toed the rubber

Verb

toe the rubber (third-person singular simple present toes the rubber, present participle toeing the rubber, simple past and past participle toed the rubber)

1. To prepare to pitch by situating oneself on the rubber strip of the pitcher's mound.
   • No runner should take a step off the base until he has seen the pitcher toe the rubber.1952 June, Paul Richards, “Smart Baseball”, in Boy's Life, Boy Scouts of America, →ISSN, page 59
2. By extension, to pitch generally.
   • Out on the field, Elizabeth stepped to the mark. She stared down at the fresh target draped over the wagon wheel behind second base and windmilled her arm like Happy so often did when he used to toe the rubber for the Travelin’ Nine.2012 December 11, Loren Long, “Sluggers”, in Blastin’ the Blues, Simon & Schuster UK, →ISBN, page 282