ground ball with eyes
A weakly hit ground ball that barely evades the infielders.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“The batter hit a ground ball with eyes that rolled into center field.”
“The shortstop dove for the ball, but it was a ground ball with eyes that found a gap in the defense.”
“In a game defined by hard hits, the winning run scored on a lucky ground ball with eyes that just barely eluded the diving second baseman.”
The term arises from the metaphor of a ball possessing eyes, which suggests a degree of visual agency that allows it to navigate between infielders. The personification implies the ball is actively choosing a path to avoid capture.
- 01
all eyes
Watching alertly or attentively.
- 02
all eyes and ears
Very attentive.
- 03
babies in the eyes
The minute reflection which one sees of oneself in the eyes of another.
- 04
ball hog
In team sports, a player who keeps the ball to themselves, rather than passing it.
- 05
ball of fire
A person who is especially active, ambitious, hard-working, or high-achieving.
- 06
ball of malt
A glass of whiskey.
- 07
balls of steel
Courage, audacity.
- 08
balls to the wall
With maximum effort or commitment.
Last updated August 10, 2026