Baseball Quote by Bert Blyleven
“One curve I'll always remember was when I was pitching for Pittsburgh. Terry Kennedy was a young player with St. Louis. I threw him an 0-2 curve and it snapped. Terry's reaction was to swing straight down, like he was chopping the plate with an axe. It was the last out of the inning. After I ran off the mound, I looked over at the St. Louis dugout. There were players rolling around on the floor, laughing. Poor Terry. I'll have to admit that was a hell of a curveball.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Baseball Hall of Fame Induction, 2012
Blyleven recounts a memorable pitching moment where a sharp curveball caused a batter to swing wildly, leading to laughter and camaraderie among players.
In simple terms: A great curveball can surprise and entertain both opponents and teammates.
Key Takeaway
Master precise pitching and enjoy the game’s humor.
Themes
sports
humor
skill
competition
teamwork
Mood
lighthearted
reflective
Type
sports
anecdotal
When to use this quote
- coaching
- player development
- team building
- sports commentary
Key Concepts
baseball strategy
psychology of sport
performance pressure
sportsmanship
storytelling
Questions to Reflect On
- How does humor affect team dynamics?
- What role does skill play in sportsmanship?
A Different Perspective
Such moments can be seen as unsportsmanlike; not all appreciate the humor.
![“One time in spring training, we had the hit-and-run on, and Carl Erskine threw me a curve and I struck out into a double play. I came back to the bench and Casey [Stengel] said, 'next time, tra-la-la.' I didn't know what tra-la-la meant, but next time up, I hit a line drive, right into a double…” quote by Whitey Herzog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/98d/whitey-herzog-28696_benches_one-time-in-spring-training-we-had-the-h_818599.jpg)
![“And whereas [Donald] Trump let two or three hanging curveballs go by, [Mike] Pence will not, unless they have a strategy to let them go by.” quote by Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/4e5/donald-trump-18_curveballs_and-whereas-donald-trump-let-two-or-thre_590166.jpg)
