Definition

1. Noun:
   • A baseball pitcher who specializes in throwing screwballs: A "screwballer" is a player whose primary or notable pitch is the screwball, a breaking ball that moves in the opposite direction of a curveball when thrown by a right-handed pitcher to a right-handed batter (or a left-handed pitcher to a left-handed batter).

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The veteran screwballer baffled hitters with his signature pitch.
  • She became famous as the league's only left-handed screwballer.

Advanced Usage

• The term is highly specific to the sport of baseball and is used to categorize a pitcher based on their pitching repertoire.
• It often carries a connotation of rarity and skill, as the screwball is an uncommon and difficult pitch to master.

Variants and Related Words

• Screwball (noun): The type of pitch thrown by a screwballer.
  • His best pitch was his screwball.
• Pitcher (noun): The general position played by a screwballer.

Synonyms

• Breaking ball pitcher: A more general term for a pitcher who specializes in throwing breaking balls, which includes curveballs and sliders.
• Off-speed pitcher: A pitcher known for relying on pitches that are slower than a fastball, which can include the screwball.

Notes

• There are no common phrasal verbs or idioms directly associated with the specific noun "screwballer." The word is used literally within the context of baseball.

Noun

1. (baseball) a pitcher who throws screwballs