General
eephus
What does eephus mean?
A junk pitch lobbed with a very high arc and little velocity, thrown like a slow-pitch softball to disrupt a hitter's timing.
"He froze the slugger with a 50-mph eephus for a called strike."
Origin
Invented in 1941 by Pirates pitcher Rip Sewell; named by teammate Maurice Van Robays, possibly from Hebrew 'efes' (zero).
Frequently asked questions
What is an eephus pitch?
It's an extremely slow, high-arcing trick pitch lobbed like a slow-pitch softball to throw off a hitter's timing.
Who invented the eephus pitch?
Pirates pitcher Rip Sewell invented it in 1941, and teammate Maurice Van Robays gave it the name.
Why is it called an eephus?
The name possibly comes from the Hebrew word 'efes,' meaning zero, reflecting the pitch's near-zero velocity.
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