toe the rubber

present singular third person toes the rubber · participle present toeing the rubber · participle past toed the rubber · past toed the rubber

1. ball gamesTo prepare to pitch by situating oneself on the rubber strip of the pitcher's mound.

   And I didn’t toe the rubber like a lot of other pitchers.

   2013 January 18, Larry Moffi, “Mel Parnell”, in This Side of Cooperstown: An Oral History of Major League Baseball in the 1950s, Dover Publications, →ISBN, page 135

   3 more examples

   No runner should take a step off the base until he has seen the pitcher toe the rubber.

   1952 June 29, Paul Richards, “Smart Baseball”, in Boy's Life, Boy Scouts of America, →ISSN, page 59

   Before he could toe the rubber, Green stepped back out of the box and again called for time.

   2002, Clair Bee, Chip Hilton Sports Series, Volume 22: Home Run Feud, B&H Publishing Group, →ISBN

   He would tell me, to protect me and to help me retain confidence, he said, “You go ahead and call your game. If I don’t agree with it, I won’t toe the rubber,” meaning he won’t get on the mound. When I’d give a signal and he’d toe the rubber, I’d know that’s the one he wanted.

   2005 March 17, Brent Kelley, “Part One: Josh Johnson”, in Voices from the Negro Leagues: Conversations with 52 Baseball Standouts of the Period 1924–1960, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, →ISBN, page 40

2. ball gamesBy extension, to pitch generally.

   Out on the field, Elizabeth stepped to the mark. She stared down at the fresh target draped over the wagon wheel behind second base and windmilled her arm like Happy so often did when he used to toe the rubber for the Travelin’ Nine.

   2012 December 11, Loren Long, “Sluggers”, in Blastin’ the Blues, Simon & Schuster UK, →ISBN, page 282