slowball

noun

1. A pitch that is not a fastball or curveball; often a change-up.
2. Steady, cautionary behavior as a delaying tactic.

   ““We imagine that the Russians and the Chinese are going to play slowball here,” said a senior official involved in the sanctions talks.”

   “But he says the company is dragging its feet and threatened to use his subpoena power to get them moving. “They’re trying to play slowball,” he said of Google.”

   “Dave Kearney then says he's had enough of the slow-ball tactics and bursts through a couple of tackles.”

3. An easy or obvious target.

   “Remember: In work problems, use your common sense to narrow down answer choices! Now we're going to throw a "slowball" at you.”

   “The interviewer nodded sympathetically. “Why do you think he would react so harshly?” A slowball question he hoped she would knock out of the park from a pro-abortion perspective.”

   “The opening for a milk-beast related play on the name Lady Angus was a nice hanging slowball, but Keeler bit his tongue.”

verb

1. To pitch a slowball.
2. To delay something for personal advantage.

   “A prolonged study is frequently a method of slowballing an investigation until the Senators or Congress who are interested pass from the political scene.”

   “As one senior U.S. military observer stated: "They are stonewalling us and slowballing us."”

   “And if some guy is dipping into the funds or taking bribes or slowballing things, those people should be exposed.”