Rare Submariners

By Rick Sassone on April 3, 2022

On Friday in Bradenton, RSEN’s Eddie Michels captured this shot of the Blue Jays submariner Adam Cimber. Cimber pitched one inning Friday, giving up a hit and striking out two.

Cimber the Toronto Blue Jays right-hander, is on the short list of MLB players that have used the submarine style delivery. Cimber was drafted 9th overall in 2013 by San Diego. He also pitched for the Indians and Marlins before being traded to Toronto on June 29, 2021. In 2021 with the Marlins and Blue Jays Cimber made 39 appearances, going 2-2 with a 1.69 ERA and 30 strikeouts.

According to baseball reference there has only been 54 pitchers in MLB history to pitch submarine style, rare since this list dates back to August 6, 1890, Cy Young’s debut.

A chronological List of Submarine/Underhand/Low-Sidearm Pitchers (Baseball Reference).

Cy Young – occasionally
Joe McGinnity – alternated between overhand and underhand
Rube Foster – occasionally
Three Finger Brown – occasionally
Ed Willett – limited use of underhand floater, many thought he should do it all the time
Chief Bender – occasionally
Jack Warhop
By Speece
Erskine Mayer – underhand and sidearm
Guy Morton – occasionally
Carl Mays – only true submariner between Warhop and Auker
Art Nehf – occasionally
Slim Harriss – low sidearm fastball
Sheriff Blake – occasionally after 1928
Satchel Paige – occasional
Hod Lisenbee – occasionally
Clint Brown – submarine screwball
Ad Liska
Chief Hogsett
Bobo Newsom – may have been converted away from it early in career
Pat Caraway – submarine knuckleball
Tex Carleton – sidearm
Elden Auker
Sam Nahem
Ken Raffensberger – experimented with arm angles
Dizzy Trout – occasionally
Murry Dickson – occasionally
Russ Christopher
Ted Wilks – occasionally late in career
Bill Werle – occasionally underhand
Dick Hyde
Ted Abernathy – after 1957
Ken Johnson – occasionally
Andy Hassler – occasionally
Kent Tekulve – 1980’s revival starter
Dan Quisenberry