cutter n.— «It is a bread-and-butter pitch for many left-handers—the fastball that bores in on right-handed batters, a “cutter” as it is known.» —“Slumping Renteria: ‘I feel bad’” by Lynn Henning in...
soaking n.— «While only the historical clubs will play baseball, they will invite children to take part in rounders. “You could throw the ball at people to get them out,” Mr. Fesolowich said, a practice called soaking.» —“Spare...
bonus baby n.— «Al, who signed with the Tigers in 1953, was what was then known in baseball as a “bonus baby.” As a result, he came straight to the big leagues out of high school when he was 18.» —“Big day for...
soft hands n.pl.— «Cabrera will not say how much weight he has lost since last season, but scouts have agreed a third baseman with “soft hands”—baseball parlance for being able to neatly catch the ball—and a strong arm would...
baseball rat n.— «As he became more sure with the bat, as he became the player who hit .300 at every stop, as he settled down on the field and in the clubhouse, his personality came out. Not just the one whose competitiveness can...
sidewalk alumni n.pl.— «People said he liked green because we’re Irish, but actually he was, and is, a Notre Dame red-hot, one of the well-known sidewalk alumni. Notre Dame’s colors are kelly green and gold, and that was Charlie’s...