cut fastball
LowTechnical/Sports
Definition
Meaning
A type of baseball pitch thrown with fastball velocity but with a late, sharp, horizontal break.
A deceptive pitch in baseball designed to look like a straight fastball before moving slightly sideways at the last moment, making it difficult to hit squarely.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
A highly specific term used almost exclusively within the context of baseball pitching. It refers to a subtype of fastball with distinct movement characteristics.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term is almost non-existent in British English, where baseball terminology is rarely used. It is exclusively an American English term related to a sport not widely played in the UK.
Connotations
In American English, it connotes skill, deception, and technical pitching expertise. In British English, it would likely be unrecognized or associated solely with American culture.
Frequency
Extremely high frequency in American baseball discourse; virtually zero frequency in all other contexts, including British English.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
The pitcher threw a cut fastball.He has a good cut fastball.The batter swung over the cut fastball.Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “He's got the cutter working today.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Not applicable.
Academic
Only in sports science or biomechanics studies of pitching mechanics.
Everyday
Only in casual conversations about baseball.
Technical
Primary usage domain: baseball coaching, sports commentary, player analysis.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
American English
- He tried to cut his fastball, but it hung over the plate.
adjective
American English
- His cut-fastball command was exceptional.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The pitcher throws a fastball.
- The pitcher has a good fastball and a curveball.
- Mariano Rivera was famous for his devastating cut fastball, which broke bats regularly.
- The right-hander's cut fastball exhibits late, sharp movement in on the hands of left-handed batters, making it a potent out-pitch.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a knife CUTting through the air sideways; a CUT fastball CUTs away from the batter.
Conceptual Metaphor
PITCHING IS A DUEL; THE PITCH IS A DECEPTIVE WEAPON.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid literal translation like 'разрезанный фастбол'. Use 'каттер' (cutter) or 'режущий фастбол' only in baseball contexts.
- Do not confuse with 'резак' (cutter) as a tool; the sports term is specific.
Common Mistakes
- Pronouncing 'fastball' as /ˈfɑːstbəl/ instead of /ˈfæstˌbɔl/ in AmE.
- Using 'cut fastball' to describe any breaking ball.
- Treating it as a general term outside of baseball.
Practice
Quiz
In which sport is the term 'cut fastball' exclusively used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
A cut fastball ('cutter') is thrown harder with a shorter, later break, while a slider is typically slower with a more sweeping, diagonal break.
Yes, 'cutter' is the common abbreviated term for a cut fastball.
Mariano Rivera, the New York Yankees closer, is the most famous practitioner of the cut fastball.
No, it is a highly technical sports term with no established metaphorical use in general English.