History Main / CallingYourShots

[[quoteright:229:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/upper_deck_1989_taylor1_637.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:229:[[Film/MajorLeague Jake Taylor]] calls his shot.]]

** Willie Mays Hays tries this in the sequel, but it's subverted in that he's not the power hitter he thinks he is, and he flies out to the warning track in center. Twice. In the first game of the season.

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-->'''Travis:''' "I said ''corner'' pocket!!!"
-->'''Local pool hustler:''' "I heard you, stranger. Looks like you put a bit too much English on it.''

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* In billiards, straight pool (14.1 continuous) requires you to call every shot. Eight ball rules make concessions for play either way; it's up to the players or tournament/league director to decide, but the final 8-ball shot is generally always called. If the shot is made but the player either scratches (sinks the cue ball with the shot) or sinks the 8-ball into a pocket other than the one that was called, [[AllForNothing then that player automatically loses the game]].

* Creator/BabeRuth [[MemeticMutation famously did this]] just before hitting a home run in the fifth inning of Game 3 of the 1932 World Series, although opinions differ on whether or not Ruth was actually pointing to center field or merely gesturing towards the hecklers on the Chicago Cubs' bench. (Cubs pitcher Charlie Root insisted that if Ruth had actually pointed to the bleachers and announced he was going to hit a homer, Root would have hit him with the next pitch.) One [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwIlNSi3x7c video of the at bat]] showed Ruth angrily thrusting his index finger several times to his left, at the Cubs bench. Ruth, naturally, had no problem feeding the story he'd called the home run, though some accounts say he didn't point to centerfield, just yelled that he was hitting the pitch out.

* Creator/BabeRuth [[MemeticMutation famously did this]] just before hitting a home run in the fifth inning of Game 3 of the 1932 World Series, although opinions differ on whether or not Ruth was actually pointing to center field or merely gesturing towards the hecklers on the Chicago Cubs bench. (Cubs pitcher Charlie Root insisted that if Ruth had actually pointed to the bleachers and announced he was going to hit a homer, Root would have hit him with the next pitch.) One [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwIlNSi3x7c video of the at bat]] showed Ruth angrily thrusting his index finger several times to his left, at the Cubs bench. Ruth, naturally, had no problem feeding the story he'd called the home run, though some accounts say he didn't point to centerfield, just yelled that he was hitting the pitch out.
* In the middle of the 20th century, New York City banned all {{pinball}} machines on the notion that the game [[NewMediaAreEvil were a form of gambling.]] The ban ended only when writer Creator/RogerSharpe testified before a committee that pinball was ''not'' a game of chance, but required skill and finesse. The convincing demonstration came when he announced that he would launch his next ball through the center lane (out of five) at the top of the playfield, then [[ImprobableAimingSkills proceeded to do exactly that.]]

* In ''Film/TheHustler'', Creator/PaulNewman and Jackie Gleason are playing 14.1 straight pool and call their shots.

* Invoked, lampshaded and then subverted in ''Film/MajorLeague''. Early in the film when he first gets to the Indians' stadium, Jake Taylor (Creator/TomBerenger) steps up to the plate and calls an imaginary home run. Near the end of the movie he pulls out this ChekhovsGun during the BigGame (see inset photo, above), emulating Babe Ruth (see RealLife, below). The opposing pitcher, annoyed by being shown up, nearly takes Taylor's head off with his first pitch. Undeterred, Taylor calls his shot again. Then he bunts.

* Babe Ruth [[MemeticMutation famously did this]] just before hitting a home run in the fifth inning of Game 3 of the 1932 World Series, although opinions differ on whether or not Ruth was actually pointing to center field or merely gesturing towards the hecklers on the Chicago Cub bench. (Cub pitcher Charlie Root insisted that if Ruth had actually pointed to the bleachers and announced he was going to hit a homer, Root would have hit him with the next pitch.) One [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwIlNSi3x7c video of the at bat]] showed Ruth angrily thrusting his index finger several times to his left, at the Cubs bench. Ruth, naturally, had no problem feeding the story he'd called the home run, though some accounts say he didn't point to centerfield, just yelled that he was hitting the pitch out.
* In the middle of the 20th century, New York City banned all {{Pinball}} machines on the notion that the game [[NewMediaAreEvil were a form of gambling.]] The ban ended only when writer Creator/RogerSharpe testified before a committee that pinball was ''not'' a game of chance, but required skill and finesse. The convincing demonstration came when he announced that he would launch his next ball through the center lane (out of five) at the top of the playfield, then [[ImprobableAimingSkills proceeded to do exactly that.]]

* Invoked, lampshaded and then subverted in ''Film/MajorLeague''. Early in the film when he first gets to the Indians' stadium, Jake Taylor (Creator/TomBerenger) steps up to the plate and calls an imaginary home run. Near the end of the movie he pulls out this ChekhovsGun during the BigGame (see inset photo, above), emulating Babe Ruth (see RealLife, below). The opposing pitcher, annoyed by being shown up, nearly takes Taylor's head off with his first pitch. Undeterred, Taylor calls his shot again. [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments Then he bunts]].

* In the ''Series/TwilightZone'' episode "A Game of Pool", Fats and Jesse call their shots in a game of pool. The most impressive shot is when Jesse calls the side pocket after bouncing off three banks and making it.

* In ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'', the first step in casting a spell is to announce it which includes naming all its targets, costs and modes. Not announcing your spells properly is a rules violation since it is considered public information that you need to present to your opponent fully.
-->Cast Lightning Bolt on the Grizzly Bears

* The [[BloodSport Rugball]] arc of ''Manga/SpaceAdventureCobra'' ends this way: Cobra has one last at-bat with bases loaded, his team down by three runs, and time running out. After narrowly avoiding a ball to the head, he points his bat over the stadium lights, leading the announcer to declare Cobra is making the "Homerun pose" and promising to hit the 5 kg (11 lb) ball out of the park. [[spoiler: He makes good on the promise, though he'd swapped the regulation ball for a hollow replica containing data he'd been sent to acquire by the [[SpacePolice Galaxy Patrol]. His contact retrieves it in the parking lot.]]]