different between fastball vs hardball

English

Etymology

fast + ball

Noun

fastball (plural fastballs)

1. (baseball) Any of the variations of high speed pitches thrown in baseball
2. (baseball) A four-seam fastball, which is a backspin pitch thrown with a ball gripped in the direction to cause four of the seams of the ball to cross the flight path and released with roughly equal pressure by the index and middle fingers

   The pitcher had a blazing fastball.

Synonyms

• hummer (slang)
• cheese (slang)
• heat (slang)
• gas (slang)
• Linda Ronstadt (slang)

1. • 1986 May 1, "Talkin' Baseball . . . The Can of Corn Is Back on the Shelf," Los Angeles Times:

     A couple of players told me that they refer to a situation in which the batter is badly overmatched by a fastball as a Linda Ronstadt... That refers to Ronstadt's million-selling remake of Roy Orbison's hit song, "Blue Bayou" (blew by you).

See also

• curveball
• slider
• cut fastball
• two-seam fastball
• split-finger fastball
• sinker
• screwball
• knuckleball
• gyroball
• spitball
• change-up
• Bugs Bunny change-up

Anagrams

• fat balls

English

Etymology

hard +? ball

Noun

hardball (countable and uncountable, plural hardballs)

1. (ball games) In baseball, a type of ball and baseball game, as opposed to softball.
2. Tough or ruthless behavior, especially in combat, politics or business.

Adjective

hardball (comparative more hardball, superlative most hardball)

1. Being or exhibiting tough or ruthless behavior, especially in combat, politics or business.

Derived terms

• play hardball

Verb

hardball (third-person singular simple present hardballs, present participle hardballing, simple past and past participle hardballed)

1. (transitive) To exhibit tough and ruthless behavior towards.