forkball

or fork ball

[ fawrk-bawl ]

noun

, Baseball.

1. a pitch thrown with the ball held deeply between the index and middle fingers, so that those fingers resemble a two-tined fork, causing the ball to dip sharply as it nears home plate:

   Toward the end of his career, he developed a wicked forkball.

Word History and Origins

Origin of forkball¹

First recorded in 1915–20; fork + ball ¹

Example Sentences

Alongside the baseball goals, like increasing the “perfect the forkball” or “strengthen the body core” are the qualities that Kanno has been relearning in Oshu: “sensitivity,” “caring,” becoming someone worthy of trust and love.

From Los Angeles Times

With a crowd of 36,236 sometimes standing and roaring in anticipation, the rookie right-hander got six strikeouts with his diving, disappearing “ghost forkball” and set a career high for innings in his 10th major league start.

From Washington Times

The Dodgers’ Hideo Nomo, with a quirky windup and devastating forkball, pioneered Japanese players coming to the U.S. by quickly becoming an All-Star.

From Los Angeles Times

Sasaki has the fastball, the wipeout forkball, and a developing slider — and he just turned 21.

From Seattle Times

“The way that forkball drops, forget about it.”

From Seattle Times