Whether your swing is a little tardy or your glove is wee bit slow, if you're late at all, you can't escape this term. Immediately after the ball makes its way past you, it will echo from the dugout: BY YOU!
Intended to add insult to injury, this phrase is usually used when you've already embarrassed yourself or done something particularly unathletic - the ass-out flailing swing attempt at an outside fastball; the it's-already-rolling-to-the-Left-Field-wall-but-I'm-just-now-reacting dive attempt at a liner to third - these would both qualify as offenses that warrant this humiliating battle cry. Why? Because by the time you took action, it was too late - the ball was already "by you."
But what good is a great baseball saying if it can't be transformed into completely random spin-off terms that sound the same and thus accomplish the same demeaning affect? I can't sit at the end of the dugout and just yell By You! all day while my pitcher racks up the K's - can't let my chatter get stale, I gotta mix it up. Louisiana Bayou! ... Oksana Baiul!
And who says baseball players aren't resourceful?
DUGOUT LINGO Series
"Ugly-Finder"
"Pick Him Up"
"Poo-Slinger"
Striking out looking was a mortal sin on my team. The ass out flailing attempt at an outside fastball would prevent me from getting reamed out by coach. I'm not sure why this was better.
ReplyDelete