And at bat when hitter intentionally tries to pound ball into the ground just in front of Homeplate is called what

Anonymous asked: Seldom used with today's playing conditions, when batter intentionally tries to hit pitch into the ground right in front of home plate, in order to get a hit is called something.

I know it is not a bunt ......that it's more like a full swing try to get a huge bounce. Similar name is Texas leaguer for fly ball. Early managers and 60s and 70s instructed batters to do this.


Rick answered: Thank you for your question.

The name you are searching for is The Baltimore Chop.

It was a ball hit forcefully into the ground near home plate, producing a bounce high above the head of the fielder. This gives the batter time to reach first base safely, before the ball can be fielded.

There were times when exceptionally fast runners would end up on second base with a Baltimore Chop.

An important element of Baltimore Orioles coach, John McGraw's, "inside baseball", strategy, the technique was popularized during Major League Baseballs dead ball era, during which baseball teams could not rely on the home run.

To give maximum bounce to a Baltimore chop, Orioles grounds keeper Tom Murphy packed the dirt tightly around home plate, mixed it with hard clay and left the infield unwatered.

In modern baseball, the Baltimore Chop is much less common, usually resulting when the batter accidentally swings over the ball. The result is sometimes more pronounced on those diamonds with artificial turf. (Source) Wikipedia.

This was not an easy skill to master; but players who managed to refine this skill found it created other opportunities as well, making the infielders defend the ground from in front of the plate, to the infield dirt.

Yours in baseball,

Rick