Baltimore Chop

Definition

A "Baltimore chop" is a chopper that takes a high bounce near home plate, allowing the runner to reach first safely.

Origin

The Baltimore chop came from the Orioles of the late 19th century. With runs hard to come by in the dead ball era, the Orioles hatched a plan: They instructed their groundskeeper to pack the dirt in front of home plate (legend has it he once even put down a concrete slab) so that speedsters like John McGraw and Willie Keeler could leg out infield singles.