Lights-out.....mlb stuff....

Also composing Japan's pitching staff are Masahide Kobayashi, Soichi Fujita, Hiroyuki Kobayashi and Naoyuki Shimizu, all fellow Marines. Masahide Kobayashi earned 29 saves last season, but he was far from lights-out. He frequently allowed runners in closing games out, blowing saves on different occasions, but he managed the chaos well enough to be among Japan's best.

what in the world does the writer mean by far from lights-out?

Again, I am slightly puzzled but the American sports terminology used but from the rest of the article it appears to be saying (in other words):

"Kobayashi earned 29 saves last season, but his performance was far from perfect, he frequently... etc" - This is my understanding of the article...it's basically saying he did well, but he still made a number of errors.

Hope that helps! 👁 Big Grin :D

Of course it does, thanks a lot my friend.....

whatonearth on is correct,
to be lights out is to be perfect, to come in, get all outs and have the game be basically over.
the Astro's closer Brad Lidge was called "lights out" Lidge because he would come in and get outs, mostly by strike out.
So to be lights out is to be perfect, unhitable, to come in and end the game and turn off the lights and head home.

Just heard this twice in two minutes in the mouth of John Lloyd, an Australian tennis commentator. E.g: "His serve has improved lights out since last year..."

So in the eight years since this was first posted, the phrase seems to have crossed continents and sport boundaries.

Are you sure that wasn't just a malapropism for "light-years", Keith? It seems unlikely for such a phrase just suddenly to pop up out of nowhere after 8 years without having left a continuous trail of excited lexicologists in its wake.

From Wikipedia's Glossary of baseball terms:

lights-out
A pitcher who so dominates the hitters that the game is effectively over once he takes the mound — so they can turn out the lights and go home. The pitcher retires the batters in order without allowing a single run. "Putz pitched lights-out baseball once he took over the job for good from Guardado."

Edinburgher said:

Are you sure that wasn't just a malapropism for "light-years", Keith? It seems unlikely for such a phrase just suddenly to pop up out of nowhere after 8 years without having left a continuous trail of excited lexicologists in its wake.

Well, I'm sure he said it twice and so is my wife. We took it to mean "beyond measure". What meant by it is another matter...

Keith Bradford said:

We took it to mean "beyond measure".

That's what I would take it to mean too, hence my remark.

I'd say Myridon has the most accurate definition here. In my experience, a pitcher who throws "lights out" is not necessarily perfect, retiring every batter, but he is dominant to the degree that the other team has little chance of producing a run or even coming close to it. I figure it was applied at its inception to relief pitchers, especially "closers," who could be expected to take the game to its conclusion preserving a lead. But nowadays, a starring pitcher can also "throw lights out."

It's not altogether surprising to hear it being applied to a largely unreturnable tennis serve because its use has expanded to other sports as well. Basketball players who are successful with a very high percentage of long-range shots are said to be "shooting lights out." (American) football quarterbacks who complete a very high percentage of long-range passes are "throwing light out." Golfers can "shoot lights out."