split-fingered fastball

noun

split-fin·​gered fastball ˈsplit-ˈfiŋ-gərd- 

: a fastball thrown with the ball gripped as for a forkball so that it drops rapidly as it nears the plate

called also split-finger, splitter

Examples of split-fingered fastball in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

On Thursday, a regression in the sharpness of Tanaka’s best two pitches — a split-finger fastball and a slider — was his biggest downfall. — Benjamin Hoffman, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2019

That’s an impressive feat, considering Darvish throws more than six pitches and his split-finger fastball and hard curve can be difficult to catch. — Mark Gonzales, chicagotribune.com, 28 Aug. 2019

Domingo German is facing an innings limit, big-game pitcher Masahiro Tanaka has struggled to find his split-finger fastball all season and James Paxton has only just begun to put together consistent starts. — Kristie Ackert, courant.com, 11 Aug. 2019

The most noticeable difference, other than varying the speeds on his slider and curve, was the unveiling of his split-finger fastball. — Mark Gonzales, chicagotribune.com, 13 July 2019

And until Posey’s single, Norwood was deceptively successful thanks to use of a split-finger fastball to complement a sharp slider and 96-mph fastball. — Mark Gonzales, chicagotribune.com, 12 July 2018

Word History

First Known Use

1979, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for split-fingered fastball

• mercaptoethanol
• aerosol
• alcohol
• arbitral
• basketball
• butanol
• cannonball
• carbinol
• cortisol
• ethanol
• fireball
• gasohol