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Painting the Black Definition. A pitcher is said to be "painting the black" when he throws a pitch that barely catches the outside or inside corner of the plate for a strike. Origin. Home plate is a mostly white slab, but it is bordered on all five sides by a thin black strip.
A Definition of Paint The Black | Baseball Almanac The Dickson Baseball Dictionary is an absolutely invaluable resource for those who love the game of baseball. Referred to as "a staggering piece of scholarship" (Wall Street Journal) and "an indispensable guide to the language of baseball" (San Diego Union-Tribune), the Baseball Dictionary is the definitive source for baseball terms.
- Aspirin Tablet
- Baltimore Chop
- Can of Corn
- Chin Music
- Cookie
- Dying Quail
- Eephus
- Frozen Rope
- Golden Sombrero
- High Cheese
A fastball might be called an aspirin tablet because it moves so quickly that it looks as small as a little white headache pill. It may also go by many other names that are self-explanatory, and not named below: bullet, blazer, dart, gas, heater, hummer, pumper, smoke, or steam.
A hit that causes the ball to immediately bounce high enough off the ground to escape the reach of infielders while the batter safely makes it to first base is a Baltimore chop. The style of hitting was likely pioneered by the Baltimore Orioles in the 1890s. “It requires great skill in placing to work this trick successfully,” according to a contem...
If there's a high fly ball that falls lazily into a fielder's glove, that's a can of corn. Theories abound about its origin, but the most popular one holds that the act was like the grocery clerk’s practice of easily catching a can of corn in their apron after tipping it from the top shelf with a long stick.
Chin music has been used since at least 1822 to refer to idle chatter. In the 1970s, it entered the baseball lexicon as a term for a pitchin which the ball whizzes by the chin of the batter such that they can hear it sing. Much talk about this intimidating play would therefore be a lot of chin music about chin music.
A pitch the batter finds it easy to make contact with is a cookie. There’s no cute etymological tale here: it’s just the perfect name for a gimme pitch.
“Just one more dying quail a week and you’re in Yankee Stadium,” Kevin Costner, Jim Beam in hand, explains to Tim Robbins in Bull Durham (1988). The evocative term dying quail for a fly ball that quickly descends before reaching the outfielder, resulting in a single, may have been coined in the 1940s. Today, baseball announcers and writers use the ...
An eephus describes a slow, high-arcing pitch that more closely resembles a slow pitch than anything from a regular game of fastball. It was invented in 1941 by Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Rip Sewell, though he didn’t name it. Its quirky moniker was supplied by outfielder Maurice Van Robays, who told a reporter it was an “eephus ball.” When...
Frozen ropeis used for a powerful hit that sends a ball hurtling into the outfield (or over the fence) in a straight line with a trajectory that traces barely any arc.
Since the late 1980s, golden sombrero has usually referred to the (fictitious) trophy awarded to a batter who ignominiously strikes out four times in a game. It has its roots in hat trick, which originated with the sport of cricket before eventually becoming synonymous with a hockey player who scores three goals in a game. Hat trick in baseball was...
The use of the word cheese for something great has a history dating back more than two centuries, but the word’s usage to describe a fastball is relatively recent, going back to the '80s. High cheese is designated for a fastball through the upper strike zone—it can also be alto queso.
- Jason Serafino
Apr 26, 2011 · Pitching is an art form that requires constant modification and alteration. In order to sustain success on the mound, metamorphoses become a way of life. James Shields allowed 34 home runs in 2010, 26 of them coming on fastballs, and 11 of those on the first pitch of the at-bat. Although the narrative surrounding Shields’ offseason revolved ...
Jun 15, 2018 · High hard contact does not necessarily mean the pitcher is a bad play, but it is a factor that I look at. The lower Hard%, the less chances the pitcher will get blown up. wRC+: A rate statistic that credits a hitter for the value of each outcome rather than treating them all equally.
Jul 6, 2019 · Beanball: A pitch that hits a batter in the head. Bronx cheer: When the crowd boos. Brushback: A pitch that nearly hits a batter. Bonus Baby: A young player who received a large signing bonus when he became a pro. Bush league: Amateur play or behavior. Can of corn: A fly ball to the outfield that is easy to catch.
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Idioms. The game of baseball has formed its own unique lexicon through the years, with many terms, phrases or sayings that don't seem to make sense on the surface. And yet, these idioms -- some flat-out invented by creative players or managers themselves -- are embedded in the fabric of the game. To be a baseball fan is to be familiar with all ...
