the first pitcher to use the slurve pitch is unknown. johnny sain of the boston braves was known to throw a slurve in the 1940s. on may 6, 1998, kerry wood of the chicago cubs utilized the slurve in a major-league record-tying 20 strikeout game. japanese former los angeles dodgers, yakult swallows, and seibu lions pitcher kazuhisa ishii, despite his well-documented control problems, used a slurve almost exclusively against left-handers. alfredo aceves from the boston red sox was also known to throw a slurve. stephen strasburg claims to throw a slurve, although experts still call his pitch a curveball. hall of fame relief pitcher goose gossage stated that learning how to throw a slurve changed his career in his yankeeography. both cy young and walter johnson had slurves in their arsenals and cy young is the earliest known user of the pitch, having started his career in 1890.