scuffball

Another illegal baseball pitch. This one affects the aerodynamics of the ball directly, unlike the spitball. If you scuff or cut one side of the ball, the rough leather will cause turbulent flow of air (creating lift). You can also polish one side of the ball to drop lift on that side of the ball, or if the umpire never notices, do both for unhittable movement. These pitches are best done by hiding sandpaper in your glove.

In baseball, a type of pitch in which the pitcher deliberately scuffs or cuts the surface of the ball to achieve a certain desired spin when the ball is thrown. The pitcher might alter the ball in this way using his spikes or an item concealed in his glove, such as an emory board, or the catcher might use part of his equipment. Scuffballs have long been illegal, but were known to have been used at least into the 1970s.