A Texas Leaguer is a softly hit fly ball that drops for a hit between the infielders and the outfielders. It is baseball’s classic cheap hit: weak contact that falls in just out of reach. The name traces back to the Texas League of the late 1880s, where these soft hits were said to be a specialty.
Term explained
Texas Leaguer at a glance
The bloop hit
What it is
A soft fly ball that lands between infielders and outfielders
Scored as
A hit, usually a single
Other names
Bloop, blooper, flare, dying quail, duck snort
Typical contact
Low exit velocity, moderate launch angleToo soft for outfielders, too deep for infielders
Origin
The Texas League of the late 1880sThe exact first use is debated
Why fans groan
It is luck more than skillPitchers call them hits with eyes
Soft Hits Compared
| Hit | How it happens |
|---|---|
| Texas Leaguer | A soft fly that drops in shallow outfield |
| Seeing eye single | A ground ball that sneaks through the infield |
| Infield single | A grounder the runner beats out |
| Swinging bunt | A weak check swing that trickles out of reach |
For more of baseball’s vocabulary, see the baseball slang glossary.
Related
Baseball slang glossary · What does can of corn mean · What is BABIP
Terms cross checked with the MLB.com glossary.