“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…
“You can’t steal second base while your foot is on first base”
"You can't steal second base while your foot is on first base" is a popular business proverb that uses baseball language. "Progress always involves risk. You can't steal…
“You can’t stop him, you can only hope to contain him”
"You can't stop him, you can only hope to contain him" means that a sports superstar can be expected to perform well "you can't stop him"), so the secret to winning a…
“You can’t teach scoring” (sports adage)
"You can't teach scoring" is a saying that has been used both in the National Hockey League and the National Basketball Association. It's very difficult to turn a 20-goal scorer…
“You can’t tell the players without a score card”
"You can't tell the players without a score card/scorecard" is what baseball vendors yelled in the 1890s and 1900s to sell their score cards for a nickel. "You can't tell…
“You can’t walk your way off the island” (Dominican baseball adage)
Dominican baseball players have been known as free swingers who don't take walks. Dominican-born shortstop Rafael Ramirez explained in 1986: "You have to swing like a man. A walk…
“You can’t win a championship shooting jumpers” (basketball adage)
It's a basketball adage that jumpshooting teams (such as teams that rely on three-point shots) do not win championships. A successful basketball team must also have an inside game because…
“You can’t win them all”
"You can't win them/'em all" is a popular sports adage meaning that no one is perfect. The saying has been used in major league baseball, where even the greatest teams lose a…
“You can’t win. You can’t break even. You can’t quit the game” (Ginsberg’s Theorem)
The Laws of Thermodynamics were translated into everyday English in Astounding Science Fiction in November 1953: "You can't win." (The Law of Conservation of Energy.) "You…
“You cannot be serious!” (John McEnroe)
Tennis player John McEnroe spouted this bit of "Queens-ese" at Wimbledon in 1981. Wikipedia: John McEnroeJohn Patrick McEnroe, Jr. (born February 16, 1959) is a former World No. 1…
“You don’t choose boxing; boxing chooses you”
"You don't choose boxing; boxing chooses you" is a boxing saying of unknown authorship. Boxing, for someone from a poor neighborhood, is sometimes the only profession to choose.…
“You don’t critique a win” (hockey adage)
"You don't critique a win" is a popular hockey adage. The saying means that the players ultimately performed well enough to win the game -- critiquing the mistakes is an overly harsh…
“You don’t lose your job due to injury” (sports adage)
Entry in progress -- B.P. 4 April 1996, Daily Herald (Chicago, IL), "Jackson noncommital on starting power forward: Kukoc or Rodman?" by Kent McDill, Sports, sec. 2, pg. 1, col. 2:In the…