In baseball, a pitchout is a ball that is intentionally thrown
high and outside of the strike zone with the purpose of
preventing a stolen base or thwarting a hit and run. The pitcher
delivers the ball in such a manner for it to be unhittable and
in a position where the catcher can quickly leap to his feet to
catch it. A well-thrown pitchout will allow the catcher to
receive the ball standing up as opposed to his usual squat,
giving him a better line to throw to a base without the pitcher
or the batter obstructing his vision or aim. Moreover, it is
easier to throw a ball with more force from a standing position
than it is from a squat, which is why most catchers leap to
their feet when attempting to throw out a base stealer.  The
pitchout is often called for when the battery believes that an
existing baserunner is likely to attempt a steal, and forms one
of the two (with the pickoff) main countermeasures a pitcher can
take against a potential stealer. A runner attempting to steal
on a pitchout will have an ex