … - Jeremy Sowers
Jeremy Bryan Sowers (b. May 17, 1983 in St. Clairsville, Ohio) is a left-handed starting pitcher for the Buffalo Bisons in the International League and former major league player for the Cleveland Indians. He grew up in Louisville, Kentucky, where he attended Ballard High School. His twin brother, Joshua Sowers, plays in the Toronto Blue Jays organization. Sowers pitching repertoire features a fastball with which he varies the speed between about 85 and 92 mph, a curveball, … - Jeremy Affeldt
Jeremy David Affeldt (born June 6, 1979 in Phoenix, Arizona) is a pitcher for the Colorado Rockies. A left-hander, Affeldt made his major-league debut on April 6, 2002. He struggled for his first two seasons with finger blisters and recurring problems with the fingernail on the middle finger of his pitching hand, which often landed him on the disabled list or in the bullpen. - Hong-Chih Kuo
Hong-Chih Kuo (born July 23, 1981 in Tainan City, Taiwan) is a Major League Baseball pitcher with the Los Angeles Dodgers. When Kuo made his debut in 2005, he became the fourth MLB player from Taiwan (after Chin-Feng Chen, Chin-hui Tsao, and Chien-Ming Wang). He throws a four seam fastball anywhere between 88-91 MPH with such late life that right-handed batters find him very difficult to hit. He also throws a hard slider in the mid-80's, a slow curveball and a changeup. - Rafael Betancourt
Rafael José Betancourt is a Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher who has pitched with the Cleveland Indians since 2003. He was originally signed as an amateur free agent by the Boston Red Sox in September 1993. The Red Sox released him following the 1999 season and then resigned him as a free agent in December 2000. He was granted free agency again in October 2001 and signed with the Indians in January 2003. - Darryl Kile
Darryl Andrew Kile (December 2 1968 - June 22 2002) was an American right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for three National League teams, the last being the St. Louis Cardinals. In his first season for the Cardinals, he won 20 games in 2000 as the team reached the postseason for the first time in four years, and they again advanced to the playoffs in the next two seasons. - J. P. Howell
James Phillip Howell (born April 25, 1983, in Modesto, California) is a Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher. He is an alumnus of Jesuit High School in Carmichael, California and the University of Texas at Austin. Howell is a soft tosser. He throws his sinking fastball in the mid 80's, topping out at 87 MPH. He also throws a curveball that's been described by scouts as "heavy" because of its extremely sharp downward break. - Tony Armas Jr.
Antonio José Armas, better known as Tony Armas, Jr., is a Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher who currently plays for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Previously, he played with the Washington Nationals nee Montreal Expos from (1999 to 2006). Armas was born in Puerto Píritu, Anzoátegui State, Venezuela. He is the son of former All-Star outfielder Tony Armas, and a nephew of former first baseman Marcos Armas. - Matt Mantei
Matthew Bruce Mantei [MAN-tie] (born July 7, 1973 in Tampa, Florida) is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher who most recently played for the Detroit Tigers. Previously, Mantei played with the Florida Marlins (1995-1996, 1998-99), the Arizona Diamondbacks (1999-2004) and the Boston Red Sox (2005). He bats and throws right-handed. Mantei has four pitches.He has two fastballs, one of which goes 95 MPH and occasionally hits 100, a sharp curve and an occasional slider. - Candy Cummings
William Arthur "Candy" Cummings (October 18, 1848 - May 16, 1924) was a 19th-century professional baseball pitcher in the National Association and National League. During a 6 year career which lasted from 1872 until 1877, Cummings compiled a 145-94 career record and 2.49 ERA while playing for five different teams. Among other records, Cummings was the first player to record two complete games in one day: September 9, 1876 when he beat the Cincinnati Reds 14-4 and 8-4. - David Pauley
David Wayne Pauley is a pitcher who plays with the Boston Red Sox organization. He bats and throws right handed. Pauley is rated by "Baseball America" as the number 26 prospect in the Red Sox farm system. He was acquired by Boston along with Jay Payton, Ramón Vázquez and cash, in the same trade that brought Dave Roberts to the San Diego Padres at end of 2004. An eighth round pick by San Diego in 2001, … - Pedro Martínez
Pedro Martínez is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the New York Mets. He has won three Cy Young Awards and is considered to be one of the top pitchers in the history of baseball. In April 2006, Martínez won his 200th career game and has the highest winning percentage of any 200-game winner, with only 84 losses in his career. Martínez, at 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) and 170 pounds (77 kg), is unusually small for a modern-day power pitcher, … - Early Wynn
Early Wynn Jr. (January 6, 1920 - April 4, 1999) was a right-handed baseball pitcher for the Washington Senators, Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox. Armed with a blazing fastball and a hard-nosed attitude, during his career he was identified as one of the most intimidating pitchers in the game. Wynn once admitted that if he was in a tight situation, with men in scoring position and the game in the balance, he'd deck his own mother if she was the batter. - Tim Byrdak
Timothy Christopher Byrdak (born October 31, 1973 in Oak Forest, Illinois) is a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who plays for the Detroit Tigers. His previous major league experience came from 1998 to 2000, when Byrdak played for the Kansas City Royals. On August 30, 2006, the Orioles designated Byrdak for assignment. On November 17, 2006 the Tigers signed him to a minor league deal. Prior to the 2007 season, Byrdak developed a forkball, … - Matt Riley
Matthew Paul Riley (born August 2, 1979 in Antioch, California) is a pitcher in Minor League Baseball who currently plays in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization for the Triple-A Las Vegas 51s. He went to Sacramento City College. Riley was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the third round of the 1997 draft. He dominated for the Delmarva Shorebirds of the South Atlantic League at age 18, having an earned run average of 1.19 and 136 strikeouts in 83 innings pitched. - Rube Waddell
George Edward Waddell (October 13, 1876 - April 1, 1914) was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. In his thirteen-year career he played for the Louisville Colonels (1897, 1899), Pittsburgh Pirates (1900-01) and Chicago Orphans (1901) in the National League, and the Philadelphia Athletics (1902-07) and St. Louis Browns (1908-10) in the American League. Waddell earned the nickname "Rube" because he was a big, fresh kid.
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