Get a Grip, Vivy Cohen!: List 1

by Sarah Kapit
Eleven-year-old Vivian Jane Cohen exchanges letters with major-league baseball pitcher Vincent James Capello with hopes that his shared initials and professional tips could help her play on a little league team in Lakeview, California.

This list covers February 10–March 16.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: List 1, List 2, List 3
35 words 95 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. autism
    a condition involving social and communication difficulties
    My family and I went to a California Tornados game for this social thingy with the Autism Foundation.
  2. defy
    resist or confront with resistance
    “The knuckleball is a very special pitch,” you said. “It completely defies the laws of physics because it doesn’t spin in the air like other pitches. Try it.”
  3. sprawl
    sit or lie with one's limbs spread out
    I found Nate sprawled out on his bed.
  4. glare
    look at with a fixed or angry gaze
    Nate glared at me so hard that I could feel my spine shrink in.
  5. insist
    assert to be true
    “I care about your life,” I insisted.
  6. stern
    serious and harsh in manner or behavior
    The man’s stern face didn’t change one bit.
  7. fixation
    an unhealthy preoccupation with something or someone
    “The whole knuckleball issue seems like a fixation, and the therapists are very clear on this. We shouldn’t be encouraging her fixations.”
  8. appropriate
    suitable for a particular person, place, or situation
    I couldn’t understand most of what they were saying, but I’m pretty sure Mom said the word “appropriate” at least three times. I don’t think I like that word very much. Also, I didn’t understand why she kept talking about baseball and whether or not it’s APPROPRIATE. Coach K thinks it’s appropriate for me to play!
  9. clench
    squeeze together tightly
    Before I realized it, my fist clenched into my knuckleball grip.
  10. tribute
    something given or done as an expression of esteem
    Here’s a much more important thing: I’m wearing number 49. Just like you! I read once that 49 is traditionally a knuckleballer’s number as a tribute to Hoyt Willhelm, who is the most awesome-est knuckleballer ever.
  11. scowl
    a facial expression of dislike or displeasure
    But when I finished I saw that awful Kyle staring at me with the biggest scowl on his face.
  12. lurk
    be about
    He laughed hysterically, and so did the two other boys who always lurk around him.
  13. scuff
    mar or wear away by rubbing or scraping
    I clutched my old scuffed-up baseball in my hand and kept trying to think of something I could say to make things better.
  14. traditional
    consisting of or derived from a practice of long standing
    Maybe Phil isn’t exactly a traditional Purim costume, but I’m way happier to go as him.
  15. replica
    copy that is not the original
    Dad ordered a jersey for me online that’s a replica of the jerseys they wore way back in the 1970s.
  16. fumble
    handle clumsily
    My cheeks warmed up and I fumbled with the sandwich. Crumbs got all over my chin and I couldn’t brush them away because my hands were full.
  17. smirk
    a smile expressing smugness or scorn instead of pleasure
    Kyle saw my sandwich problem, and his smirk just got wider and uglier.
  18. impression
    an imitative portrayal of a person
    He did an impression of Coach K that almost made me choke on my apple slices.
  19. mandatory
    required by rule
    So if Kyle messes up, I’m going to pitch.
    And even if I don’t, I still have to play left field for a while because of the mandatory play rule that says everyone needs to play at least one inning.
  20. inspired
    of surpassing excellence
    Your Phil Niekro costume sounds truly inspired—and very appropriate!
  21. bound
    confined or obligated by an oath
    As a knuckleball pitcher, I am duty- bound to help the next generation of knuckleballers in any way I can.
  22. obligated
    caused by law or conscience to follow a certain course
    And when a pitcher is so dedicated to our sport, I feel even more obligated to write back.
  23. ultimately
    as the end result of a succession or process
    I guess the name of the pitch is like so many other things in baseball: It's traditional, maybe a little bit silly, but ultimately very satisfying.
  24. buffoon
    a rude or vulgar fool
    People certainly can be awful—not to mention extremely stupid. There’s no excuse for such cruelty and I know too well how much it hurts. Even if the people hurling the insults are utter buffoons like Kyle and my own tormentors.
  25. moderate
    not extreme
    It’s not always easy being one of a handful of African American guys on a major-league team. Especially when you’re also a knuckleball pitcher with a moderately unusual personality.
  26. ignorant
    lacking knowledge of a specific field
    I’ve heard all sorts of ignorant nonsense over the years: I don’t have the starting pitcher mentality, what I do isn’t really pitching, the league is going to catch up with me soon enough, et cetera, et cetera.
  27. reluctant
    not eager
    I am sorry that your mom is reluctant to support your pitching, but I am confident you will convince her that you belong on the mound.
  28. dedicated
    devoted to a cause or ideal or purpose
    Any girl dedicated enough to work on the most untamable of pitches for three years clearly has an iron will and a truly impressive work ethic.
  29. backstop
    a structure to prevent a ball from traveling out of a field
    My first warm-up pitch landed two feet away from the backstop, and the backup-catcher-who-is-not-Alex gave me a big frown.
  30. measly
    contemptibly small in amount
    And Kyle allowed another run while I warmed up. That meant we only led by a single, measly run.
  31. churn
    be agitated
    I swear I could feel my breakfast churning around in my stomach.
  32. collected
    in full control of your faculties
    I tried to remember what you look like on TV when you pitch. You’re so cool and collected about everything, always.
  33. dugout
    a shelter beside a baseball field for players and coaches
    My first game ever and I blew the lead because I couldn’t manage to throw strikes. Heart hammering, I glanced over to the dugout.
  34. diverse
    many and different
    I had a terrific team, and a very diverse one too. We had Black kids, Latino kids, Asian American kids, white kids, and mixed-race kids like me too. (No girls, alas, though we undoubtedly could have benefited from talented girls like you.)
  35. inefficient
    not producing desired results; wasteful
    It is rather inefficient for us to keep writing paper letters, and you’re quite right that there’s another option available.
Created on Fri Sep 16 19:49:18 EDT 2022 (updated Thu Sep 21 12:49:36 EDT 2023)

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