fastball; heavy fastball; powerful pitch
Baseball term for a pitch thrown with great speed and weight, often implying a fastball that is difficult to hit squarely.
彼は150キロの剛球を投げ込んだ。
He threw a 150 km/h fastball.
剛球に押されてバットが折れた。
The bat broke under the force of the heavy fastball.
Standard kanji spelling for a powerful pitch in baseball.
Variant spelling using 豪 (powerful); less common than 剛球 but seen in sports writing.
Compound of 剛 (strong, firm) and 球 (ball). The spelling 豪球 uses 豪 (powerful, magnificent) with a similar nuance.