hardball

[ hahrd-bawl ]

/ ˈhɑrdˌbɔl /

baseball, as distinguished from softball.

tough or ruthless: He wasn't ready for the hardball politics of Washington.

outspoken, challenging, or difficult: Reporters asked the president some hardball questions.

play hardball, to act or work aggressively, competitively, or ruthlessly, as in business or politics.

Origin of hardball

First recorded in 1825–35; hard + ball¹

Last week on Hardball, Kathleen Parker said he is definitely running.

The Numbers Don’t Lie: Jeb Bush Can’t Beat Hillary Clinton |Michael Tomasky |May 5, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Scott Simkus bemusingly explores it all in Outsider Baseball: The Weird World of Hardball on the Fringe, 1876—1950.

Home Runs, Frozen Ropes, And Some Wild Cards In Best Baseball Books |Robert Birnbaum |April 11, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
In any case, the healthy sampling below confirms the narrative-friendly qualities of hardball.

Home Runs, Frozen Ropes, And Some Wild Cards In Best Baseball Books |Robert Birnbaum |April 11, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Will the Democrats engage in an aggressive, hardball type strategy?

Dems Need to Channel ‘House of Cards’’ Frank Underwood |Dean Obeidallah |March 19, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

Transfixingly candid and gamely stepping up to the plate for a round of hardball, Lohan seemed to be answering yes.

Oprah’s Lindsay Lohan Interview Settles It: Lohan’s Comeback Is Real |Kevin Fallon |August 19, 2013 |DAILY BEAST

hardball

/ (ˈhɑːdbɔːl) /

US and Canadian baseball as distinct from softball

play hardball informal, mainly US and Canadian to act in a ruthless or uncompromising way