Baseball players use pitching machines to practice batting. Pitching machines offer a pitcher who never tires, allowing batters to practice for long periods of time without risking pitcher injury or fatigue. Pitching machines have come a long way since they were first invented, when many players were afraid to use them for fear of being hit by a pitch.
Invention
The first pitching machine was invented by Charles Hinton in the mid-1890s. Hinton was a math teacher at Princeton University. After several early attempts, Hinton created a successful pitching machine that was first used in 1897 at an exhibition game between the Princeton varsity baseball team and the Boston Beaneaters. Princeton used the pitching machine in batting practice until Hinton's death in 1907. At that time, the pitching machine was retired because most players were afraid of getting hurt while using it.
Later Attempts
In the early 1900s, other companies attempted to produce air-powered pitching machines, but the devices were not successful. Some inventors tried to build pitching machines that used giant springs and trip hammers, but these did not function properly either. Byron Moser, a banker from St. Louis, made a pitching machine that functioned like a giant rubber band. Moser demonstrated his pitching machine before a Cardinals game in 1938, but use of the machine didn't catch on.
Modern Machine
Larry Ponza, an engineer from Santa Cruz, is credited with inventing the modern-day pitching machine. In 1952, Ponza developed a pitching machine called the Power Pitcher, which was his first prototype. In 1974, Ponza built and produced a pitching machine called the Hummer. The Hummer was widely used in batting practice by Little League and professional baseball teams. The Hummer was able to reproduce many types of pitches, including fastballs.
Today's Pitching Machines
Today, baseball teams can purchase a wide variety of pitching machines to use in practice. Modern pitching machines use wheels, compressed air and mechanical arms to toss balls to batters. Some pitching machines throw softballs in a typical underhanded pitch style. Advanced pitching machines can replicate any type of pitch, even knuckleballs. Some modern pitching machines use technology to enhance batting practice by releasing balls through a video projection to make it look like an actual person is throwing each ball.
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