Tim Lincecum, Hideki Okajima and the Top 15 Most Unusual Wind-Ups in MLB History

Matt RudnitskyCorrespondent IDecember 26, 2010

Tim Lincecum, Hideki Okajima and the Top 15 Most Unusual Wind-Ups in MLB History

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    ARLINGTON, TX - NOVEMBER 01: Starting pitcher Tim Lincecum #55 of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the Texas Rangers in Game Five of the 2010 MLB World Series at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington on November 1, 2010 in Arlington, Texas. The Giants wo
    Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

    Ah, the art of pitching.

    Most coaches teach their little-leaguers the most standard of pitching wind-ups, hoping that mimicking the mechanics of the majority will grant them success.

    But while the top pitchers of today—the Cliff Lees, C.C. Sabathias and Felix Hernandezes—might all have pretty standard deliveries, for every few of them there's always a Tim Lincecum—a guy who achieves success with a wind-up unlike anything we've ever seen.

    And in the 100-plus year history of MLB, guys like Lincecum are nothing new.

    Here's a list of the 15 most unusual wind-ups in MLB history.

15. Warren Spahn, Et. Al.

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    His delivery seems incredibly unique, but he wasn't the only old-time pitcher with a delivery like this.

    Still, there's nothing like it in modern times.

14. Fernando Valenzuela

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    Link to Media

    Fast-forward to 12:39.

13. Juan Marichal

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    His legendary delivery even earned him a statue.

12. Dontrelle Willis

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    If not for his patented high leg-kick and stellar rookie season, Willis would be completely forgotten by now.

11. Satchel Paige

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    Not the most unusual, but the softball-like windmill at the beginning is a nice touch.

10. Dennis Eckersley

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    An obvious member of this club.

9. Byung-Hyun Kim

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    One of the worst pitchers on this list.

8. Chad Bradford

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    The truest submarine pitcher ever.

    Also, he was pretty successful.

7. Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez

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    3 Jun 1998: #26 Orlando ''El Duque'' Hernandez of the New York Yankees in action during a game against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays at the Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York. The Yankees defeated the Devil Rays 7-1. Mandatory Credit: Al Bello /Allsport
    Al Bello/Getty Images

    The greatest leg-kick of all-time.

6. Tim Lincecum

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    The fact that he can reach the mid-90s with his frame is remarkable.  I'd say "The Freak" is a fitting nickname.

5. Jeff Sparks

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    It's tough to find MLB videos with the league cracking down on YouTube, but you can trust me on this one.

    Sparks used Mike Marshall's invented delivery that he claims can completely prevent arm injuries.

    Read a little bit about his theory here.

4. Hideki Okajima

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    At first glance, Okajima's delivery is pretty standard.

    But as you can see in the picture, he turns his head towards third base right before delivery.

3. Bob Feller

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    Feller died just this month after losing a battle with leukemia at the age of 92.

    He was one of the greatest pitchers of all time.

2. Hideo Nomo

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    So much hype, so little production.

    Except for his two no-hitters.

1. Luis Tiant

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    Before there was Nomo, there was Tiant.

    Fast-forward to 1:28 in the video.

    Matt Rudnitsky is a student at the University of Michigan and a Featured Columnist/writing intern at Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Mattrud