Mendoza line

The Mendoza line is the minimal border for average batting competence in Major League Baseball. It brings the name of Mario Mendoza, the shortstop. He played nine seasons with the result batting average of .200 and less. This Mexican player confirmed his fielding capabilities but quickly got strikeouts because he was a poor hitter.

The expression quickly turned into denominative outside the baseball. American football analog is the Dalton line in honor of Andy Dalton. All other uses mean that something is near or below the critical mark in the business or social sphere.