What does meatball mean in baseball?

And big league batters can eat; they don't leave many meatballs on the plate. There's only a limited understanding of what a meatball is. One general definition: “an easy pitch to hit, thrown right down the middle of the plate.” Major League Baseball's official lingo agrees.

What does meatball mean in slang?

slang. an awkward, clumsy, or ineffectual person. [1830–40; meat + ball1]

What is a meatball swing?

A full 8% of the pitches thrown to him are classified as “meatballs” on Baseball Savant, meaning they're right down the middle of the zone. On those pitches, Joc is swinging at a full 87% of them, also a career-high.

Why do pitchers throw meatballs?

A term for an easy pitch to hit; often thrown down the middle of the strike zone because the pitcher is tired or needs to throw a strike; sometimes appears as "meatball served on a plate" to refer to the pitcher throwing an easy-to-hit pitch down the middle of home plate.

What does meatball mean in softball?

meatball. An easy pitch to hit — down the middle of the plate.

How to identify baseball pitches

What does Taco mean in baseball?

An oppo taco is a home run that is hit to the opposite side of the field from where the batter is standing.

What is a cookie in baseball?

Cookie: An easily hittable pitch. Crooked number: A team's inning run total greater than zero or one.

What is the weirdest pitch in baseball?

An eephus pitch (also spelled ephus) in baseball is a very high-arcing off-speed pitch. The delivery from the pitcher has very low velocity and often catches the hitter off-guard. The eephus pitch is thrown overhand like most pitches, but is characterized by an unusual, high-arcing trajectory.

Why do MLB players spit so much?

The extreme amounts of dust and dirt in the air are ingested by players in the field, which dries out their mouths and thickens their saliva. Players chew tobacco, bubble gum, or just spit to keep their mouths moist and prevent this discomfort.

Why do baseball players lift their leg when throwing?

The leg lift is important for two different reasons. First, it starts the pitcher's momentum toward the plate. Momentum is important for the pitcher because it helps generate force behind the ball. Secondly, the leg lift allows the pitcher to load the back leg and hips.

Who has the smoothest swing in the MLB?

Ken Griffey Jr.'s sweet swing

Williams is considered by many to be "the best hitter that ever lived." And while the author of "The Science of Hitting" was all about mechanics, to the outsider his swing was more art than anything else. He remains the last AL/NL player to hit .

What is a butcher boy swing?

Definition. A "butcher boy" is a batter who squares around to bunt, only to pull the bat back and make a short, downward swing.

What are the 3 phases of a swing in baseball?

The baseball swing consists of three main phases: 1) the loading phase, 2) the launching phase and 3) the follow through. Each player has their own unique style and may sometimes make adjustments to their swing depending on the game situation, the type of pitch, or other factors.

Who do they call meatball?

A stupid, awkward, or boring person.

What does meatball mean Jersey Shore?

Meatball. "Meatball" was a way of describing a woman who was short, bulky and loved to party. Basically, it was a way to describe people like Snooki or at least that's how Sammi did.

What does Greazy mean in slang?

(slang) shady, sketchy, dodgy, detestable, unethical.

Why do baseball players paint black under eyes?

The eye black has the purpose of absorbing the interfering light better than the natural skin tone can, reducing the glare for the player.

Why do baseball players wear black under their eyes?

Baseball players wear eye black to improve their vision during games by reducing the glare of the sun or stadium lights. Eye black helps players see the ball better, which is essential in baseball.

Do baseball players smoke cigarettes?

It is common perception that many baseball players use tobacco. According to the MLB however this practice is changing and declining.

What pitch is banned in MLB?

Each team was allowed to designate up to two pitchers who would be permitted to throw spitballs. After the 1920 season, the use of the spitball was banned with the exception of a group of 17 existing spitballers, who became legacy spitballers and allowed to throw the pitch legally until they retired.

What is the rarest thing in baseball?

Rarest of all is the unassisted triple play by an outfielder, performed only once in professional baseball history, by Walter Carlisle. It is possible for a team to score on a triple play, but that is also phenomenally rare.

What is the rarest baseball pitch?

Definition. A screwball is a breaking ball designed to move in the opposite direction of just about every other breaking pitch. It is one of the rarest pitches thrown in baseball, mostly because of the tax it can put on a pitcher's arm.

What does banana mean in baseball?

Match play: “Banana Ball” is like match play in golf. The team that scores the most runs during an inning gets a point for that inning. The win goes to the team with the most points at game's end.

What is a bundt in baseball?

Official Baseball Rules define a bunt as follows: "A BUNT is a batted ball not swung at, but intentionally met with the bat and tapped slowly within the infield." To bunt, the batter loosely holds the bat in front of home plate and intentionally taps the ball into play.

What is a muffin in baseball?

The name "Muffin" originates from the organization of 1860s gentlemen's base ball clubs. The best squad was known as the "first nine," the second-string players were the "second nine," and those not well skilled were the "muffin nine," a muff being the term for an error.