Generally, outfielders will not have to exert much effort or move far to make a catch. A ball hit by a batter in baseball is often easy for an outfielder to catch, especially when it is a fly ball in the cornfield.
In the history of baseball, this phrase came to be, which seems like a fairly odd saying for a game of baseball. However, the term is still easy enough to understand, although it may seem a little peculiar.
When players refer to an easy pop-fly in the outfield, they can specifically call it “corn.” Another way to say that an easy hit is a pop-fly in baseball is “corn.” When they think about food, they typically think about corn. When they think about corn, they typically think about a certain kind of corn.
If a batter hits a very high fly-ball, which means the ball took a long time to come down, sometimes players will call it a “pop-fly” in Major League. Typically, players will say that it is an easy catch or a lazy bloop for a lazy fly-ball, and there is a slight distinction between an easy fly-ball that is hit to an infielder and a lazy fly-ball.
This is usually a routine catch for an outfielder. The ball does not have much velocity and there is very little movement in the way it is hit, so the outfielder can easily catch it. When a batter hits the ball directly to the outfielder, they typically do not have to run far to get into position to catch it. On the other hand, when an outfielder gets a hit in the “corn” of the field, they generally have to run further.
What Baseball Announcers Say “Can of Corn”?
Let’s briefly cover a few notable announcers who have said “can of corn” during their broadcasts. Over the years, there have been numerous baseball announcers who have used the phrase “can of corn.”
Bob Prince
This play is described in more detail above the paragraphs. The final play of the regular-season game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Pirates has been played. The most notable moment is when Matty Alou dropped an easy fly-ball in the corn, saying that “The Gunner,” Bob Prince, was also an announcer for the Pirates from 1975-1948.
Buck Martinez
Buck Martinez had a profession as a professional baseball player and supervisor, and at present, he is employed as a broadcaster for the Toronto Blue Jays.
In the realm of baseball, Buck Martinez elucidates the concept of a can of corn between the time frame of 13:45-13:58, and it is recommended to commence viewing the video clip below at 13:40. Provided below is the video excerpt wherein Buck Martinez articulates the definition of a can of corn in Triple Play 2000, and he is widely remembered as the commentator who consistently made reference to it.
Ken Harrelson
Ken, “The Hawk” Harrelson had a successful career spanning 9 seasons in the Major Leagues and is renowned for his lengthy 33-year tenure as a broadcaster for the Chicago White Sox.
On April 6, 2016, during the bottom of the 2nd inning against the Oakland Athletics, you can quickly watch this clip from MLB.Com to see a memorable play. Instead of an easy catch, it was initially called a hit that ended up being a home run, famously referred to as a “corn” hit by Harrelson Hawk.
The History of a Can of Corn in Baseball
Baseball was not initially referred to as “corn of can,” but rather, it was founded in 1869. The phrase “corn of can” was first recorded between 1930 and 1935, according to Dictionary.Com (although it was not widely used until much later).
There are only a few theories on how the phrase “came into existence” originated in baseball, even though it is difficult to precisely pinpoint its exact origins. For decades, the phrase “corn of can” has been used to describe baseball, but many people do not associate the word “corn” with baseball.
“Can of Corn” Refers to Grocers Getting Cans of Corn From Shelves
The phrase “corn of can” is probably the most popular theory for why grocers stack cans of corn up high on store shelves, as it originated in the context of baseball.
The phrase “corn of cans” originated from grocers in the early 1900s actually getting corn of cans from shelves higher up, in order to stock shelves even higher with these popular vegetable cans, such that grocers would have corn of cans stocked on shelves higher up.
This task, which can be accomplished easily, refers to catching an easy fly-ball in the outfield. The later phrase describes a task that is easily accomplished. It was considered an easy catch, much like the routine task of grocers catching a can of corn.
The Outfield Was Known as a Cornfield
Another reason people believe in the phrase “can of corn” is that it made its way into the language of baseball as the nickname for the outfield in the cornfield.
In the early days of baseball, some outfield fields were lined with cornfields instead of fences, earning the nickname “cornfield.” It was played on a farm.
Probably the best example of this type of baseball field can be seen in the movie Field of Dreams, where an outfield on a farm is used and a great visual example is shown in a quick clip from below the cornfield fence.
Outfielders, positioned in the cornfield, who catch cans of corn, suggest that it was not a significant leap to refer to the outfield as the “cornfield” given the obvious inference.
Pittsburgh Pirates Announcer Bob Prince Popularized the Saying
He popularized the term “can of corn” in baseball language. He believed that people were particularly interested in one play where there was a Prince Bob, an announcer for the 1948 Pirates from 1975.
Contrary to what was expected, it transpired that the previous statement was not the conclusive end of the game. The general consensus was that this particular play would mark the end of the game: Matty Alou hits a lengthy, airborne ball towards the centerfielder, Willie Smith, who was at bat for the Cubs. Additionally, the Cubs were trailing 2-1 at that point. This occurred during the 9th inning, with 2 outs remaining, while the Pittsburgh Pirates faced off against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. This event took place on September 13, 1970.
(Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) “Exclaimed announcer Bob Prince, as Matty Alou let go of the can of corn,” when the fly-ball slipped from his grasp and allowed Willie Smith to advance to second base due to the error. Regrettably for Matty Alou, he failed to catch this fly-ball.
The third edition of the Baseball Dictionary by Prince Bob Dickson credits him with popularizing the phrase “taking the corn out of the air” as a way to describe an easy catch in the outfield. Many people believe that Prince Bob helped spread this phrase prior to his career as an announcer, but it was already being used as baseball lingo for an easy fly-ball to the outfield.