Candy Cummings played in the 1860s and 1870s. But watching him throw would be a real treat.
Cummings invented the curve ball. It didn’t catch on right away… because in those days, the catcher stood … about 20 feet behind home plate.
A good curve would get to that catcher so far to the side that he couldn’t get to it.
It took until a catcher was willing to crouch directly behind the plate for the curve ball to catch on. A more dangerous way to play the position, but pitching would never be the same.
Cummings was throwing sea shells into water when he had that flash of inspiration… if this thing curves so much when you spin it, why can’t a baseball curve a little?
On such split seconds of pure inspiration, history turns.
As a pitcher, he was 145 and 94. He played pitcher and outfielder and was a big leaguer for only six years. His induction came three quarters of a century after his career.
He isn’t in the HOF for his numbers. He’s in there because he invented the curve ball.