Brushback pitch

From BR Bullpen

A brushback pitch is a pitch thrown close enough to the batter to intimidate him. A brushback pitch is different from a bean ball because the bean ball is actually intended to hit the batter, not just to scare him. Batters don't alway make this distinction, resulting in the occasional bench clearing brawl.

The brushback can be a valuable part of a pitcher's arsenal, as it can have two desirable effects on the batter:

• It may make the batter back away from the plate, making it harder for him to hit an outside pitch
• It may intimidate the batter, making him afraid of inside strikes

Refusing to be intimidated by the brushback is a critical trait for major league batters, as those who can be intimidated likely will be regular victims of brushback pitches.