From Stickball to Shea

The former Mets pitcher talks about how he learned to throw a knuckle curve on the streets of Brooklyn

Pete Falcone was throwing a knuckle curveball playing stick ball on the streets of Brooklyn before the famed knuckle curveball had a name.

“We used it as a curveball because it's hard to make a tennis ball curve when you're playing stickball,” said Falcone. “You can't pick up a knuckle curve by throwing a baseball.”