fastball

American  

[fast-bawl, fahst-] / ˈfæstˌbɔl, ˈfɑst- /

noun

Baseball.

1. a pitch thrown at or near a pitcher's maximum velocity.

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fastball British  

/ ˈfɑːstˌbɔːl /

noun

1. baseball a ball pitched at the pitcher's top speed

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Etymology

Origin of fastball

First recorded in 1910–15; fast ¹ + ball ¹

Example Sentences

I was thirteen and didn’t know a foul ball from a fastball, but the Tigers were in town and the moment I heard they had a Jewish slugger called Hank Greenberg, I was hooked.

From Literature

Lee, twice a Game 1 World Series starter, did not average 92 mph on his fastball but pitched 200 innings eight times.

From Los Angeles Times

The knock on him was that he occasionally lacked consistency and didn’t have much nuance to his game, not unlike a baseball pitcher who only fires 100 mph fastballs.

From The Wall Street Journal

Striker Pence, a sophomore pitcher at Corona Santiago with a 100-mph fastball, will receive an endorsement deal from a radar gun company.

From Los Angeles Times

Imai, a 27-year-old right-hander with a fastball that reaches 99 miles per hour, is the latest heralded pitcher on his way to the majors.

From The Wall Street Journal

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