Circle changeup the index finger on the seam of the ball and the thumb on the side of the ball to "choke" the ball. According to his autobiography, Nolan Ryan also developed his own circle changeup to add another off-speed pitch without having to throw a slider (as sliders are believed to more frequently cause injuries). Circle changeup In baseball, a circle changeup is a pitch thrown with a grip that includes a circle formation, hence the name circle changeup. The circle is formed by making a circle with the index finger, holding the thumb at the bottom of the ball parallel
Nolan Ryan way. He had determined to be more aggressive after coming out on the wrong side of an altercation with Dave Winfield in 1980. Ryan's arm finally gave out in Seattle on September 22, 1993, when he tore a ligament. The injury ended his career two starts earlier than planned. Ryan briefly attempted to pitch past the injury, and he threw one additional pitch after tearing his ligament. With his injured arm, his final pitch was measured at 98 miles per hour. Ryan's last start was his career worst; he allowed a single, four walks, and a grand slam in the