When did they invent this term?

[WillyM]

All of a sudden this season, I keep hearing announcers talking about pitchers throwing a "sweeper."  In all the years I've been following baseball, I don't think I ever heard this term before.

I thought a sweeper was what the ump used to brush the dirt off home plate.

What is a sweeper?  How does it differ from a curve ball or a slider?

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, WillyM said:

All of a sudden this season, I keep hearing announcers talking about pitchers throwing a "sweeper."  In all the years I've been following baseball, I don't think I ever heard this term before.

I thought a sweeper was what the ump used to brush the dirt off home plate.

What is a sweeper?  How does it differ from a curve ball or a slider?

Here you go.

https://sports.yahoo.com/hes-throwing-a-what-the-sweeper-is-mlb-latest-pitching-weapon-dodgers-yankees-220657765.html

Quote

It’s a variation of breaking ball distinguished by horizontal movement — more across than up and down. Sweepers are essentially a subset of sliders, an endpoint on a spectrum that includes traditional sliders in the middle and hard, darting cutters on the other end.

 

Edited April 7, 2023 by Can_of_corn

[MarCakes21]

30 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Here you go.

https://sports.yahoo.com/hes-throwing-a-what-the-sweeper-is-mlb-latest-pitching-weapon-dodgers-yankees-220657765.html

 

I think they're what used to be called a "slurve".  Not sure sweeper is any better.

[Jagwar]

They should have called it a "Boddicker"