The Atlanta Braves’ scoreboard left many fans confused on Thursday night.
The Braves were facing the San Diego Padres at Truist Park for their home opener this season. During the middle/late part of the game, a few relievers entered the contest, and they threw some pitches that the scoreboard operator classified in an interesting way.
First it was Braves reliever Lucas Luetge who was throwing a pitch with extreme horizontal break that contains elements of a slider/cutter. Then it was Padres reliever Steven Wilson who was throwing the pitch.
The Braves’ scoreboard was calling that pitch a “slutter,” because it is a combination of a slider and cutter.
Braves analyst Jeff Francoeur said he was afraid to say the name of the pitch on air.
Padres pitcher Steven Wilson relies heavily on the ol' Slutter. pic.twitter.com/dr9poyyeyB
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 7, 2023
Fans in attendance and those watching on TV were left wondering what the heck a “slutter” was.
Y’all please explain what a Slutter is? 😂 I’m uneducated and have never seen this pic.twitter.com/WhvSZeRLjq
— Becca (@beccasbraves) April 7, 2023
https://twitter.com/ksujoel/status/1644149835782672384
What’s a pitch called “Slutter” that I saw on the scoreboard?
— Metra_BNSF_Rails (@BnsfRails) April 7, 2023
What is a #slutter exactly? pic.twitter.com/08Bx3vs7k2
— Duane Sammons (@duanesammons) April 7, 2023
What’s the story?
The pitch is a bit of a newer one in MLB by name, as it’s commonly being called a “sweeper.” A sweeper is a breaking ball with extreme horizontal break, rather than a curve that traditional either breaks downwards or both laterally and horizontally, or a slider, which is thrown harder and breaks laterally and horizontally.
MLB identified the pitch as a sweeper.
https://twitter.com/McGritterson/status/1644156104849473537
“I still think it’s interesting that the ‘sweeper’ has a different name on the Braves’ scoreboard,” Braves announcer Brandon Gaudin said.
He’s right.
Maybe we need to achieve some consensus about the names of pitches.
