forkball

American  

[fawrk-bawl] / ˈfɔrkˌbɔl /

Or fork ball

noun

Baseball.

1. a pitch thrown with the ball held deeply between the index and middle fingers, so that those fingers resemble a two-tined fork, causing the ball to dip sharply as it nears home plate.

   Toward the end of his career, he developed a wicked forkball.

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Etymology

Origin of forkball

First recorded in 1915–20; fork + ball ¹

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

forkball

It was an off-speed pitch first derived from the forkball that hadn’t been popular since the age of the Walkman—and its reputation for shredding elbows had given it a stigma.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 31, 2026

“In the bullpen, I felt pretty good about the forkball but once I got on the mound, it didn’t go well,” Sasaki said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 25, 2026

Earlier this season, Eovaldi used a wide grip with his index and middle finger, giving the effect of a forkball, which has little rotation.

From New York Times ● Jul. 26, 2015

Though most trekkies were hoping to see Mr. Spock unleash his Vulcan forkball.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 1, 2012

Cap pushed back, chewing bubble gum, and talking about his forkball, he seemed quite personable.

From Slate ● Aug. 1, 2011

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