shoestring catch
Definition
- Noun:
- (Baseball) a running catch made near the ground: A "shoestring catch" is a play in baseball where a fielder, typically an outfielder, catches a batted ball just before it hits the ground, often while running and bending down low, near the level of one's shoes.
Usage
- This term is specific to the sport of baseball. It describes a specific type of difficult, low catch.
- It is used as a countable noun.
Examples
- Noun:
- The center fielder made an incredible shoestring catch to end the inning.
- That was a textbook shoestring catch; he saved a sure double.
Advanced Usage
- The term can be used metaphorically outside of baseball to describe any last-minute or barely successful effort to acquire or secure something.
- The company made a shoestring catch of the contract, signing it just minutes before the deadline.
Variants and Related Words
- Shoestring (adj): Operating on or characterized by a very small amount of money.
- They started the business on a shoestring budget.
- Catch (n/v): The act of catching or something that is caught.
Synonyms
- Diving catch: (Emphasizes the fielder leaving their feet, which may or may not be near the ground.)
- Low catch: (A more general term for any catch made near the ground.)
Related Phrases
- To make a shoestring catch: The standard verb phrase used with this noun.
- He has the speed to make a shoestring catch look easy.
Noun
-
(baseball) a running catch made near the ground
