Definition

Noun: 1. A batter who strikes out by swinging at and missing the third strike: In baseball, a "whiffer" is a player who fails to hit the ball on the third and final strike of their at-bat because their swing does not make contact.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The pitcher struck out ten batters, with three of them being whiffers.
  • He was frustrated after being a whiffer for the third time in the game.
  • A good slider can make even the best hitters look like whiffers.

Advanced Usage

• The term is informal and often carries a mildly derogatory or teasing connotation, emphasizing the batter's failure to make contact on a crucial swing.
• It can be used more broadly in a metaphorical sense to describe someone who fails completely or misses an opportunity in a conspicuous way, though this is an extended, figurative use.
  • He was a total whiffer on that business deal, missing all the key signals.

Variants and Related Words

• Whiff (verb): To swing at and miss a pitch, especially a strike.
  • He whiffed on a fastball right down the middle.
• Whiff (noun): The act of swinging and missing a pitch.
  • The batter's swing ended in a disappointing whiff.

Synonyms

• Strikeout victim (specific to baseball)
• Strikeout (noun): While "strikeout" is the official result, "whiffer" specifically refers to the player who achieves that result by swinging and missing.

Noun

1. a batter who strikes out by swinging at and missing the third strike