Remembering Leonard Nimoy and the Vulcan changeup

Leonard Nimoy, who among other things was known for his role as Spock on the original Star Trek, died Friday at the age of 83. The actor and artist's legacy is far-reaching, even to the world of baseball -- it was Nimoy's Vulcan salute, after all, which gave one particular changeup grip its name.

The "Vulcan changeup" -- for which a pitcher splits his fingers down the middle, just like Spock, to grip the ball -- might not be as prevalent in MLB as a four-seam fastball, but it has its fans. The grip got Roy Oswalt to appreciate changeups late in his career, and former reliever Joe Nelson listed it as the reason for his professional employment: "It's taken me a long time to master it and I wouldn't be playing today if I didn't develop it," he said of the pitch in 2010.

So there you have it: Even the sport of baseball wouldn't be the same without Leonard Nimoy. Plus, there was the time he had an uncredited role in the baseball comedy Rhubarb: 

Leonard Nimoy in uniform, at lower-right. An uncredited role from the 1951 movie 'Rhubarb' (h/t @tshieber). pic.twitter.com/Pao1iyagzW

- Paul Lukas (@UniWatch) February 27, 2015