in baseball what is a can of corn
Recently, I was playing outfield during a baseball when a concoction striking a long, lazy wing-ball in my direction. As I was about to catch the brawl for the terminal out of the inning, I heard i of my teammates annotate that the play was a "tin of corn". This is a baseball game saying I am familiar with, but information technology also got me thinking, what does "can of corn" mean in baseball and where does it come up from?
A "tin of corn" in baseball is when a batter hits an easy wing ball to an outfielder. A "can of corn" fly brawl is and so easy to catch, that it is a guaranteed out. Generally, an outfielder will non have to movement far or exert much effort to make the catch.
The term is easy enough to empathise, simply information technology still seems like a fairly odd saying for a baseball game. Then I dug a little into the history of how this saying came to exist in baseball.
Article Contents
- "Can of Corn" is an Easy Popular-Fly to the Outfield
- The History of a Tin can of Corn in Baseball game
- "Can of Corn" Refers to Grocers Getting Cans of Corn From Shelves
- The Outfield Was Known every bit a Cornfield
- Pittsburgh Pirates Journalist Bob Prince Popularized the Saying
- Who Coined the Phrase Can of Corn?
- What Baseball Announcers Say "Can of Corn"?
- Bob Prince
- Cadet Martinez
- Ken Harrelson
"Can of Corn" is an Easy Pop-Fly to the Outfield
When people think of a tin of corn, they typically think about the food. Only in baseball, a can of corn is another fashion of saying that a hit is an easy pop-fly. And more than specifically, a tin can of corn is how players refer to an easy popular-fly to the outfield.
There is a slight stardom between an easy fly-ball that is hit to an infielder and an like shooting fish in a barrel fly-ball that is hit to an outfielder. When an infielder gets an easy pop-fly, players typically say that the ball is a lazy fly-brawl, a bloop, or just simply call it an easy catch. If the batter hits a very high fly-ball to an infielder, players will sometimes call it a "Major League" pop-wing, which means the ball took a long fourth dimension to come downwardly.
On the other paw, when an outfielder gets striking a "can of corn", the outfielder doesn't generally have that far to run to get in position to catch the brawl. The batter hit the ball directly to the outfielder and they hitting it in such a style that there is very little movement to the baseball and non that much velocity behind it. This is a routine take hold of for an outfielder and is typically a guaranteed out.
The History of a Can of Corn in Baseball game
According to Dictonary.com, the phrase "can of corn" was first recorded somewhere between 1930 and 1935. Baseball was founded in 1869, then this means the phrase "can of corn" was not a phrase in baseball for at least the first 61-66 years of baseball's existence (but about probable it wasn't used until much later).
Many people exercise non associate the discussion "corn" with baseball game, simply the phrase "can of corn" has been a saying in baseball for decades. Although it is difficult to pinpoint exactly how the phrase came to be in baseball, there are a few theories around how the phrase came into beingness.
"Can of Corn" Refers to Grocers Getting Cans of Corn From Shelves
Probably the most popular theory for why the phrase "can of corn" exists in baseball is that the phrase originated from grocers getting cans of corn from loftier up on store shelves.
The phrase "can of corn" originated from grocers actually getting cans of corn from high shelves. In the early on 1900s, cans of corn were such a popular vegetable that grocers would have these cans stocked on higher shelves. In order to achieve these cans of corn, grocers used a stick with a claw on the cease of it to fetch the cans from loftier upwards on the shelves and catch them, either in their hand or in their apron.
Communicable a tin of corn was such a routine chore for grocers that it was considered an piece of cake take hold of. This phrase later went on to draw a task that is easily accomplished, such as catching an easy fly-ball in the outfield.
The Outfield Was Known every bit a Cornfield
Another reason people believe the phrase "tin of corn" made it into the baseball language is that the outfield had the nickname of the cornfield.
In the very early days of baseball, the outfield of some baseball fields was played on a farm. In fact, some of the outfields were lined with a cornfield instead of a fence. So the outfield received the nickname "cornfield".
Probably the best example of this blazon of baseball field can exist seen in the flick Field of Dreams. In this flick, a baseball game field is located on a farm and the outfield uses a cornfield for a fence. For a great visual instance, cheque out the quick clip below from the Field of Dreams.
One tin have a approximate that because the outfield had the nickname "cornfield", it wasn't that far of a stretch to say that outfielders, who are in the cornfield, are catching cans of corn.
Pittsburgh Pirates Announcer Bob Prince Popularized the Saying
Another theory as to how the phrase "can of corn" made it into baseball's linguistic communication is that Bob Prince popularized the proverb while he was an announcer for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Bob Prince was an announcer for the Pirates from 1948-1975, but at that place was one play in particular where people believe he helped popularize the term "tin can of corn".
The date was September 13, 1970, and the Pittsburgh Pirates were playing the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. In that location were ii outs in the bottom of the 9th inning, Willie Smith was batting for the Cubs, and the Cubs were down 2-i. Willie Smith hits a long, wing-ball to the centerfielder, Matty Alou. Virtually people assumed this would be the final out of the game, but information technology turns out that was not the example.
Unfortunately for Matty Alou, this fly-brawl was dropped and Willie Smith was able to make it to second base on the error. As Matty Alou dropped the fly-ball, announcer Bob Prince exclaimed that Alou "dropped the can of corn" (source: Pittsburgh Mail-Gazette).
"Tin of corn" was already used as baseball lingo for an easy fly-ball to the outfield prior to this play, simply people believe that Bob Prince helped to spread the employ of this phrase during his career as an announcer. In add-on to the play above, Bob Prince is besides credited every bit saying that plays were "equally like shooting fish in a barrel as taking corn out of a can" (source: The Dickson Baseball Dictionary (Third Edition))
Who Coined the Phrase Can of Corn?
Similar a lot of phrases in the English language, information technology is difficult to pin downwards who originally came upwardly with the phrase "can of corn".
It is unknown who coined the phrase "tin can of corn". This phrase was idea to take entered into the English language language betwixt 1930 and 1935 when grocers would use a stick to get cans of corn down from high shelves, simply in that location is not one person who is credited with coining the phrase "can of corn".
What Baseball Announcers Say "Can of Corn"?
Over the years in that location have been numerous baseball announcers that apply the phrase "tin can of corn". Let's briefly cover a few of the notable announcers who have said the phrase "can of corn" during their broadcasts.
Bob Prince
Bob Prince, besides nicknamed "The Gunner", was an journalist for the Pirates from 1948-1975 and is nearly notable for saying that Matty Alou "dropped the tin of corn" on an easy fly-ball to win a game. This play would take been the last play during a regular-flavour game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. This play is described in more detail in the paragraphs to a higher place.
Buck Martinez
Buck Martinez was a professional baseball role player, manager, and is now an journalist for the Toronto Blue Jays.
There are too a lot of people who think Cadet Martinez as the announcer from Triple Play 2000 who always mentioned a pop-fly being a "tin of corn". I was able to find the video clip beneath where Buck Martinez describes what a tin can of corn is in baseball game. The video below should start at xiii:xl and y'all tin can hear Buck Martinez explicate a tin can of corn from thirteen:45-xiii:58.
Ken Harrelson
Ken "The Hawk" Harrelson played 9 seasons in the Major Leagues and is known for his 33-year run as a broadcaster for the Chicago White Sox.
In one memorable play on April six, 2016, Hawk Harrelson initially chosen a striking a "tin can of corn", just the hit ended up beingness a home run instead of an easy catch. This play occurred at the lesser of the 2d inning confronting the Oakland Athletics. To see a quick clip of this moment, check out this video from MLB.com.
Source: https://baseballtrainingworld.com/baseball-lingo-the-history-of-a-can-of-corn/
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