“You can’t beat what you can’t catch”
"You can't beat what you can't catch" is a saying that has been used in horse racing since at least 1943. The saying has also been used in auto racing -- there is a popular…
“You can’t catch a walk” (baseball adage)
"You can't catch/defend/defense a walk" means that a pitcher shouldn't give up a walk (a free pass to first base) and should let the batter hit the ball, where a catch (or…
“You can’t coach speed” (“You can’t coach height”)
"You can't coach speed" and "You can't coach height" are popular sayings in football and basketball, respectively. A football coach can't make his running back…
“You can’t cook with cold grease” (boxing adage)
"You can't cook with cold grease" means that one should (usually proverbially) turn up the heat, or make things more intense. The Chicago (IL) Tribune cited in 1982: "Aaron…
“You can’t fake desperation (sports adage)
"You can't fake desperation" (or "You can't fake desperate") is a sports adage that was popularized by ESPN Radio sports host Ryen Russillo. If a team or a player is…
“You can’t fire 25 players, so you fire the manager”
What's a losing sports team to do? "You can't fire 25 players, so you fire the manager," a popular theory holds. "But when a club isn't winning it is always easy to…
“You can’t fire a cannon from a canoe”
The phrase "you can't fire/shoot a cannon from a canoe" seemingly dates to naval warfare from the 1800s, but there's no evidence of the phrase until the late 20th century. The…
“You can’t fire the owner” (sports adage)
"You can't fire the owner" is an old sports adage. The coach can get fired, the players can get traded or released, but the owner runs the show. "You can't fire the…
“You can’t get much done in life if you only work on the days when you feel good”
"You can't get much done in life if you only work on the days when you feel good" is a saying that has been printed on posters. The saying has been attributed to basketball star…
“You can’t give a major league team four outs” (baseball adage)
"You can't give a major league team four outs (in an inning and expect to win)" is an old baseball adage. There are three outs in an inning. However, sometimes a player makes an…
“You can’t hit a three-run homer with nobody on base” (baseball adage)
"You can't hit a two/three/four-run homer with nobody on base" is a baseball adage. Often, a team is behind by a number of runs and has its power hitter at the plate; however, the…
“You can’t hit and think at the same time” (baseball saying)
A story was told in the June 12, 1947 New York (NY) Times about Yankees baseball player Yogi Berra (1925-2015) that manager Bucky Harris (who first managed the Yankees in 1947) told Berra to think…
“You can’t hit what you can’t catch”
"You can't hit what you can't catch" is a saying that has been used in boxing since at least 1938. The saying has also been used in hockey since at least 1968. "You…
“You can’t hit what you can’t see”
"You can't hit what you can't see" is what a frustrated baseball batter says after facing a blazing fastball pitch. "Can't hit them when you can't see them"…
“You can’t live a perfect day without doing something for someone who can’t repay you”
"You can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you" was an inspirational saying by basketball coach John Wooden (1910-2010), from…
“You can’t make the club in the tub” (sports adage)
"You can't make the club in the tub" means that you can't make the team if you're always injured (and in the tub because of injury). "You can't make the club in…
“You can’t play boxing” (“You don’t play boxing”)
"You can play baseball, you can play basketball, you can play football, but you can't/don't play boxing," boxers frequently say. The expression implies that boxing is a much…
“You can’t predict baseball” (baseball adage)
Baseball, as many have said, is an unpredictable game. "You can't predict what can happen in baseball" was cited in 1970. "Baseball is a game you can't predict" was…
“You can’t script October” (baseball adage)
Fox Sports covered the 2004 Major League Baseball playoffs and used a popular tagline, "You can't script October." "You can't script October" was filed for a trademark…
“You can’t steal first base” (baseball adage)
"You can't steal first base" is an old baseball saying, meaning that team speed is fine to have, but good hitting is also needed. The saying has been used since at least 1910, when a…