In baseball, what is the term for a pitch that crosses the plate in the strike zone but curves or breaks sharply, making it difficult to hit?
Breaking ball
The answer was Breaking ball. Here's the why, the decoys, and the source trail.
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A breaking ball is the general term for any pitch that curves, slides, or breaks as it approaches the plate, including curveballs and sliders. The movement is created by the spin the pitcher puts on the ball, which causes it to deviate from a straight path.
A good trivia question makes the wrong answers feel close. Here is the clean read on the set.
- Changeup - a decoy; it may live near the same topic, but it does not answer this exact clue.
- Breaking ball - correct answer.
- Fastball - a decoy; it may live near the same topic, but it does not answer this exact clue.
- Knuckleball - a decoy; it may live near the same topic, but it does not answer this exact clue.
Breaking ball is the one to remember. A breaking ball is the general term for any pitch that curves, slides, or breaks as it approaches the plate, including curveballs and sliders. A curveball can break as much as 17 inches from a straight trajectory, which is why batters often swing at where the ball appears to be headed rather than where it actually ends up.
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Sources: Wikipedia — Breaking ball