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History 101: The Birth Of Baseball Pitching Machine

Most people around the world have heard of baseball as a competitive game. Having over 400 million fans worldwide, baseball is one of the most loved competitive sports in the world. If you are a lover of baseball then chances are you have seen a Softball   Pitching Machine or better known as a baseball pitching machine. If you have ever seen a Softball  Pitching Machine, have you ever thought of how these wonderful machines came to life even out of curiosity. Any true baseball lover has ever wondered about the origin of the baseball pitching machine. In this article, we shall dive into the past and get to understand the origin of these machines.

The Birth of Baseball Pitching Machine

The first recorded entry of the softball pitching machine is back in 1897. At that time it was referred to as a baseball gun. So who was the inventor? The first Baseball pitching machine was invented by Charles Howard “Bull” Hinton.  Charles Howard was Princeton Professor.

For the first pitching machine, the initial launch was deemed as a big failure. At that time, the baseball pitching machine used gunpowder.  The inconsistency of gunpowder led to the product discontinuation of the machine. The use of gunpowder leads to several injuries to the baseball players.

While some consider the discontinue of the first pitching machine as a big failure to the baseball sport. However, some can consider it a big success as the modern pitching machine builds its foundation from the original pitching machine.

One could say that after the discontinuation of the first pitching machine, that would be the end of the machine. However, the first pitching machine brought in a lot of curiosity and innovations. A lot of individuals and companies were interested in creating an efficient machine that leads to fewer injuries and which is also consistent

By 1960, due to the increased popularity of baseball as a competitive sport, there were several reliable machines. However, the popularity can be attributed to one man who took simple homemade devices nationally.

The person in question is Norm Bruce, a little league coach. Through his incentive, he managed to create a poly launcher. He quickly noticed that the device would not greatly benefit the little league. He embarked on a journey to the American Baseball Coaches Association. The association consists of the elite coaches of the professional baseball teams. The Association was sold by the concept and device and quickly bought 18 of these machines. From there the popularity of these pitching machines is on the rise as the game is attracting more fans every passing day.

Conclusion

After reading the above article, what are your views of baseball pitching machines? Leave your thought in the comment section below.  However, the origin of baseball pitching machines, let anyone appreciate the beautiful game of baseball. Also, it helps us to appreciate human determination and innovation capabilities.  It is through the works of Charles Howard “Bull” Hinton and Norm Bruce that we can get to enjoy the game of baseball.

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Comments on this entry

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  2. Larry Martin

    The journey from early struggles to Norm Bruces breakthrough highlights resilience in the history of baseball pitching machines shaping the sport with human creativity.
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