is generally thrown using a four-seam grip, in which the middle finger on the pitcher's throwing hand is placed in the gap between the two seams on the right side, and the index finger is placed directly next to it. The pitcher's thumb is placed directly on the bottom of the baseball. This grip allows the pitcher to create a high amount of topspin while still having a good control of the pitch. The pitch is then thrown with an exaggerated 12–6 motion with both the middle finger and the thumb simultaneously helping move the baseball towards home plate, while the pitcher's index finger giving the ball topspin. This extensive combination of mechanics makes this one of the most difficult pitches to master. Notable practitioners The 12–6 generally agreed upon as the most effective of all time belonged to Dodgers Hall of Famer, Sandy Koufax. 2002 Cy Young Award winner Barry Zito, formerly of the Oakland Athletics and San Francisco Giants, threw a 12–6 curve that was, at one point, widely recognized as the best in baseball. Three time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers, throws a 12–6 curve that was labelled by Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully as "Public Enemy #1." Nolan Ryan, Major League Baseball's all time leader in career strikeouts, deployed a 12–6 curveball that could reach up to 89mph, and was described by Bill James and Rob Neyer as being able to "break so hard it'd take your stomach away." Long-time St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright, is noted for having an especially effective 12-6 curveball, colloquially named "Uncle Charlie" by Wainwright and St. Louis fans. References Baseball pitches