can of corn. A high, easy-to-catch, fly ball hit to the outfield. The phrase is said to have originated in the nineteenth-century and relates to an old-time grocer’s method of getting canned goods down from a high shelf.
White Sox broadcaster Ken “Hawk” Harrelson likes to use the phrase these days, and Hall of Fame broadcaster Red Barber is credited for using it first as one of his signature catchphrases when he started broadcasting Brooklyn Dodgers games in 1939.
A “can of corn” in baseball is when a batter hits an easy fly ball to an outfielder. A “can of corn” fly ball is so easy to catch, that it is a guaranteed out. Generally, an outfielder will not have to move far or exert much effort to make the catch.
a can of corn
One of the early nicknames of the curveball was Uncle Charlie, or sometimes, Lord Charles. This was derived from the name of Harvard President Charles Elliot, who was opposed to the adoption of the curveball and considered it to be cheating.
It simply means that there was an easy catch to be made. In MLB (Major League Baseball), just about any at bat could be considered a potential can of corn. Or, in other words, an easy catch.
30+ Great Baseball Slogans to Buck Up Your Team
1 | Deeds not Words. |
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2 | Demand respect or expect defeat. |
3 | Don’t let the fear of striking out, hold you back. |
4 | Every game is game seven. |
5 | Hit, Run, Score! |
The term likely dates back to that Dead Ball Era, when small ball ruled the day. A player who got as far as 2nd base was considered to be in scoring position even with less than two out, and because 2nd is also up the middle, the term Keystone, as in the keystone or central brick in an arch, came into use.
Can of corn is one of the more mysterious baseball phrases, with numerous theories behind its origin. One is that it comes from the action of grocery clerks using a stick to tip a can off a high shelf and then catch it (as to hand to a customer). In extended use, the phrase can refer to something easily accomplished.
“Let’s go [team]!” – The most common baseball fan chant. “Come on, Blue!” – This comes from hecklers in the stands. “Blue” is the umpire (blue generally being the color of his shirt). When fans don’t like the ump’s call – especially on balls and strikes – you’ll hear them yell this.
Here are a few:- “How can you not be romantic about baseball?” - Moneyball.
“Man, this is baseball. You gotta stop thinking, just have fun.” -
“There’s no crying in baseball!” - A League of Their Own.
“You wanna have a catch?” -
“All I know is when we win a game, it’s a team win.
“I see great things in baseball.
Rule 2.00 defines the Infield Fly as, “a fair fly ball (not including a line drive or a bunt) which can be caught by an infielder with ordinary effort, when first and second, or first, second, and third bases are occupied before two are out.
A ballpark ale brewed with the actual corn harvested from the Field of Dreams movie site, ‘Can of Corn’ was brewed to bring those who truly love the purity of the game together, just like Ray built the field.
Cookie: An easily hittable pitch. Crooked number: A team’s inning run total greater than zero or one.
What if the Team Has More Than 2 Scores? There’s a purpose as to why this is called crooked numbers. It is because these numbers can either be straight or round, such as zero or one. If the defensive team can successfully make a single during half innings, then they have to set up a picket fence.
It’s called cheese because cheese is easy to slice through. Cheese is a fastball that is easy to hit. Cheese is a fastball that is easy to hit.
An illegal pitch may be quick pitch (i.e. a pitch made before the batter is properly set in the batter’s box), a pitch made while the pitcher is not in contact with the pitching rubber, or one in which he takes an extra step while making his delivery.
When a pitcher crowds a batter with a pitch, he is often said to be in the hitter’s “kitchen”. This expression is as old as baseball itself. If a batter got jammed and broke his bat, older players used to say, “He got in his kitchen and broke a few dishes.” Or, “He rattled a few pots-n-pans in Pujols’ kitchen.”
Eddie Cicotte is credited as the inventor of the knuckleball. R. A. Dickey reinvented his career by developing a knuckleball. Phil Niekro is the only knuckleballer to win 300 games.
a fly ball that is so easy to catch that the fielder need only stand under the falling ball and let it drop into their glove: That’s the third straight can of corn off a Yankee bat tonight, and the Toronto outfield is not complaining.
A softly hit ball that goes over the infielders and lands in the outfield for a hit. Originally called a “duck fart” because it was assumed that a duck’s feathers would make its farts as soft (or quiet) as the hit. Changed to a “snort” for use in polite company.
Del Monte Canned Golden Sweet Whole Kernel Corn, 15.25 oz Can.
Gas: Another term for a fastball. “This pitcher is throwing gas.”
“Not your pitch, kid. Not your pitch.” This is something a fan will shout when a player has taken a called strike. It sounds encouraging, like “you’ll get them next time” but what it really means is “You should’ve swung at that one.