Mendoza Line

or Men·do·za line

[ men-doh-zuh lahyn ]

noun

, Baseball.

1. an unimpressive and disappointing batting average of .200:

   If you’re gonna keep hitting below the Mendoza Line, you’d better learn how to pitch or find another career.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Mendoza Line¹

First recorded in 1975–80; named after Mario Mendoza Aizpuru (born 1950), Mexican baseball shortstop whose batting average was consistently around .200