foul tip

noun

, Baseball.

1. a pitched ball that glances off the bat into foul territory, usually near the catcher, ruled a strike if the catcher catches it before it hits the ground, otherwise ruled an ordinary foul ball.

Word History and Origins

Origin of foul tip¹

An Americanism dating back to 1865–70

Example Sentences

Roberts revealed Saturday that he pinch-hit for catcher Will Smith in Game 5 because Smith took a foul tip off the back of his left catching hand earlier in the game.

From Los Angeles Times

Smith then failed to corral a potential inning-ending third strike on a foul tip, allowing Harrison Bader to score Alvarez with a single to center — an RBI aided by Andy Pages’ bobbling of the ball in the outfield, negating any attempt for a play at the plate.

From Los Angeles Times

Rangers manager Bruce Bochy, a former big league catcher, said Heim can’t assume that the umpire saw the foul tip or heard anything.

From Seattle Times

“It’s so loud out there. I’m sure he couldn’t hear a foul tip, we couldn’t see it,” Bochy said.

From Seattle Times

Michael Busch scored from second base on what Heim thought was a foul tip, and he didn’t immediately retrieve the ball.

From Seattle Times