If the fastball was the first baseball pitch, it stands to reason that the change-up was the second, thrown purely as a contrast, as explained by Jesse Goldberg-Strassler in this week’s Tales from the Baseball Thesaurus.

A well-thrown change-up will see the pitcher use the same exact motion and arm action both for a fastball and the change-up, ideally eight miles an hour slower than a fastball. A pitcher throwing a baseball is pulling the string on a parachute, slowing in its approach to the plate. It’s also called a dead fish, dying on its way to home plate.

Goldberg-Strassler shares his insights on the colorful patois of America’s Pastime in this weekly podcast. You can find The Baseball Thesaurus at augustpublications.com.