The Rise and Fall of the Most Unusual Pitch in Baseball

Rounding Third | Presented by BadderSports

Jul 4, 2025 • 15:00

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Episode Notes

Barney Schultz wasn’t supposed to make it. After a career-threatening injury in the minors, most would’ve given up. But Barney didn’t. He reinvented himself with one of baseball’s strangest, least predictable weapons: the knuckleball.

In this episode of Rounding Third from BadderSports, Peter Lemieux shares the incredible journey of Schultz—his perseverance, his unlikely World Series moment, and the legacy of a man who just wanted to stay in the game. Plus, we highlight the knuckleball greats: Hoyt Wilhelm, Phil and Joe Niekro, Charlie Hough, and R.A. Dickey.

🎙️ A tribute to those who never quit—and the wildest pitch in baseball.

00:00 Introduction and Today's Story Teaser

00:25 Barney Schultz's Early Life and Baseball Dreams

03:01 The Knuckleball: Barney's Lifeline

05:30 Barney's Major League Journey

08:04 Famous Knuckleball Pitchers

11:09 Hoyt Wilhelm: The Greatest Knuckleballer

13:41 Conclusion and Tribute to Perseverance

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