This is an alphabetical list of selected unofficial and specialized terms, phrases, and other jargon used in baseball, and explanations of their meanings. To help in conveying the meanings, illustrations of usages are also sometimes shown.
See also baseball slang for common slang that originated in baseball and baseball statistics for more formal definitions of some of the statistical concepts listed below.
0–9
0-1 (i.e., "oh and one"), also, 1-0, 0-2, 1-1, 2-0, 1-2, 2-1, 3-0, 2-2, 3-1, 3-2
- The possible instances of the "count", the number of balls and strikes, always in that order, currently totaled for the batter. Japanese baseball reverses this. So 1-2 is 1 strike and 2 balls instead of 1 ball and 2 strikes.
1
- 1 refers to the pitcher, used in recording (charting) games in a shorthand.
1-6-3 double play
- A 1-6-3 double play occurs when a runner is on first and the ball is hit to the pitcher (1 in scorekeeping). The pitcher then throws to the shortstop (6), who throws to the first baseman (3). A variant of this double play is the 1-4-3 double play.
1-2-3 inning
- An inning in which the pitcher retires the batters consecutively.
12-to-6
- A curve ball, the motion of which evokes the hands of clock. The ball starts high (at "12-o'clock") and drops sharply as it reaches the strike zone ("6-o'clock"). Also known as "12-to-6 Downers" or a "12-to-6 Drop". Barry Zito is perhaps baseball's best current practitioner of the 12-to-6 curve.
2
- 2 refers to the catcher.
3
- 3 refers to the first baseman.
3-2-3 double play
- A relatively rare combination resulting in a double play: With the bases loaded, the batter hits the ball to the first baseman, who relays it to home for the force out, who fires it back to the first baseman to retire the batter. Occurred very notably during Game 7 of the 1991 World Series, when catcher Brian Harper and first baseman Kent Hrbek of the Minnesota Twins turned a 3-2-3 against the Atlanta Braves; Lonnie Smith was prevented from scoring while Sid Bream was retired at first.
3-6-3 double play
- A rare double play that occurs with a runner on first. The ball is hit to the first baseman (3), who throws to the shortstop (6) at second base, who throws back to first base for the force out. This double play could also go 3-6-1 (pitcher covers first), 3-4-3 (second baseman covers second), or even 3U-6 (first baseman makes an unassisted putout at first, then throws to the shortstop at second who tags the runner).
4
- 4 refers to the second baseman.
- In some instances, 4 may refer not to the second baseman (the 4 position), but to home plate, in essence the fourth base. This is typically used to signal that a runner is heading home and that the ball needs to be thrown to home plate.
4-6-3 double play
- A relatively common double play. A 4-6-3 double play occurs the same as a 6-4-3 double play, except that the ball is hit to the second baseman (4 in scorekeeping), who throws to the shortstop (6 in scorekeeping) who then relays it to the first baseman (3 in scorekeeping).
5
- 5 refers to the third baseman
5-4-3 double play
- A 5-4-3 double play is a common double play that occurs with a runner on first. The third baseman (5 in scorekeeping) throws to the second baseman (4 in scorekeeping) who then throws to the first baseman (3 in scorekeeping). An extremely rare variant is the 5-6-3 double play, where the shortstop covers second. Though normally the second baseman covers second on all plays hit to the left side of the infield, the shortstop might have to cover in the case of a shift like the one employed against David Ortiz.
- A 5-tool player is a complete performer, an athlete who excels at hitting for average, hitting for power, baserunning skills and speed, throwing ability, and fielding abilities. Epitomized by Willie Mays. Baseball scouts also evaluate the future prospects of aspiring major league position players by referring to these tools.
6
- 6 refers to the shortstop.
6-4-3 double play
- A common combination resulting in a double play: A runner is on first base and a ground ball is batted to the shortstop (numbered 6 in scorekeeping). He throws to the second baseman (4) who steps on second base to force out the runner from first, then throws to the first baseman (3) standing on first base to force out the batter. A famous infield trio for the Chicago Cubs is remembered by this sequence: "Tinker to Evers to Chance." A similar combination is the 4-6-3 double play.
7
- 7 refers to the leftfielder.
8
- 8 refers to the centerfielder.
9
- 9 refers to the rightfielder.
55 foot
- A pitch that bounces before it reaches the plate is sometimes referred to as a "55 foot fastball" or a "55 foot curveball," though nobody measures exactly how far the pitch falls short of the 60' 6" distance from the pitching rubber to home plate.
A
AA or A.A.
- Abbreviation for American Association, the name of a major league of the 1880s, a minor league for much of the 20th century, and more recently and independent minor league. Also the abbreviation of the modern organization Alcoholics Anonymous, a possibly amusing coincidence in that critics of the Association in the 19th century (notably the rival National League) referred to the AA as "The Beer and Whiskey League".
- "Double-A" (AA) is also a minor league baseball level, and includes the Eastern League, the Southern League, and the Texas League.
AAA
- "Triple-A" is the highest level of minor league baseball, including the Pacific Coast League, the International League, and the Mexican League.
AAAA player
- A "Four-A player" is someone who is (repeatedly) very successful in the high minor leagues (the AAA level) but can't seem to to make it in the bigs. He's "too good" to remain in the minors but not good enough for the majors. He may bounce up and down between the minors and majors and never become an established major league player. This may be more due to mismanagement or bad luck than to his inability to play major league ball.
A-Ball or "Single-A"
- "Single-A" is the lowest grouping of modern affiliated minor league baseball with sub-categories of "High-A," "Low-A," and "Short-Season A." The California League, Florida State League, and the Carolina League are some of the Single-A leagues.
air mail
- A very high overthrow in an attempt to make a play on a runner. "Rocco air mailed the ball over the 3rd baseman's head into the home-team dugout."
AL or A.L.
- Abbreviation for American League, the newer of the two existing major leagues.
ace
- The best starting pitcher on the team.
ahead in the count
- See count.
alley
- The space between outfielders. A power hitter may hit the ball up the alley (the "power alley") or in the gap, typically with the ball reaching the fence on a bounce. (If it hit the wall on the fly, it would be described as "off the wall," not "up the alley" or "in the gap".)
- There are several situations where a batter or runner could be called out (or, in one case, a strike could be called on the batter), but only if the defensive team appeals to the umpire. These plays require the defense to be vigilant, rather than it being the umpire's responsibility to make a call proactively. Some notable appeal play situations:
- The runners are required to touch the bases in order: first, second, third and home while advancing, and are required to touch them in reverse order when retreating.
- If a runner fails to touch a base while advancing to another base, and if the defense notices it, they will make an appeal. This is typically done after the play is over and the ball has been returned to the pitcher. The pitcher will step off the rubber and throw to a fielder covering the missed base. If, in the umpire's judgment, the runner indeed missed the base, the runner is called out. If it occurred on an apparent game-ending hit, then a defensive player will take the ball to the base directly, and appeal to the umpire, as in the infamous Fred Merkle play of 1908.
- Similarly, if a runner is on the move when a fly ball is hit, and if it is caught, then he must retreat and tag up at his original base. If he had already rounded the next base, he must retouch that base on the way back to the original base. When a player fails to touch all previous bases in order, he can be called out after the defensive team appeals to the umpire.
- The runners are required to tag their bases on a caught fly ball before they can advance.
- A runner may advance on a caught fly after he has tagged his original base. If he leaves the base too soon (i.e. before the ball is touched by the fielder), then he can be called out on appeal.
- If a runner was off base when a fly ball was caught, he will typically run back to his original base. If the fielder catches the thrown ball and tags the base before the runner gets back, the runner is called out. This is technically also an appeal play, except that it is called in the course of the action rather than after-the-fact as with most appeals.
- Batters are required to bat in the order of the lineup.
- If a player bats out of order, i.e., not in the order listed on the official line-up card, he can be called out after the defensive team appeals to the umpire. If the defensive team fails to notice the mistake and fails to appeal, then the chance to appeal is lost once the next pitch is made to the next batter. This can theoretically result in some oddities, if a batter who is supposed to bat is already on a base. If the batter has not completed his turn at bat, the mistake can be corrected by the offense by substituting the correct batter. So the defense, if it notices, will typically say nothing until a play occurs, so they can use the mistake to their advantage. Batting out of order occasionally happens at the major league level, but not often, due to the generally high level of vigilance.
- Batters who swing about half-way and try to check the swing are subject to appeal judgment.
- If a check-swing is initially called a "ball" by the plate umpire, a defensive player (typically the catcher) may "appeal" to another umpire if he thinks the batter swung far enough to be called a strike. The thinking is that it can be difficult for the plate umpire to judge a check-swing properly, so in accordance with standard procedures an umpire with a better view of any play can be called upon for assistance. This is usually the umpire "facing" the batter, i.e. the first base umpire for a right-hand hitter, and the third base umpire for a left-hand hitter. If the field umpire judges that the batter checked his swing, he will signal "safe" (arms to the sides) and it's a ball, confirming the plate umpire's original call. If the field umpire judges that the batter failed to check his swing, he will signal "out" (raise, closed fist) and it's a strike (not an out, unless it's the third strike). There is no reverse appeal. The thinking is that if the plate umpire could sufficiently tell the batter went around, there is nothing to appeal.
around the horn
- A 5-4-3 double play, in which the ball goes from the third baseman, to the second baseman, who tags second, to the first baseman, who tags first. Like many baseball terms, this originates from sailing. Until the Panama Canal was built, the quickest way from the North Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean was to sail around Cape Horn, the southernmost tip of South America. By extension, "going around the horn" refers to covering all or several angles of something in baseball.
- More commonly, this phrase refers to the tradition of tossing the ball around the infield after an out is recorded when no runners are left on base. For example, after an out recorded at first base, if there are no runners on, the first baseman will toss to the second baseman, and the ball will subsequently be thrown to the shortstop and then the third baseman, and finally back to the pitcher. The order in which the ball is thrown "around the horn" can vary from team to team and from situation to situation, but many teams see this as "the" way to do it and it may even be considered bad luck to deviate from this standard pattern. Also, some teams use this only when a strikeout is recorded. This version starts with the pitch being thrown and the last strike recorded, then the ball is quickly thrown from the catcher to (typically) the third baseman who then starts the relay around the infield and back to the pitcher. According to the Dickson dictionary, the original purpose of this exercise was, at least in part, to give the infielders a chance to scuff and dirty the ball, to give the pitcher an edge. That activity has been illegal since 1920, but the tradition continued. It has come to be used more to "show off" than anything; but since everyone does it, it is not considered to be "showing up" the opponent.
aspirin tablet
- Term used by batters to describe a fastball that's so effective it looks tiny and nearly impossible to hit. "He's throwing aspirin tablets out there!"
- Colloquially, a batter is "at bat" or up to bat any time he's at the plate and in active play, attempting to hit the ball.
- In baseball statistics, an at bat (AB) is counted only when the batter reaches first base on a hit or an error, is called out for any reason other than as part of a sacrifice bunt or sacrifice fly, or there is a fielder's choice. If the batter receives a walk, is hit by a pitch, or reaches first base because of catcher's interference, he is not charged with an "official AB." See plate appearance for further details.
attack the strike zone
- A phrase of fairly recent vintage, referring to a pitcher aggressively going after hitters by throwing strikes and not by trying to trick them into swinging at pitches out of the strike zone. Recent examples of such a usage: "Giambi's early power allowed Johnson to aggressively attack the strike zone." "My mentality going into the game, I just tried to attack the strike zone a lot more, the last game I had five walks and that's not how I pitch" (Joe Blanton, Oakland A's). "I could attack the strike zone, go right after the hitters and see how far they could hit" (Mark Redman, Pittsburgh Pirates).
- "Attack the strike zone" appears to be a 21st century version of the older phrase challenge the hitter: throw strikes and dare the batter to hit them.
away
- Out. That there is one out in an inning is often expressed as "One away." Two outs: "Two away." Three outs? "Side retired".
- An "away game" is one that is played "on the road," away from the home field of a team.
- The "away team" is the visiting team, as opposed to the "home team."
B
backdoor breaking ball
- A breaking ball thrown to the outside of the strike zone of a left-handed batter by a right-handed pitcher, or to a right-handed batter by a left-handed pitcher. Since most breaking balls curve toward the batter in this configuration, a backdoor breaking ball appears to be a ball, on the outside, then curves sharply into the strike zone after the batter has given up on it, coming through the "back door" of the strike zone. A backdoor slider is the common version, because the slider has more lateral motion than other breaking pitches.
backstop
- The fence or screen behind the catcher's back that is designed to keep the ball from leaving the field of play.
- The catcher is also sometimes referred to as "the backstop" who is supposed to keep pitches from getting to the fence.
bad-ball hitter
- A batter who aggressively goes after hittable pitches that are out of the strike zone. Yogi Berra and Vladimir Guerrero are noted bad-ball hitters. In response to critics who said Yogi should wait for a good pitch to hit, he would say, "If I can hit it, it's a good pitch."
bad hop
- A ball that bounces in front of an infielder in an unexpected way, usually because it hit a pebble or a bump on the ground.
bag
- A base: 1st, 2nd or 3rd base.
- To bag it is to stop playing hard after your team gets behind.
- A general manager may bag a player by trading for him or signing him to a contract. Akin to a hunter "bagging a deer."
bail
- A batter who sees a pitch coming toward his head may "bail out" (hit the dirt).
- When two fielders are converging on a fly ball, one of them may "bail out" to avoid running into the other.
- A relief pitcher may come into the game with men on base and bail the previous pitcher out of a jam.
- While the first two examples are analogues to bailing out of a plane via parachute, the last one is akin to bailing out a boat that's on the verge of being swampedor perhaps bailing somebody who is in trouble out of jail.
- A ruling made by an umpire against a pitching motion that violates rules intended to prevent the pitcher from unfairly deceiving a baserunner. When a balk is called, each runner can freely advance one base. There are specific guidelines in the rules about what pitching movements are illegal. The spirit of a balk is that certain movements effectively "declare" the pitcher's intent to pitch to the batter, freeing the baserunner from any fear that he will be picked off. Some balks result from errant or unsuccessful motions, such as the case of the ball accidentally slipping out of the pitcher's hand; this usage is likely linked to its use outside of baseball, to mean any process that has been prematurely blocked.
ball in play
- In sabermetrics, "ball in play" and "batting average on balls in play" (BABIP) have specific technical definitions that are used to determine pitchers' ability independently of the fielding defense of a team. In this definition, a home run is not a ball in play. See Defense Independent Pitching Statistics. Also see in play.
Baltimore chop
- A short downward swing intended to make the ball rebound off home plate or the packed dirt immediately in front of the plate. The goal is to produce a bounce high enough so that, even if it can be fielded by an infielder the batter will have time to reach first for a base hit. This was a tactic of the Baltimore Orioles of the National League in the 1890s, who frequently attempted this kind of hit purposely. John McGraw is supposed to have had the earth in front of home plate intentionally compacted for this purpose. When it happens in the modern game, and so named, it is more often simply a result of poor contact that just happens to aid the batter-runner.
bandbox
- A ballpark with small dimensions that encourages offense, especially home runs. A crackerbox.
bang
- A baseball player's term for cancelling a game because of bad weather: "I thought we were gonna get banged but we got in 5 innings."
- To hit the ball hard, especially to hit a homer. "Varitek banged the game-tying home run."
- Players who are banged up are injured, though may continue to play. Example: "Banged up Braves ready for playoff rematch with Astros."
- A bang-up game is an exciting or close game. Example from a sports headline: "A Real Bang-Up Finish."
- A bang bang play is one in which the runner is barely thrown out, a very close call, typically at first base. Perhaps reflecting the "bang" of the ball in the first-baseman's glove followed immediately by the "bang" of the baserunner's foot hitting the bag.
banjo hitter
- A batter who lacks power. A banjo hitter usually hits bloop singles, often just past the infield dirt, and would have a low slugging percentage. The name is said to come from the twanging sound of the bat at contact, like that of a banjo.
- See hit.
base knock
bases loaded
- Runners on first, second, and third base. Also known as "bases full."
basement
- Last place, bottom of the standings. Also cellar.
- A baserunner (shortened as "runner") is a player on the offensive team (i.e. the team at bat) who has safely reached base.
basket catch
- Catching a fly to the outfield with open glove near the belt level. The signature catch of Willie Mays.
- A baseball bat is a smooth contoured round wooden or metal rod used to hit the ball after the ball is thrown by the pitcher. Although a bat is made from one piece of wood, its diameter is larger at one end (the "barrel-end") than at the other ("the handle"). The bottom end of the handle is the "knob." A batter generally tries to strike the ball in the "sweet spot" hear the middle of the barrel-end of the bat, sometimes referred to as the "fat" part of the bat or the "meat end" of the bat.
- The player who uses it to strike the ball — a batter, hitter, or batsman — can be said to bat the ball.
bat around
- A team is said to have "batted around" after each of the nine players in the lineup makes a plate appearance and the hitter who led off the inning returns for a second at-bat in that inning.
bat the ball
- To hit the ball with the bat -- whether into fair territory or foul.
batter
- The player who is at bat and tries to hit the ball with the bat. Also referred to as the "hitter" or "batsman."
- A solid-colored, usually dark area beyond the center field wall that is the visual backdrop for the batter looking out at the pitcher. It allows the batter to see the pitched ball against a dark and uncluttered background, as much for the batter's safety as anything. The use of a batter's background has been standard in baseball (as well as cricket) since at least the late 1800s.
- One example of a batter's background is the black area in center field of Yankee Stadium. At one time, there were seats where the black area is now, but because of distractions the seats were removed and the area painted black.
batter's box
- A rectangle on either side of home plate in which the batter must be standing for fair play to resume. Only a foot and a hand out of the box are required to stop fair play.
battery
- The pitcher and catcher considered as a single unit. Henry Chadwick coined the term, drawing from the military sense of the term artillery battery. It also suggests a play on words, as its activities center on the batter.
- A battery chucker is a fan who throws small batteries or other objects at the players from the stands.
batterymates
- Batting average (BA) is the average number of hits per at-bat (BA=H/AB), a long-standing measure of a hitter's ability. A "perfect" batting average would be 1.000 (read "one thousand").
batting practice
- The period, often before a game, when players warm up or practice their hitting technique. Sometimes the term is used to describe a period within a game when one team's hitters have so totally dominated a given pitcher that the game resembles a batting practice session. Referred to colloquially as well as abbreviated as BP.
bazooka
- A pitch intentionally thrown to hit the batter if he does not move out of the way, especially when directed at the head (or the "bean" in old-fashioned slang).
beat out
- When a runner gets to first base before the throw, he beats the throw or beats it out. Akin to leg out. "Using his great speed, Baldelli beat it out."
behind in the count
- See count.
belt
- To hit a ball hard to the outfield or out of the park, fair or foul. "Pujols belted that one . . . just foul."
- A player, coach or manager with the talent of annoying and distracting opposition players and umpires from his team's dugout with verbal repartee. Especially useful against those with rabbit ears.
bender
- A curveball.
big fly
- A long home run.
big leagues
bigs
- The big leagues, major leagues, "the Show." If you're in the bigs you're a big leaguer, a major leaguer.
bleacher seats
- Bleacher seats (in short, "bleachers") are uncovered seats that are typically tiered benches or other inexpensive seats located in the outfield or in any area past the "main" grandstand. The term comes from the assumption that the benches are sun-bleached. "Bleachers" is short for the term originally used, "bleaching boards". Fans in the bleacher seats are sometimes called bleacher bums.
block the plate
- A catcher who puts a foot, leg, or whole body between home plate and a runner attempting to score, is said to "block the plate." Blocking the plate is a dangerous tactic, and may be considered obstruction (Official Rules of Baseball, Rule 2.00 (Obstruction)).
blooper
- A blooper or bloop is a weakly hit fly ball that drops in for a single between an infielder and an outfielder.
blow
- To blow a game is to lose it after having the lead. "We had the game in hand and we blew it."
- To blow a save is to lose a lead or the game after coming into the game in a "save situation." This has a technical meaning in baseball statistics.
- A hit, typically a home run: "Ortiz's Blow Seals Win."
- A blow-out is a game in which one team wins by many runs. Headline: "Wang Shines as Yankees Blow Out Jays."
blown save
- A blown save (abbreviated BS) is charged to a pitcher who enters a game in a save situation but who instead allows the tying run (and perhaps the go-ahead run) to score. If the pitcher's team does not come back to win the game, the pitcher will be charged with both the loss and a blown save. The blown save is not an officially recognized statistic by Major League Baseball. But it is often referred to by baseball analysts and sportscasters as a way to characterize the "record" of closers that is analogous to the way the won-loss records of starters are characterized. "Jones has made 31 out of 34 saves" or "Jones has 31 saves and 3 blown saves."
blowser
- Rhymes with "closer". A closer who seems to get more blown saves than saves.
Blue
- A term commonly used by players to address an umpire, referring to the typical dark blue color of the umpire's uniform. Usually when complaining about a call: "Oh, come on, Blue!"
bomb
- A home run.
bonehead play
- A bonehead play or "boner" is a mental mistake that changes the course of a game dramatically. See "Merkle boner".
- A young player who received a signing bonus.
bonus baseball
- Extra innings. Also called "bonus cantos" by Yankees announcer Michael Kay.
bottom (of an inning)
- The second half or "last half" of an inning, during which the home team bats, derived from its position in the line score.
box
- The vicinity of the pitcher's mound. Baseball announcers will sometimes refer to a batted ball going back through the pitcher's mound area as having gone through the box, or a pitcher being removed from the game will be said to have been knocked out of the box. In the early days of the game, there was no mound; the pitcher was required to release the ball while inside a box drawn on the ground. Even though the mound has replaced the box, this terminology still exists.
- The statistical summary of a game. The line score is an abbreviated version of the box score, duplicated from the field scoreboard. Invention of the box score is credited to Henry Chadwick.
BP
- batting practice.
- Devotees of baseball research also sometimes refer to Baseball Prospectus as BP.
BR
- Bats right; used in describing a player's statistics, for example: John Doe (TR, BR, 6', 172 lbs.)
bread and butter
- A player's greatest skill.
breaking ball
- Any pitch that markedly deviates from a "straight" or expected path due to a spin used by the pitcher to achieve the desired effect. Some examples are the curveball, the slider and the screwball.
break one off
- To throw a curveball.
bring
- A pitch intentionally thrown close to a batter to intimidate or misdirect, i.e. to "brush him back" from the plate. Also a purpose pitch or chin music. A batter targeted by such a pitch is sometimes said to have had a "close shave". 1950s pitcher Sal Maglie was called "the Barber" due to his frequent use of such pitches. A sportswriting wag once stated that its "purpose" was "to separate the head from the shoulders".
buck and change
- A player batting between .100 and .199 is said to be batting "a buck and change" or, more specifically, the equivalent average in dollars (bucks) and cents (change). Example: A batter batting .190 is said to be batting "a buck ninety". See also Mendoza line.
- The area used by pitchers and catchers to warm up before taking the mound when play has already begun. This area is usually off to the side along either the left or right base line, or behind an outfield fence. It is almost never in fair territory, presumably due to the risk of interference with live action. A rare exception was at New York's Polo Grounds where the bullpens were in the deep left and right center field quarter-circles of the outfield wall.
- A team's relief pitching corps (so named because the relievers are in the bullpen during games).
- To deliberately bat the ball weakly to a particular spot on the infield by holding the bat nearly still and letting the ball hit it. Typically, a bunt is used to advance other runners and is then referred to as a sacrifice. When done correctly, fielders have no play except, at best, to retire the batter-runner.
- Speedy runners also bunt for base hits when infielders are playing back. In such a situation, left-handed hitters may use a "drag bunt," in which they start leaning towards first base while completing the bunt swing. Even the great slugger Mickey Mantle would drag bunt once in a while, taking advantage of his 3.1 second speed to first base.
- A slang term used to describe play that is of minor league or unprofessional quality. The "bushes" or the "sticks" are small towns where minor league teams may operate, the latter term also used in the acting profession, famously in the Variety headline of July 17, 1935, "Sticks nix hick pix", meaning small towns reject motion pictures about small towns.
C
- The group of teams that conduct their pre-season spring training exhibition games in Arizona where the cactus grows in abundance. See also Grapefruit League.
called up
- A Major League team may call up or promote a player from the minor leagues during the season to take a spot on its roster, often to replace a player who has been sent down to the minor leagues or else placed on the disabled list. Players who have been in the major leagues previously (and were sent down) may be said to be recalled rather than called up. After August 31st, several minor leaguers may be called up to take a spot on the expanded roster.
campaign
- a season
can of corn
- An easily-caught fly ball. Supposedly comes from a general store clerk reaching up and dropping a can from a high shelf. It may also be used in reference to acknowledging something or used when one is in mild excitement. Frequently used by Chicago White Sox broadcaster Ken "The Hawk" Harrelson.
catbird seat
- A desirable or auspicious situation. Popularized by Red Barber, longtime broadcaster for the Brooklyn Dodgers. James Thurber wrote in his short story of the same title: "[S]itting in the catbird seat" means sitting pretty, like a batter with three balls and no strikes on him. The catbird is said to seek out the highest point in a tree to sing his song, so someone in the catbird seat is high up.
catcher's interference
- It is catcher's interference when the catcher physically hinders the batter's opportunity to legally swing at a pitched ball. In this case, play continues, and after continuous playing action ceases, the umpire will call time. The penalty here is that the batter is awarded first base, any runner attempting to steal is awarded that base, and all other runners advance only if forced. Additionally, the catcher is charged with an error. This is just one of many types of interference calls in baseball.
caught napping
- A baserunner who is tagged out because he wasn't paying attention to what the defensive players were doing is "caught napping." Often this involves a pickoff play in which the infielder sneaks up behind the runner and takes a throw from the pitcher, or, less often, the catcher.
cellar
- Last place, bottom of the standings. A team that spends too much time in last place, especially over a stretch of years, tends to acquire the unflattering title of "cellar dweller". SYNONYM: basement.
- A chaneup or "change" is a pitch meant to look like a fastball, but with less velocity; short for change of pace. A variety of this pitch is the circle change, where a circle is formed using the thumb and pinky on the last third of a ball. This causes the ball to break inside and down to right-handed batter from a right-handed pitcher and vice versa, frequently resulting in ground balls. Also, a straight change, made famous by Pedro Martínez of the New York Mets, can be utilized. The grip requires all fingers to be used in holding the ball, resulting in more friction, thus slowing the ball down tremendously.
- Charging the mound refers to a batter assaulting the pitcher after being hit by a pitch. The first incidence of a professional charging the mound has not been identified but the practice certainly dates back to the game's early days. Charging the mound is often the precipitating cause of a bench-clearing brawl.
- In the famous Pine Tar Game, George Brett charged home plate to protest the umpire's ruling that his apparent 2-run home run was hit with an illegal bat. Brett was tossed from the game.
chase
- To chase (or chase after) is to swing at a pitch well outside of the strike zone.
check the runner
- When the pitcher looks in the direction of a runner on base, and thereby causes him to not take as large of a lead as he would otherwise have taken.
check swing
- A batter checks a swing by stopping it before the bat crosses the front of home plate. If he fails to stop it in time, the umpire will call a "strike" because he swung at the pitch. Often the umpire's view of the swing is obstructed. If the umpire calls the pitch a "ball," then a defensive player such as the catcher or pitcher can appeal the call and the home plate umpire will ask another umpire to tell him whether the batter swung at the pitch. In such a case, the home plate umpire always accepts the judgment of the other umpire.
cheese
- A fastball. Also high cheese.
chin music
- A high and tight, up and in pitch meant to knock a batter back from home plate in lieu of being hit on the chin. Also known as a brush-back or purpose pitch.
choke up
- Whereas an ordinary person might sometimes "choke up" with emotion and have a hard time speaking, in baseball a batter "chokes up" by sliding his hands up from the knob end of the bat to give him more control over his bat. It reduces the power and increases the control. Prior to driving in the Series-winning hit with a bloop single in the 2001 World Series, Luis Gonzalez choked up on the bat. Thus he came through, and did not "choke" in the clutch.
chuck
- Throw. A pitcher is sometimes referred to as a chucker or someone who can really chuck the ball. A fan who throws objects from the stands onto the field may be a "battery chucker."
circus catch
- An outstanding catch, usually one a fielder has to leave his feet or go through contortions to make, resembling a circus acrobat in the process.
- The fourth batter in the lineup, usually a power hitter. The strategy is to get some runners on base for the cleanup hitter to drive home. In theory, if the first three batters of the game were to load the bases, the #4 hitter would ideally "clean off" the bases with a grand slam home run.
climbing the ladder
- A tactic where a pitcher delivers a succession of pitches out of the strike zone, each higher than the last, in an attempt to get the batter to swing at a pitch "in his eyes."
- A relief pitcher who is consistently used to "close" or finish a game by getting the final outs. Closers are often among the most overpowering pitchers, and sometimes even the most erratic. Alternatively, they might specialize in a pitch that is difficult to hit, such as the splitter or the knuckleball.
- Good performance under pressure when good performance really matters. May refer to such a situation (being "in the clutch"), or to a player (a good "clutch hitter" or one who "can hit in the clutch"), or to specific hits ("that was a clutch hit"). The existence of "clutch" hitting is a controversial and divisive topic among sports fans. All baseball fans agree that clutch hits exist, but there is significant disagreement over whether clutch hitting or "being clutch" is a skill a player can possess, i.e. whether his batting performance "in the clutch" is statistically or mathematically different from his overall batting performance, especially over the course of a career as opposed to a small portion of it. An old synonym is "pinch", as in Christy Mathewson's book, Pitching in a Pinch. The term is seldom used standalone now, but usually as an adjective, such as with pinch hitter.
collar
- Symbol of going hitless in a game, suggested by its resemblance to a zero, along with the implication of "choking"; to wear the collar.
comebacker
- A ball batted directly back to the pitcher.
command
- The ability of a pitcher to throw a pitch where he intends to. More than just the ability to throw strikes, it is the ability to hit particular spots in or out of the strike zone. Also see location.
- A complete game (denoted by CG) is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game himself, without the benefit of a relief pitcher. A complete game can be either a win or a loss.
- A hitter who does not strike out often. Thus, he's usually able to make contact with the ball and put it in play. This doesn't mean he's necessarily a pitty-patty slap hitter. He may hit for power, with lots of doubles and triples. One of the best examples: Pete Rose.
- A bat in which cork, sawdust, rubber or some other light material has been inserted into the barrel to make it lighter so that a player can increase his bat speed. A player who is caught altering his bat is subject to suspension or other penalties. The last such case in Major League Baseball involved the slugger Sammy Sosa.
corner outfielder
- The left fielder and right fielder are corner outfielders.
cornerman
- A third baseman.
cornucopia
- Texas Rangers TV announcer Bill Land once called an easily-caught fly ball in a game incorrectly by stating, "It's a cornucopia!" In the background, you could hear color commentator, Tom Grieve mumbling "can..of..corn.." It is not uncommon to hear fans in the lower rows of Section 15 at Ameriquest Field in Arlington yelling "CORNUCOPIA!"
- The number of balls and strikes a batsman has in his current at bat. Usually announced as a pair of numbers, for instance "3-0", with the first number being the number of balls and the second being the number of strikes. A 3-2 count – one with the maximum number of balls and strikes in a given at bat – is referred to as a full count. A count of 1-1 or 2-2 is called even. A batter is said to be ahead in the count (and a pitcher behind in the count) if the count is 1-0, 2-0, 2-1, 3-0, or 3-1. A batter is said to be behind in the count (and a pitcher ahead in the count) if the count is 0-1, 0-2, or 1-2.
- Part of the infielders' job is to cover bases. That is, they stand next to a base in anticipation of receiving the ball thrown from another fielder, so that they may make a play on an opposing baserunner who is approaching that base. On a force play or an appeal play, the fielder covering the base stands with one foot on that base when he catches the ball.
- When a fielder goes to make a play at a base that is not his position (usually because the fielder for that base is unavailable to catch the ball at that base because he is busy fielding the batted ball). A common example is when the first baseman fields a batted ground ball, but is too far from the base to put the runner out. The pitcher runs over to "cover" first base to take the throw from the first baseman.
crackerbox
- A small baseball field considered to be friendly to power hitters and unfriendly to pitchers. A bandbox.
Crackerjack
- A crackerjack player or team is exceptionally good.
crooked number
- A number other than a zero or a one, referring to the appearance of the actual number. A team which is able to score two or more runs in an inning is said to "hang a crooked number" on the scoreboard or on the pitcher.
crossed up
- When a catcher calls for the pitcher to throw one type of pitch (e.g., a fastball) but the pitcher throws another (e.g., a curveball), the catcher has been crossed up. This may lead to a passed ball, allowing a runner on base to advance.
crowding the plate
- When a batter sets his stance extremely close to the plate, sometimes covering up part of the strike zone. This angers pitchers and, if done repeatedly, can lead to a brush-back pitch or even a beanball being thrown at the batter to clear the plate.
- A short time spent by a minor league player at the major league level, often for a 10-day contract. The idea is that the player was only there long enough to have a cup of coffee.
- A player who has excited the fans because of a great play or hit may come back onto the field or out of the dugout to wave or tip his cap to the crowd. A term obviously derived from the theater.
- A pitch that curves or breaks from a straight or expected flight path toward home plate.
cut fastball
- A cut fastball or cutter is a fastball that has lateral movement. A "cut fastball" is another name for a slider that has more speed than lateral movement.
cut-off
- A defensive tactic where a fielder that moves into a position between the outfielder that has fielded the batted ball and the base where a play can be made. This fielder is said to "cut off" the throw or to be the "cut-off man". This tactic is taught for two reasons: it increases accuracy over long distances and shortens the time required to get a ball to a specific place. Accurate throws are more difficult over long distances and the ball loses a considerable amount of speed the farther it must be thrown.
cut-off man
- A fielder that "cuts off" a long throw to an important target. Often the shortstop or second baseman will be the "cut-off man" for a long throw from the outfield to third base or home plate. "Hit the cut-off man" is a common admonition from a coach.
D
daisy cutter
- Old-fashioned term for a hard-hit ground ball, close enough to the grass to theoretically be able to lop the tops off any daisies that might be growing on the field.
- The ball becomes "dead" (i.e., the game's action is stopped) in cases of fan or player interference, umpire interference with a catcher, and several other specific situations. When the ball is dead, no runners may advance beyond bases they are entitled to, and no runners may be put out. The ball becomes "live" again when the umpire signals that play is to resume.
- The period between 1903 and 1918, just prior to the Live Ball Era, when the composition of the baseball along with other rules tended to limit the offense, and the primary batting strategy was the inside game. In this case the ball literally was "dead", relatively speaking. Hitting a home run over the fence was a notable achievement.
deal
- Delivery of a pitch, commonly used by play-by-play announcers as the pitcher releases the ball, e.g. "Smith deals to Jones".
- Pitching effectively, e.g. "Smith is really dealing tonight".
- A player trade, or exchange (a common term to all American team sports).
defensive indifference
- When the defense allows a baserunner to advance. The runner then does not get credit for a stolen base because the base was "given" not "stolen." The defense may allow this in the ninth inning with two outs, where the focus is on inducing the batter make the final out.
deliver
- To deliver is to pitch. Announcer: "Koufax delivers. . . . Strike three!!!"
- Delivery refers to the basic arm angles of pitchers, e.g., overhand delivery, sidearm delivery. This is in contrast to cricket, in which the term "delivery" is akin to type of pitch in baseball.
- In the American League, the designated hitter (DH) is a player who permanently hits in the place of a defensive player (usually the pitcher) and whose only role in the game is to hit. See designated hitter. The National League does not usually use designated hitters. However, in interleague play, when American League and National League teams face off against one another, the DH rule is used by both teams when the game is played in an American League ballpark, and by neither team when the game is played in a National League ballpark.
deuce
- A curveball, because the catcher's sign is usually made by extending the first two fingers. From playing cards, where the "2" card is conventionally called the "deuce".
deuces wild
- When a large quantity of the number "2" appears on the scoreboard at the same time: 2 baserunners, 2 outs, 2 balls and 2 strikes on the batter. Derived from poker term "deuces are wild".
- The layout of the four bases in the infield. It's actually a square 90 feet (27 m) on each side, but from the stands it resembles a parallelogram or "diamond".
dig it out
- To field a ball on or near the ground. Usually a first baseman taking a low throw from another infielder.
dinger
- A home run.
- Major league teams may remove injured players from their active roster temporarily by placing them on the "disabled list." Another player can then be called up as a replacement during this time.
dish
- Home plate. "The catcher settles in behind the dish."
- A pitch, particularly a good one. "Here comes the dish" (the pitch), or "He's really dishing it tonight" (pitching well).
DL
- The disabled list. Sometimes used as a verb, as in "Woods was DL'ed yesterday."
doctoring the ball
- Cheating by applying a foreign substance to the ball or otherwise altering it, in order to put an unnatural spin on a pitch. Examples: By applying Vaseline or saliva (a "spitball"), or scuffing with sandpaper, emory board (an "emery ball"), or by rubbing vigorously to create a shiny area of the ball (a "shineball"). All of these became illegal beginning in the 1920 season, helping to end the Dead Ball Era. ((Official Rules of Baseball, Rule 8.02(a))
- A hit where the batter makes it safely to second base before the ball can be returned to the infield. Also a two-base hit.
- When two games are played back-to-back by the same two teams on the same day.
- When the games are scheduled for late in the day, they are referred to as a "twilight-night" or "twi-night" doubleheader. When one game is scheduled for the afternoon and one for the evening (typically with separate admission fees), it is referred to as a "day-night" doubleheader.
- In minor league baseball, doubleheader games are often scheduled for 7 innings rather than the 9 innings that is standard for a regulation game.
- According to the Dickson dictionary, the term is thought to derive from a railroading term for a train using two joined engines (a "double header") to pull an exceptionally long train.
- A play by the defense where two offensive players are put out as a result of continuous action resulting in two outs. A typical example is the 6-4-3 double play.
- A defensive tactic that positions the middle infielders to be better prepared for a double play at the expense of positioning for a hit to the third-base side.
doubles hitter
down
- Put out. "One down" means one out has been made in the inning (two more to go in the inning). "One up (and) one down" means the first batter in the inning was out. "Two down" means two outs have been made in the inning (one more to go). "Two up (and) two down": the first two batters of the inning were retired (made outs). "Three up, three down": side retired in order.
down the line
- On the field near the foul lines, often used to describe the location of batted balls.
down the middle
- Over the middle portion of home plate, used to describe the location of pitches. Also referred to as down the pipe, down Main Street, down Broadway, and, in Atlanta, down Peachtree. Very different from up the middle.
drilled
drive
- A line drive (noun).
- To hit a line drive (verb). "Magglio drove the ball to center."
- To make hits that produce RBI's. "Tejada drove him home from second." "Ramirez drove in three."
drop ball
- A sinkerball. Also known as a dropper or el droppo.
- Some extreme 12-to-6 curveballs are also referred to as "drop balls," since they start high and dive as they reach the plate.
drop off the table
- Used to describe a pitched ball, usually a curveball, that breaks extremely sharply.
duck snort
- A softly hit ball that goes over the infielders and lands in the outfield for a hit. Originally called a "duck fart" because it was assumed that a duck's feathers would make its farts as soft (or quiet) as the hit. Changed to a "snort" for use in polite company.
ducks on the pond
- runners at second and third, but especially when the bases are loaded. "He doesn't hit when there are ducks on the pond."
dugout
- The dugout is where a team's bench is located. There are two dugouts, one for the home team and one for the away team. With the exception of relief pitchers in the bullpen, and the first and third base coaches, active players who are not on the field watch the play from the dugout. The term dugout refers to the area being slightly depressed below field level, as is common in professional baseball. There is typically a boundary, often painted yellow, defining the edges of the dugout, to help the umpire make certain calls, such as whether an overthrown ball is considered to be "in the bench" or not. The rules book still uses the term bench, as there is no requirement that it be "dug out" or necessarily below field level. The original benches typically were at field level, with or without a little roof for shade. As ballpark design progressed, box seats were built closer to the field, lowering the height of the grandstand railing, and compelling the dugout approach to bench construction.
duster, dust-off pitch
- A pitch, often a brush-back, thrown so far inside that the batter drops to the ground ("hits the dust") to avoid it. Somewhat contradictorily, on the same play the pitcher may be said to have "dusted off" the batter.
dying quail
- A batted ball that drops in front of the outfielders for a hit, often unexpectedly (like a shot bird).
E
- A very slow pitch with a high arcing trajectory. Invented by 1930s Pittsburgh Pirates hurler Rip Sewell, it is not a part of any current pitcher's repertoire, but some do throw it very rarely to fool a hitter's timing. It is best used sparingly, because it can be very easy to hit without the element of surprise. Ted Williams said that the game-winning home run that he hit off of Sewell in the 1946 All-Star Game was his greatest thrill in baseball.
early innings
- The first, second and third innings of a regulation nine-inning game.
- Any run for which the pitcher is held accountable (i.e., the run did not score as a result of a fielding error or a passed ball). Primarily used to calculate the earned run average.
- The average number of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. Abbreviated as ERA.
- A player or coach who is disqualified from the game by an umpire for unsportsmanlike conduct. SYNONYMS: tossed, thrown out, banished, given the thumb, given the heave-ho, sent to the clubhouse.
emergency starter
- When a pitcher who is normally a reliever or in the minor leagues is called on to start the game on short notice because the originally scheduled starter is injured or ill. Recent illustrations: "With Chan Ho Park sidelined indefinitely by what was diagnosed as anemia, Mike Thompson is expected to get the call yet again as the emergency starter, arriving via Portland, where he has spent the past 10 days with the Triple-A Beavers." "Thompson continues to be the model of consistency for a young guy always on call as an emergency starter."
ERA
- See earned run average.
erase
- A runner who is already safely on a base is "erased" by being thrown out.
- An error is an act, in the judgment of the official scorer, of a fielder misplaying a ball in a manner that allows a batter or baserunner to reach one or more additional bases, when that advance could have been prevented by ordinary effort by the fielder. An error is also charged when a fielder fails to catch a foul fly ball that could have been caught with ordinary effort. The term error can also refer to the play in which an error was committed.
even count
- 1-1 or 2-2. See count.
everyday player
- A position player, as opposed to a pitcher who may play only every few days. Sometimes a talented prospect who is a good pitcher but an outstanding hitter will be encouraged to focus on playing another position and thereby become an everyday player to take advantage of his hitting.
- A position player who's a regular in the starting line-up in virtually every game, as opposed to either:
- a platoon player who plays only against pitchers of the opposite hand.
- a substitute who begins most games on the bench or only occasionally starts games to spell the regular starting player at his position. Sometimes these players are referred to as bench players or role players. They may also take on pinch hitting or pinch running assignments.
excuse me swing
- When a batter inadvertently makes contact during a check swing. Contrast with swinging bunt.
expand the strike zone
- When a pitcher gets ahead in the count, he "expands the strike zone" because the hitter will be more likely to swing at a pitch that's at the edge or out of the strike zone or in some other location where he can't hit it.
- A major league term for the larger roster of players that can be used under specific circumstances, such as when major league rosters can expand from 25 to up to 40 players on September 1.
extra bases
- Any bases gained by a batter beyond first base on a hit. So doubles count for one "extra base," triples for two, and home runs for three. These kinds of hits are referred to as "extra base hits" and improve a batter's slugging percentage.
- Additional innings needed to determine a winner if a game is tied after the regulation number of innings (typically 9, though sometimes 7). Also known as bonus baseball or free baseball because paying spectators are witnessing more action than normal.
F
Fall Classic
- The World Series -- the championship series of Major League Baseball, in which the champion of the American League faces off against the champion of the National League. Typically, this series takes place in October, so playing in October is the goal of any major league team. Reggie Jackson's moniker "Mr. October" indicates that he played with great distinction in the World Series for the Yankees. Another Yankee, Derek Jeter, picked up the nickname "Mr. November" after he hit a walkoff homer in Game 4 the 2001 World Series just after midnight local time on November 1. By comparison, Yankees owner George Steinbrenner's dubbing another of his players (Dave Winfield) "Mr. May" expressed his disappointment with that player's performance in the Fall Classic.
- A strong supporter of a player, a team, or the game in general. This term originated in 19th century England as "the fancy" to refer to those who followed or "fancied" boxing. "The fancy" was shortened to "the fance," then "the fans" was adopted into baseball (replacing the 19th century term "kranks" or "cranks"). Its use was reinforced by its apparent connection to the word "fanatics."
- To "fan" a batter is to strike him out, especially a swinging strike three.
- When a fan or any person not associated with one of the teams alters play in progress (in the judgment of an umpire), it is fan interference. The ball becomes dead, and the umpire will award any bases or charge any outs that, in his judgment, would have occurred without the interference. This is one of several types of interference calls in baseball.
fencebuster
- A slugger.
- A pitch that is thrown more for high velocity than for movement; it's the most common type of pitch. Also known as smoke, a bullet, a heater (you can feel the heat generated by the ball), or a hummer (the ball can't be seen, only heard).
fat pitch
- A pitch that is located exactly where the hitter is expecting it. The ball may look bigger than it actually is, and the batter may hit it a long way.
feed
- To throw the ball carefully to another fielder in a way that allows him to make an out. A first-baseman who has just fielded a ground ball will "feed the ball" to the pitcher who is running over from the mound to make the force out at first base. An infielder who has fielded a ground-ball will feed the ball to the player covering second base so that the latter can step on the base and quickly throw to first base to complete a double play.
- To draw energy from the fans. A newly-hired manager might say "I really think we can feed on the excitement that's already here."
- In baseball, the head coach of a team is called the manager (or more formally, the field manager). This individual controls matters of team strategy on the field and team leadership. The manager sets the line-up and starting pitcher before each game as well as making substitutions throughout the game. In modern baseball the field manager is normally subordinate to the team's general manager (or GM), who among other things is responsible for personnel decisions, including hiring and firing the field manager. However, the term manager used without qualification almost always refers to the field manager, while the general manager is often called the GM.
- A fielder's choice (FC) is the act of a fielder, upon fielding a batted ball, choosing to try to put out a baserunner and allow the batter-runner to advance to first base. Despite reaching first base safely after hitting the ball, the batter is not credited with a hit but would be charged with an at-bat.
figger filbert
- An old-fashioned and more colorful way of saying "numbers nut", for a fan with a near-obsessive interest in the statistics or "figures" of the game. The first true "figger filbert" was probably Ernest Lanigan, who was the first historian of the Baseball Hall of Fame and prior to that was one of the first, if not the first, to publish an encyclopedia of baseball stats, in the 1920s. In the modern era, Bill James could be said to be the iconic "figger filbert". He is also a founding father of the field of baseball research called sabermetrics.
fireballer
- A pitcher who throws primarily fastballs. A flamethrower.
fireman
- A team's top relier pitcher who is often brought in to end an offensive rally and put out the fire.
first-ball hitter
FL or F.L.
- Abbreviation for Federal League, a major league that existed from 1914 to 1915.
flamethrower
- A fireballer.
flare
- A fly ball hit a short distance into the outfield. "Pudge hit a flare just out of the shortstop's reach."
fly ball
- A ball hit high in the air. See also pop fly, infield fly, and ground ball.
- When a runner must advance (after a hit) or retouch (after a fly out), a tag on the baserunner is not required. A fielder can merely touch the base with the ball in hand to force out a baserunner. A batter-runner can always be forced out at first base. (Official Rules of Baseball, Rules 2.00 (Force Play) and 7.08(d))
fork ball
- A split-finger fastball or splitter.
foul off
- Purposely batting a pitch foul with two strikes in order to keep the at-bat going, in part to tire the pitcher and in part to get another, different pitch that might be easier to hit. Luke Appling was said to be the king of "fouling them off."
four-bagger
frame
- A half-inning (either the top or the bottom). Announcer: "Two hits, and two runs scored so far in this frame." A bowling term, and suggested by the resemblance of an inning-by-inning scoreboard to a bowling scoresheet.
free baseball
- Slang for extra innings.
free pass
- A base on balls. "Free" because the batter doesn't have to hit the ball to get on base.
frozen rope
- A hard-hit line drive.
- A count of 3 balls and 2 strikes; another strike will result in a strikeout, while another ball will result in a walk.
full house
- Three of a kind (3 balls), and two of a kind (2 strikes): a full count. From the term used in poker. Sometimes called full boat. Instead of holding up fingers indicating the count, the umpire may hold up closed fists, implying "full".
- Capacity crowd; all seats filled in the stadium. From the theatrical term.
fungo
- A fly ball hit for fielders to practice catching.
fungo bat
- A lightweight bat with a triangular or flat barrel used to hit fungoes. It is not a legal or safe bat to use with live pitching, because it is too light.
G
gap
- The space between outfielders. Also alley. A ball hit in the gap is sometimes called a gapper.
gap hitter
- Hits with power up the alleys and tends to get a lot of doubles. A doubles hitter.
gas
- The general manager (GM) runs the organization of a baseball team (personnel, finance, and operations). Normally distinct from the field manager and the club owner.
get on one's horse
- When a fielder (usually an outfielder) runs extremely fast towards a hard hit ball in an effort to catch it.
get good wood
- To hit a ball hard. A batter who "gets good wood on the ball" or who "gets some lumber on the ball" hits it hard.
get off the schneid
- To break a scoreless or hitless or winless streak (i.e. a schneid). According to the Dickson Baseball Dictionary, the term "schneid" comes to baseball via gin rummy, and in turn comes from German / Yiddish "schneider," one who cuts cloth, i.e., a tailor.
- Statistical abbreviation for grounded into double play.
GM
- An abbreviation for general manager.
going yard
- To "go yard" is to hit a home run, i.e. effectively to hit the ball the length of the baseball field or "ball yard".
- One who strikes out four times in one game is said to have gotten a "Golden Sombrero".
golfing
- Swinging at an obviously low pitch, particularly one in the dirt. Also used to describe actual contact with a pitch low in the zone.
gone
- A ball hit over the wall, a home run. Announcer: "That ball is gone." That's a reduction of the timeless phrase, "Going . . . going . . . gone," and of the way famed Detroit Tigers announcer Ernie Harwell would say it: "That ball is loooong gone." It wasn't necessary to pronounce the words "home run".
- Conversely, a batter who has just been struck out, especially by a power pitcher. Used frequently by Chicago White Sox announcer Hawk Harrelson, as in, "He gone!"
- An announcer may simply announce "one gone" or "two gone" to indicate how many outs have been made in the inning. This has the same meaning as "one away" and "two away."
good hit, no field
- Said to have been the world's shortest scouting report, and often quoted in reference to sluggers such as Dick Stuart and Dave Kingman, who were notoriously poor fielders.
goose egg
- A zero on the scoreboard.
gopher pitch
- A gopher pitch (or gopher ball) is a pitch that leads to a home run, one that the batter will "go for". Illustration from an on-line chat: "He was always that guy who'd go in and throw the gopher pitch in the first inning and he'd be two down." A game in which several home runs have been hit by both teams may also sometimes be described as "gopher ball."
grab some pine
- Go sit on the bench, used as a taunt after a strikeout. Popularized by Giants sportscaster Mike Krukow.
grand slam
- Home run hit with the bases loaded. A "grand salami."
Grapefruit League
- The group of major league teams that conduct Spring Training in Florida, where grapefruit trees grow in abundance.
green light
- Permission from the manager for a batter or runner to be aggressive. Examples include permission for the batter to swing away on a 3-0 count or for a runner steal a base.
- A ball hit on the ground so that it bounces in the infield. Also grounder. A bunt is not considered a "ground ball."
ground ball with eyes
- A ground ball which barely gets between two infielders for a base hit, seeming to "see" the only spot where it would be unfieldable.
- Rules that are specific to a particular ballpark (or grounds) due to unique features of the park and where the standard baseball rules may be inadequate. See ground rules for some examples.
guess hitter
- A hitter who may not be the best at reading what kind of pitch is coming toward him so he guesses what the next pitch is going to be.
gun
- A strong arm.
- To throw strongly. Announcer following a play in which the shortstop fields a ground ball and throws hard to first: "Guillen guns and gets him."
gun down
- To throw out a runner. "Alfonso gunned him down when he tried to stretch his single to a double."
H
- The Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. Abbreviated HOF.
hammer
- To hit the ball hard, typically for extra bases. "Aaron hammered that pitch."
- The nickname of Henry Aaron — Hank "The Hammer" Aaron — the all-time Major League career leader in home runs.
hang
- A breaking ball that does not break, and so is easy to hit. A hanging curveball.
- A pitcher may be hung with a loss if he is responsible for his team falling behind in runs and the team never recovers the lead.
- A runner may be hung up if he is caught in a rundown.
- A runner may be hung out to dry if he gets picked off at first base, or if a hitter misses a hit-and-run sign and the runner is easily tagged out at second base. A player may be hung out to dry if his team treats him in an unexpected or disappointing way. (Story: "The Mets got what they needed from pitcher Al Leiter yesterday. Unfortunately, Leiter was hung out to dry again, done in by his team's anemic offense.")
hard hands
- A tendency to mishandle fielded balls. Also stone fingers.
- To strike out three times. Used jokingly, as the same term means to score three times in hockey and other sports.
headhunter
heat
- Also heater. A fastball.
helping his own cause
high and tight
- A location pitch thrown above the strike zone and close to the batter.
high cheese
- A strike thrown high in the strike zone.
high, hard one
- a fastball thrown high in, or above the strike zone.
high heat
- A strike thrown high in the strike zone.
hill
- The pitcher's mound.
- The act of safely reaching first base after batting the ball into fair territory. Abrreviated as H. See also base hit, single, double, triple, home run, extra base hit, error, fielder's choice.
- The act of contacting the ball with the bat. "The batter hit the ball right at the second baseman."
- When a batter is touched by a pitch. See hit by pitch
- The term sacrifice hit is used by scorekeepers to indicate a sacrifice bunt. It is typically an out, not a base hit (unless the batter beats the throw to first).
hitter
hitter's count
- When a batter is way ahead in the count (3-0, 3-1, 2-0) he's likely to anticipate that the next pitch will be thrown down Broadway -- in the middle of the plate.
hitter's park
- A baseball park in which hitters tend to perform better than average. This may be a result of several factors, including the dimensions of the park (distance to the outfield fences, size of foul territory behind the plate and down the lines), prevailing winds, temperature and relative humidity, and altitude. Whether a park is a hitter's park or a pitcher's park (in which hitters perform worse than average) is determined statistically by measuring Park Factors, which involves comparing how well hitters perform in a given park compared with how they perform in all other parks. This measure is regularly reported and updated for Major League Baseball parks by ESPN.com. In addition, Baseball Reference and other baseball research organizations also report park factors for major league parks. Baseball Prospectus and other baseball researchers calculate park factors for minor league parks to help in adjusting the statistics of baseball prospects.
- Whether a park is a hitter's park or pitcher's park may change from day to day. For example, when the wind is blowing "out" at Wrigley Field, it is typically rendered a "hitter's park", and double-digit scores for one or both teams are not unusual.
- An offensive tactic whereby a baserunner (usually on first base) starts running as if to steal and the batter swings at the pitch (so contrary to the name, the hit follows the run).
- When a pitch touches a batter in the batter's box, the batter advances to first base. Abbreviated as HPB. Colloquially, a batter who is hit by a pitch may be said to be plunked, drilled, nailed, plugged, or beaned.
hit 'em where they ain't
- Said to be the (grammatically-casual) response of turn-of-the-20th-century player Willie Keeler to the question, "What's the secret to hitting?" in which "'em" or "them" are the batted balls, and "they" are the fielders.
- To hit a single, double, triple and home run in the same game. To accomplish this feat in order is termed a "natural cycle."
hit the ball on the screws (on the button)
- To bat the ball solidly, often used when the ball is caught for an out. A slumping batter might be comforted by "hitting the ball on the screws" when not getting a hit.
hitting behind the runner
- An offensive tactic where the batter intentionally puts the ball in play to the right side with a runner on second. The intent is to advance the baserunner to third, where a sacrifice fly by the next hitter can score a run.
hold
- A hold (abbreviated as H) is awarded to a relief pitcher if he enters in a save situation, records at least one out, and leaves the game without having relinquished that lead.
- Generally, a save situation is when a pitcher enters the game with a lead of three runs or fewer and finishes the game without relinquishing the lead. Most of the time, the saving pitcher pitches one or more innings.
- To receive a hold, the pitcher must not finish the game (thus becoming the closing pitcher) or be the winning pitcher.
- Unlike saves, more than one pitcher can earn a hold in a game. It is also not necessary for the pitcher's team to win the game in order to achieve a hold; they merely have to be in the lead at the time the pitcher exits.
- The hold was invented in 1986 to give a statistical measure of the effectiveness of non-closer relief pitchers. Holds are most often accredited to setup pitchers, as they usually pitch between the starter and the closer. Holds are (as of 2006) an official Major League Baseball statistic.
hole
- One of the 9 places in the batting lineup. The lead-off hitter in the first inning is the player in the "one hole." In the four hole, the cleanup hitter is hoping to get to the plate in that inning.
- Also see in the hole.
hole in his glove
- A tendency to drop fly balls, usually after they hit (and seem to go through) the fielder's glove.
hole in his swing
- A scouting report phrase describing a batter who can't hit strikes in a particular location.
home game
- A game played at the home stadium or ballpark of a baseball club. When the Yankees play in Yankee Stadium, they're playing a home game. The team that is hosting the game is referred to as the home team.
home team
- The "home team" is the one in whose stadium the game is played against the "visiting team." The home team bats in the bottom half of the inning. In case a game is played at a neutral site, the "home" team is usually determined by coin toss.
home plate
- See plate.
- A home run (or homer) is a base hit in which the batter is able to circle all the bases, ending at home plate and scoring a run himself.
homer
- A home run.
- Also, a derisive term for a dedicated, almost delusional, fan. Especially used for a broadcaster, in any sport, whose team "can do no wrong". Johnny Most of the Boston Celtics was a notorious "homer". In a somewhat more humorous example, Bert Wilson used to say, "I don't care who wins, as long as it's the Cubs!"
homestand
- A series of home games. See also road trip.
hook
- When a manager leaves the dugout with the obvious intention of replacing the pitcher with a reliever, he may be said to be carrying a hook. "Here comes Sparky, and he's got the hook." Such a usage may have come from the large hooks that were sometimes used in Vaudeville to yank unsuccessful acts off the stage if they were reluctant to leave on their own. When he was manager of the Cincinnati Reds, Sparky Anderson's heavy reliance on relief pitching earned him the nickname "Captain Hook", a reference both to the standard usage and to the Peter Pan villain.
- A pitcher is said to be "on the hook" when he leaves the game with his team behind because of runs that he gave up — a hook on which he may be hung with the loss.
hook foul
- When the batter pulls the ball down the line, starting fair but ending foul, resulting in a foul ball. See also slice foul.
horsehide
- The ball (a "baseball") used in the game of baseball.
- The leather cover on the baseball (which is now usually made of cowhide, not horsehide). A slugger may be said to "knock the horsehide off the ball." Horsehide was the cover of choice for decades, as it was less prone to stretching than cowhide. This was necessary in part because in the early days, they tried to play the entire game with a single ball, or as few as possible. That became moot in the 1920s, but horsehide continued to be used until the 1980s or so, when horsehide became prohibitively expensive and cowhide was finally adopted as the standard cover for a baseball.
hot box
hot corner
- The area around third base and the third baseman, so called because right-handed batters tend to hit line drives down the third base line. The third baseman is somtimes called a "cornerman."
Hot Stove League
- An old fashioned term for a "Winter league" with no games, just speculation, gossip, and story-telling during the months between the end of the World Series and the beginning of Spring training, presumably conducted while sitting around a hot stove. One of Norman Rockwell's well-known baseball paintings is a literal illustration of this term.
hurler
- A pitcher.
I
in the batter's eyes
- A high fastball, usually at or near the batter's eye level. Above the strike zone, so a ball, and hard to hit, but also hard to lay off.
- The umpire calls the batter out when there are less than two outs and the batter hits a fly ball that can be caught by an infielder with runners on first and second or with the bases loaded. The batter is automatically called out in this situation whether or not a fielder attempts to catch the fly ball. This rule is intended to prevent the fielder from intentionally dropping the ball and getting force outs on any or all of the runners on base. The rule is a little mystifying to casual fans of the game, but it has been a fundamental rule since 1895, presumably to prevent the notoriously tricky Baltimore Orioles from doing it.
- First baseman, second baseman and third baseman, plus the shortstop, so called because they are positioned on the infield dirt. The pitcher and catcher are not considered infielders, but instead as the battery.
- An inning consists of two halves. In each half, one team bats until three outs are made, with the other team playing defense. Each half-inning formally starts when the umpire calls "Batter up!" A full inning consists of six outs, three for each team; and a regulation game consists of nine innings. The firs half-inning is called the top half of the inning; the second half-inning, the bottom half. The break between the top and bottom halves is called the middle of the inning. The visiting team is on offense during the top half of the inning, the home team is on offense during the bottom half.
- An offensive strategy that focuses on teamwork and good execution. It usually centers on tactics that keep the ball in the infield: walks, base hits, bunts, and stolen bases. This was the primary offensive strategy during the Dead Ball Era. "Inside baseball" is also a common metaphor in American politics to describe its background machinations. The eqivalent modern term is "small ball".
- A play where a hitter scores a home run without hitting the ball out of play.
insurance run
- A run that is scored in the late innings when the leading team is only ahead by one or two, providing a margin of safety against a rally.
intentional pass
- Same as intentional walk.
intentional walk
- A walk given by the pitcher throwing four straight balls well outside of the strike zone. Usually the catcher will not crouch in the catcher's box, but will instead stand, extending a hand away from the batter as an obvious sign. (Although the pitcher's "intention" is to walk the batter, if he does not take care to pitch far enough outside, the batter may still be able to hit the ball safely, which would be rare but legal.) Often an "intentional walk" will occur with first base open since then the walk doesn't dramatically benefit the offense, and opens the possibility of a double play. An "intentional walk" is seen as both a compliment to the batter being walked, and an insult to the batter on deck, who is considered to be an easier out. See also pitch around.
- Interference is an infraction where a person illegally changes the course of play from what is expected. Interference might be committed by players on the offense, players not currently in the game, catchers, umpires, or fans; each type of interference is covered differently by the rules. See the Wikipedia article on interference for details on the varieties of interference calls.
in the books
- The game is over. "This game's in the books [the records]."
in the hole
- The spaces between the first and second basemen and between the shortstop and the third baseman, one of the usual places where a ground ball must go for a hit. Infielders try to field balls hit into the hole. "Ozzie went deep in the hole to get that one" does not mean that Ozzie went under ground to get the ball. Despite Ozzie's best efforts, the ball may "find a hole" through the infield and into the outfield. See also up the middle and down the line.
- Due up to bat after the on-deck batter. Probably derived from from boating, where it was originally "in the hold," the place prior to being "on deck."
- Used to describe an unfavorable count. A pitcher would be "in the hole" 3-0 and a batter would be "in the hole" 0-2.
in play
- A game is in play when the umpire declares "play ball" at the beginning of the game or after a time-out.
- Any batted ball is "in play" until either the play ends, the umpire calls the ball foul, or there is fan interference or some other event that leads to a dead ball. A ball hit into foul territory but in the air is in play in that a fielder may attempt to catch the ball for an out and a runner may attempt to advance after such a catch, but if it then falls to the ground or hits the fence in foul territory it would then be called foul and no longer be in play.
- In sabermetrics, a special definition of "ball in play" is used to calculate a "batting average on balls in play" (BABIP), which excludes homeruns even though they are fair balls.
J
jack
- A home run or to hit a home run. "Hitting a jack" or "Jacking one out of here."
jam
- To pitch far enough inside that the batter is unable to extend while swinging. "The pitcher jammed the batter". The batter was "handcuffed" or "shackled" by the pitch.
- When runners are in scoring position with less than two outs and good hitters coming up. "The pitcher is in a jam."
- "Bases are jammed" means "bases are full." There is no more room there.
Junior Circuit
- The American League, so-called because it is the younger of the two major leagues.
junk
- breaking balls and knuckleballs, pitches that are difficult to hit due to movement rather than velocity.
- A pitcher who throws junk is a junkball pitcher or a junkballer.
junkball pitcher
K
- The traditional abbreviation for a strikeout. A backwards K is often used to denote a called strikeout. Invented by Henry Chadwick by taking the "most prominent" letter of "struck" and reinforced by inference of "knockout" or "K.O." That connotation still exists, when the announcer says the pitcher "punched out" the batter, a play on words that also refers to "punching" a time clock.
keep the line moving
- reference to a series of batters reaching base, alluding to an assembly line
keystone sack
- Second base. Like the keystone of an arch, second base is the key to both scoring (a runner on the base is in scoring position) and defense (with strength up the middle).
knocks
- To score an RBI. "The cleanup hitter knocked in 3."
- A hit, as in "two-base knock."
- Hard hits or extra base hits, not necessarly producing RBI's or referring to a specific type of hit. "Curtis had some solid knocks today."
knuckleball
- A pitch thrown with no spin, traditionally thrown with the knuckles, but also with the fingertips. It tends to flutter and move suddenly on its way to the plate. Also refers to a batted ball that flutters "like a knuckleball."
L
lace
- To hit the ball very hard, typically a line drive. "Monroe laced it to left field."
late innings
- The seventh, eighth and ninth innings of a regulation nine-inning game.
- A (rare) 1-2-3 double play ("...and a one, ana 2, ana 3")
lead
- When a baserunner steps off of a base before a pitch is thrown in order to reduce the distance to the next base.
- The player who is first in the batting order for a given team in any given inning is said to "lead off the inning."
- The team with more runs is said "to lead" the game.
leaning
- A baserunner is said to be "caught leaning" or "leaning the wrong way" when he is (picked off) a base while shifting his weight toward the next base.
leather
- Referring to a fielder's glove, a player with "good leather" is a good defensive player (typically an infielder). "Flashing the leather" means to make an outstanding defensive play.
left on base
- Baserunners that are still on base when the third out is made. The total number for a team and a player is ususally published in the box score. Abbreviation: LOB.
- A left-handed relief pitcher specializing in getting one out, often in critical situations.
leg out
- To run hard to get safely on base.
- A line drive or liner is a batted ball that is hit hard in the air and has a low arc. See also rope.
- A line drive may also be said to be "hit on a line."
- A batter may be said to have "lined out" if the liner was caught by a fielder.
lineup
- The batting order.
lineup card
- A form kept by each manager listing all players who are eligible to play in the batting order followed by the substitutes.
- The time since 1919 or 1920 when several rule changes favored the strategy of the power game over the time-honored inside game, ending the Dead Ball Era.
load the bases
- A succession of plays that results in base runners on first, second, and third bases. See also bases loaded or bases full.
LOB
- Abbreviation for left on base.
locate
- A pitcher's command is reflected in his ability to locate the ball – to throw it to an intended spot. A pitcher with "good location" not only has command but makes the right choices about where to throw the ball against particular batters.
lollipop
- A soft, straight pitch with a lot of arc.
long ball
- A home run. A team is said to "win by the long ball" after a walk off home run or the team hits several home runs to win.
- A type of relief pitcher. Long relievers enter early in a game (generally before the 5th inning) when the starting pitcher cannot continue, whether due to ineffective pitching, lack of endurance, rain delay, or injury.
LOOGY
- A mildly derogatory nickname for a left-handed specialist. An acronym for "Lefty One Out GuY."
lose a hitter
- When a pitcher gives up a walk, especially when he gets ahead in the count or has a full count but gives up a walk, he is said to have "lost the hitter."
loss
- An entire team receives a "loss" on its record if it scores fewer runs than the opposing team. But which pitcher gets pinned with the loss (an L) on his record? See win for the answer to this quiz.
lumber
- A baseball bat.
M
- See field manager.
manufacturing runs
- Producing runs one at a time, piece by piece, component by component by means of patience at the plate, contact hitting, advancing runners, taking advantage of errors. In other words: small ball. As this entry is being written, the writer's favorite team just manufactured 4 runs. Bottom of 7th inning, Tigers come up to bat leading Twins 4-3. The manufacturing process went as follows.
- Two patient AB’s lead to two walks against a relief pitcher who rarely gives up walks. Sacrifice bunt advances runners to 2nd and 3rd. 1 away. Flare single to right. Two runs score, while batter reaches 2nd after brief bobble by right fielder. Intentional walk puts runners on 1st and 2nd to set up double play situation. Though next hitter hits ground ball, the throw gets runner at 2nd but batter hustles to beat throw and reach 1st on fielder’s choice. Two outs, men on 1st and 3rd. Walk to next hitter fills bases. Next hitter pulls sharp ground single through the hole between 1st and 2nd base. Two more runs score. Last hitter flies out to left to end inning. Summary: 4 runs scored on 2 singles, 1 sacrifice bunt, 1 error, 3 bases on balls, 1 intentional walk. Score at end of 7th: 8-3.
meat
- A rookie, popularized by the baseball movie, Bull Durham; implying more brawn than brain.
- An easy out, typically evident during a strikeout.
- A baserunner easily thrown out at a base.
meatball
- an easy pitch to hit - down the middle of the plate
- A batting average of .200. Named for Mario Mendoza, a notoriously poor hitter of the 1970s who still managed to have an 8-year career.
men in blue
- The umpires.
- A mental error that causes a team to lose a game.
middle infielders
- The second baseman and shortstop.
middle innings
- The fourth, fifth and sixth innings of a regulation nine-inning game.
middle of the inning
- The time between the top half and bottom half of an inning when the visiting team takes the field and the home team prepares to bat. No gameplay occurs during this period and television and radio broadcasts typically run advertisements. See also seventh-inning stretch.
mistake
- A "mistake" is poor execution, as distinguished from an error. It could be throwing to the wrong base, or running into an obvious out, or throwing a pitch into the batter's "hot zone" instead of where the catcher set up for it.
- Perhaps one of the most over-used excuses in baseball. Manager says: "Weaver pitched great. He just made a few mistakes." Translation: "Weaver threw some bad pitches and lost the game." There may be such a thing as a mistake hitter, a mediocre hitter who occasionally gets a pitch that he can drive. But a "mistake pitcher" doesn't usually last long in the big leagues.
- When asked how the mighty Yankees lost the 1960 World Series, Yogi Berra remarked, "We made too many wrong mistakes."
mistake hitter
- A batter who isn't adept at hitting good pitches that are located well but can take advantage of a pitcher's mistakes.
mitt
- A "mitt" (derived from "mitten") can be any type of baseball glove, though the term is usually reserved to describe the catcher's mitt.
- An often misused term. It refers to Michael Lewis' 2002 book. "Moneyball players" are most often referred to those who have a high on-base percentage, and don't steal a lot of bases. However, the essence of the book is about running an organization effectively by identifying inefficiencies and finding undervalued assets in a given market. As an example, the so called Moneyball teams have shifted their focus to defense and speed instead of OBP which is no longer undervalued. "Moneyball" is often seen as the antithesis of "smallball", where teams take chances on the basepaths in an attempt to "manufacture" runs. In more traditional baseball circles, evoking Moneyball to describe a player or team can be a term of derision.
moonshot
- A home run hit so high and deep that it is said to travel toward the moon. When the Dodgers first moved out to Los Angeles and played in the L.A. Coliseum, home runs hit by Wally Moon over the short left-field fence were also headlined in the newspapers as "Moon Shots".
mop up
- A mop-up pitcher comes in after the outcome of the game is all but certain. Sometimes other position players also come in to mop up in the last inning, and give the regulars a rest.
- The pitcher's mound is a raised section in the middle of the diamond where the pitcher stands when throwing the pitch. In Major League Baseball, a regulation mound is 18 feet (5.5 m) in diameter, with the center 59 feet (18.0 m) from the rear point of home plate, on the line between home plate and second base. The front edge of the pitcher's plate or rubber is 18 inches (45.7 cm) behind the center of the mound, making it 60 feet 6 inches (18.4 m) from the rear point of home plate. Six inches (15.2 cm) in front of the pitcher's rubber the mound begins to slope downward. The top of the rubber is to be no higher than ten inches (25.4 cm) above home plate. From 1903 through 1968 this height limit was set at 15 inches, but was often slightly higher, sometimes as high as 20 inches (50.8 cm), especially for teams that emphasized pitching, such as the Los Angeles Dodgers, who were reputed to have the highest mound in the majors.
movement
- Deviations from the expected flight of a pitch that make the ball harder to hit. Can be used to refer to both fastballs and breaking balls.
muff
- To make an error, typically on an easy play. "He muffed it. The ball went right through his legs."
mustard
- Refers to a high amount of velocity on a throw or pitch. A player may be exhorted to "put some (extra) mustard on it," with "it" usually referring to a pitcher's fastball or fielder's throw.
N
NA or N.A.
- Abbreviation for National Association. It could mean the long-ago amateur organization called the National Association of Base Ball Players; or the first professional league, called the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players; or the modern collective governing body of those minor leagues that are affiliated with the major leagues, long called the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues (also abbreviated NAPBL) and officially renamed Minor League Baseball in 1999 [1].
nailed
- Hit by a pitch, drilled, plunked.
- The last pitches or last play of a winning game nail down the win.
- To throw a runner out. "Sizemore nailed him at the plate."
nickel curve
- A slider.
NL or N.L.
- Abbreviation for National League, the older of the two major leagues.
no decision
- Any starting pitcher who earns neither a win (W) nor a loss (L) is said to have a "no decision." A "no decision" has no special meaning in official baseball statistics. But regardless whether a pitcher earns a W, a L, or a "no decision," it has become conventional in recent years to note how well a starting pitcher performed by recording whether he made a quality start.
no-hitter
- A game in which one team does not get any hits, a rare feat for a pitcher, especially at the major league level. Also given the childlike nickname "No-No". If no batter reaches base by any means (walk, error, etc.) the pitcher is said to have pitched a perfect game, which is much rarer than a "normal" no-hitter.
no man's land
- The area of the outfield between the middle infielders and outfielders, where a flyball can fall for a hit (a Texas leaguer).
- A baserunner caught in a pickle is said to be in "no man's land".
no-no
nubber
- A batted ball that travels at low speed, and not very far, often due to hitting the ball on the very end of the fat part of the bat.
O
OBP
- A batter who goes hitless in a game, as in "0 for 4" (spoken as "oh for four"). Also wears the collar.
- A game that can be considered complete. If more than half the game has been played before being called by an umpire, it is considered "official" and all records from the game are computed in the players' and teams' statistics. For a 9-inning game, five innings need to be played. A game that cannot be considered complete can either be suspended or replayed from the first inning.
- The official scorer is a person appointed by the league to record the events on the field and to send this official record of the game back to the league offices. The official scorer never goes on the field during a game (but typically watches from the press box), and in some cases the person's identity may be nearly unknown. The official scorer's judgments do not affect the progress or outcome of the game but they do affect game and player statistics. For example, only umpires call balls and strikes, whether a batted ball is fair or foul, whether a hit is a home run, and whether runners are safe or out. But it's up the official scorer to determine whether a pitch that gets by the catcher is a wild pitch or a passed ball and whether a batted ball is a hit or an error (or a combination of the two) — scorers' judgments that affect batting averages and hitting streaks, fielding statistics, and pitching statistics.
Overall Future Potential
- Overall Future Potential (OFP) is a scouting assessment of a young player's potential as a future major leaguer, scored from 20 to 80. The criteria are different for pitchers and position players. See also tools.
Olympic Rings
- When a batter strikes out five times in a game. This same dubious achievement may also merit a Platinum Sombrero.
On-base percentage (OBP)
- Percentage of at-bats where a batter reaches base for any reason other than a fielding error or a fielder's choice.
on-deck
- The next batter due to bat after the current batter. The area designated for the on-deck batter is a circle 5 feet (1.5 m) in diameter, officially called the "next batter's box" and commonly called the "on-deck circle." Ironically, the on-deck batter rarely stands in the on-deck circle.
on the black
- The black edge of home plate. A pitch which goes over this is almost a strike.
on the board
- A team is "on the board" (i.e., the scoreboard) when it has scored one or more runs. "After being shut out for 6 innings, the Sox are finally on the board." White Sox announcer Hawk Harrelson also uses the phrase as part of his home run call: "You can put in the booooard... YES!"
on the "interstate"
- A player batting between .100 and .199 is said to be "on the interstate." The term refers to the fact that a batting average in the .100s can resemble a "spur" interstate name (e.g. .195 resembles I95), especially on older scoreboards where the numeral "1" appears identical to the uppercase letter "I" (with no serifs). A hit to put an average above .200 gets a batter "off the interstate." See also Mendoza line.
one-hitter
- A game in which one team was limited to one hit, a great feat for a pitcher. Batters may have reached base via walks, errors, or being hit by a pitch. See also no-hitter and perfect game.
one-two-three inning
"Onion"
- Derisive nickname of the short-lived Union Association.
opposite field hit
- A hit to the "opposite" side of the field from the direction of a player's natural swing, i.e. a left-handed batter that hits to left field or a right-handed batter that hits to right field. Also known as "going the other way." See pull hitter.
OPS (On-base Plus Slugging)
- A term recently invented by statheads to measure of a batter's ability to produce runs. Obtained by adding slugging average and on-base percentage.
outside corner
- The location of a strike that travels over the edge of home plate away from the batter.
P
to paint
- To throw pitches at the edges of the strike zone. A pitcher who can "paint" consistiently may be referred to as Rembrandt or Picasso, and can be said to paint the black or paint the corner.
park
- To hit a home run. "He parked a three-run homer." The term implies hitting the ball into the parking lot.
park effects
- See hitter's park and Batting Park Factor.
patient hitter
- Doesn't swing at pitches out of the strike zone and waits for a pitch he can hit. Generally gets a lot of walks.
payoff pitch
- A pitch thrown with a full count. The implication is that much effort has gone into reaching this point (this is at least the sixth pitch of the at-bat), and the pitch will either pay off for the pitcher (a strikeout) or the batter (a hit or a walk). However, a foul ball can extend the at-bat. The term is most often used when a hit will score a run and a strikeout will end the inning.
PCL (Pacific Coast League)
- A AAA minor league.
pea
- A pitched ball thrown at high speed. "Clem can really fling that pea."
pearod
- A hard line drive batted back at the pitcher.
PECOTA
- A system for forecasting pitcher and hitter performance developed by Nate Silver of Baseball Prospectus. A player's "PECOTA" may be the forecasted range of his performance on a variety of indicators for the current or future seasons.
pen
- The bullpen.
- A special, very rare no-hitter where each batter is retired consecutively, allowing no baserunners via walks, errors, or any other means. A "perfect game" could involve multiple pitchers with one pitcher relieving another, but in the major leagues they all have been completed by a single pitcher.
pick up the pitch
- A batter's ability to see what kind of pitch is being thrown. "The Tigers are having a hard time picking up Saenz's slider." When they don't pick up the pitch, batters are likely to swing and miss.
pickle
- A rundown.
- A quick throw from the pitcher (or sometimes the catcher) to a fielder covering a base when the ball has not been hit into play. Normally done to catch a runner off-base, it may also keep the runner's lead in check. The pitcher must either first step off the pitching rubber with his push-off foot, or clearly step towards the base he is throwing at with his lifted leg in order for the move to not be ruled a balk.
- A substitute batter. Often brought in during a critical situation (a "pinch") to replace a weak batter (usually the pitcher, in the National League).
- A substitute baserunner. Often brought in during a critical situation (as with a pinch hitter), typically to replace a slower runner in hopes of stealing a base.
- A sticky substance used by batters to improve their grip on the bat.
- See also George Brett's famous 1983 Pine Tar Incident.
- A baseball delivered by the pitcher from the pitcher's mound to the batter as defined by the Official Rules of Baseball, Rule 2.00 (Pitch) and Rule 8.01.
pitch around
- Not throwing a batter a hittable pitch, but also not walking him intentionally and hoping to get him to chase bad pitches.
- The total number of pitches a pitcher has thrown in a given game. 100 is considered the point at which a starter who has been pitching well may start to lose his effectiveness, often dramatically.
- The fielder responsible for pitching the ball. Defensive position 1. The term "pitch" (which literally means "to place") comes from the early days when an underhand delivery was required, as with "pitching" horseshoes. The original rules specified that the ball was to be "pitched, not thrown to the bat." Overhand throwing by the pitcher has been legal since 1884, but the term pitcher and its variants remain in the language of the game.
pitcher of record
- The pitchers who receive the win (W) and the loss (L) are the "pitchers of record." A starting pitcher who is neither the winner nor the loser "earns" a "no decision".
pitcher's park
- A park in which pitchers tend to perform better than they perform on average in all other parks. This in the inverse of being a hitter's park. See hitter's park and park factor for further information.
- For example, when the wind is blowing "in" at Wrigley Field, it is typically rendered a "pitcher's park", and low scores for one or both teams are not unusual. Under those circumstances, no-hitters also become possible at a park many fans normally think of as a "hitter's park".
pitcher of record
- The pitcher on each team who is designated by the official scorer as the winning pitcher (who earns a W) and losing pitcher (who earns an L), in accordance with the scoring rules.
- A defensive tactic used to pick off a baserunner, typically employed when the defense thinks that a stolen base play is planned. The pitch is thrown outside and the catcher catches it while standing, and can quickly throw to a base. A pitchout is typically always a called "ball" (unless the batter vainly tries to hit it) and if a stolen base is indeed "on", the runner is almost certainly going to be thrown out. If no steal is on, it's just another called ball. Obviously, a pitchout is not done when the batter already has a count of 3 balls.
PL or P.L.
- Abbreviation for Players' League, a one-year (1890) major league.
- "The plate" usually connotes home plate, though a baseball field also has a pitcher's plate, more commonly referred to as the rubber. The plate is the last base that a runner must touch safely in order to score a run. Thus, his route around the bases starts and ends "at home."
- Any turn at bat is considered a plate appearance for computing stats such as on base percentage, and for determining whether a batter has enough of them (minimum 3.1 X number of scheduled games) to qualify for the batting average championship. Plate appearances consist of standard at-bats plus situations where there is no at-bat charged, such as a base on balls or a sacrifice. However, if the batter is standing in the batter's box and the third out is made elsewhere (for example, by a caught-stealing or by an appeal play), then it does not count as an appearance, because that same batter will lead off the next inning.
Platinum Sombrero
- A batter who strikes out five times in one game is said to have gotten the Platinum Sombrero. Alternatively, he may be awarded Olympic Rings.
- The practice of assigning two players to the same defensive position during a season, normally to complement a batter who hits well against left-handed pitchers with one who hits well against righties. Individual players may also find themselves marked as a platoon player, based on their hitting against righties vs. against lefties and their overall performance in both hitting and fielding. Casey Stengel brought some attention to the system by using it frequently during his New York Yankees' run of five consecutive World Series champions during 1949-1953.
- The term "platooning" is sometimes used in a more general way to refer to the in-game strategic replacement of batters in the line-up based on the handedness of a newly inserted relief pitcher, or conversely the strategic insertion of a relief pitcher to face a batter of the same hand. This is the logic behind having a LOOGY on the roster, for example. The LOOGY is to pitching what a pinch-hitter is to batting: put into the line-up for short-term strategic advantage.
platter
play by the book
- To follow the conventional wisdom in game strategy and player use. For example, when to bunt or when to bring in the closer.
player to be named later
- When two baseball clubs make a trade, part of the publicly announced deal may involve an unspecified "player to be named later" who is not one of the headline players in the deal.
players' manager
- A manager who is close to his players and who the players may consider a peer and a friend. The knock on players' managers is that they tend not to be tough disciplinarians and that out of concern for losing the sympathy of the players they find it difficult to make tough decisions that are in the best interests of the team. Thus, the term is not especially complimentary. Most managers (in business in general, as well as baseball) find they must maintain some aloofness in order to be effective. Casey Stengel used to say that the secret to managing was "to keep the guys who are neutral about you away from the guys that hate your guts."
playing in
- Double play depth when referring to middle infielders
- The first or third baseman playing closer to home plate in anticipation of a bunt.
playing back
- The usual position depth taken by infielders when they're not anticipating a bunt or setting up for a double play.
plunked
plus player
- A player with above-average major league skills. A term from baseball scouting and player evaluation. See tools.
pop
- The term has two usages that are of opposite meanings in terms of batting success and failure.
- A pop-up is a batted ball that is hit very high and stays in the infield. Called a pop-foul when it falls or is caught in foul territory.
- "Rondini popped it foul out of play" implies that Rondini hit a pop-up or pop-foul that went into the stands where a defender couldn't reach it.
- Brendan C. Boyd and Fred C. Harris, in their impish commentary in The Great American Baseball Card Flipping, Trading and Bubble Gum Book, discussed a player who was known for hitting sky-high popups and said that "he could have played his career in a stovepipe".
- The term "high pop" is short for "high pop-up".
- However, a batter with "pop" has exceptional bat speed and power.
- "Reggie popped one" implies that Reggie hit a home run.
- There is the unrelated meaning of "pop" as a beverage sold in mass quantities at the ballpark on hot summer days; also known as "soda pop", "soda", "sodie", etc. (On the geography of the terms soda, pop, and coke, see the Pop vs. Soda Page.)
- A non-pitcher.
- A powerful batter who hits many home runs and extra base hits, but who may not have a high batting average, due to an "all or nothing" hitting approach. Also slugger and slugging percentage.
pow wow
- A meeting on the mound between a coach and players to discuss strategy.
pull hitter
- A batter who often hits the ball ("pulls") towards the "natural" side of the field (e.g., a right-handed hitter hitting to left field).
pull the string
- To throw a pitch that breaks sharply and perphaps late. A pitcher has only "pulled the string" if the batter is fooled into swinging where the pitch was going, not where it ends up, therefore striking him out. The image is of a marionette jerking to one direction as a string is pulled hard.
Punch and Judy hitter
- A hitter with very little power. The first use of the term is attributed to former L.A. Dodgers manager Walter Alston who, when asked about a home run by Giants' slugger Willie McCovey, said: "When he belts a home run, he does it with such authority it seems like an act of God. You can't cry about it. He's not a Punch and Judy belter."
punch-out
- A strikeout.
purpose pitch
- A brushback.
Q
- When a starter pitches at least 6 complete innings and allows 3 or fewer earned runs. A pitcher can perform well yet not be involved in the "decision" between winning or losing. This is a statistic developed by sportswriter John Lowe to capture an aspect of pitcher performance that is not part of the standard statistics collected by Major League Baseball. It seems to be catching on among baseball players and management, but there are also some skeptics. Former Houston Astros manager Jimy Williams was said to hate that statistic. "Quality start?" he would harumph. "Quality means you win."
quick pitch
- An illegal pitch where the ball thrown is before the batter is set in the batter’s box. (Official Rules of Baseball, Rule 8.05(e))
R
rabbit ears
- Indicates a participant in the game who hears things perhaps too well for his own good. A player who becomes nervous or chokes when opposing players or fans yell at or razz him is said to have "rabbit ears". Also, an umpire who picks up on every complaint hurled at him from the dugouts is described this way.
rainbow
- A cap worn backwards, sideways, or inside-out by fans or players to bring a "rally." Said to have originated during the 1986 World Series when the New York Mets were losing the game and the series to the Red Sox, until the Mets players in the dugout started wearing their caps inside-out and the team rallied to win the game and the series.
range
- A fielder's ability to move from his position to field a ball in play.
RBI situation
regulation game
- A standard baseball game lasts nine innings, although some leagues (such as high school baseball) use seven-inning games. The team with the most runs at the end of the game wins. If the home team is ahead after eight-and-a-half innings have been played, it is declared the winner, and the last half-inning is not played. If the home team is trailing or tied in the last inning and they score to take the lead, the game ends as soon as the winning run touches home plate; however, if the last batter hits a home run to win the game, he and any runners on base are all permitted to score.
- If both teams have scored the same number of runs at the end of a regular-length game, a tie is avoided by the addition of extra innings. As many innings as necessary are played until one team has the lead at the end of an inning. Thus, the home team always has a chance to respond if the visiting team scores in the top half of the inning; this gives the home team a small tactical advantage. In theory, a baseball game could go on forever; in practice, however, they eventually end (although see Longest professional baseball game). In addition to that rule, a game might theoretically end if both the home and away team were to run out of players to substitute.
relay
- A defensive techique where the ball is thrown by an outfielder to an infielder who then throws to the final target. This is done because accurate throws are more difficult over long distances and the ball loses a considerable amount of speed the farther it must be thrown. Also cut-off.
- A relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher brought in the game as a substitute for (i.e., "to relieve") another pitcher.
retire the side
- See side retired.
rhubarb
- An argument or fight in a baseball game. Hence, Rhubarb, a novel by H. Allen Smith.
ribbie
- Slang for a Run batted in.
ring him up
- A strikeout.
RISP
- Acronym for Runners In Scoring Position. See runners in scoring position.
road game
- A game played away from a baseball club's home stadium. When a team plays away from home, it's on a "road trip" and is the "visiting team" at the home stadium of another team.
road trip
- A series of road games or away games occurs on a road trip, a term derived from the days when teams indeed traveled from one town to another by roadway.
rookie
- Conventionally, rookie is a term for athletes in their first year of play in their sport. In Major League Baseball, special rules apply for eligibility for the Rookie of the Year award in each league. To be eligible, a player must have accumulated, prior to the current season:
- Fewer than 130 at bats and 50 innings pitched in the major leagues or
- Fewer than 45 days on the active rosters of major league clubs (excluding time on the disabled list or any time after rosters are expanded on September 1).
room service
- A ball that's hit right to a fielder, so he hardly has to move to get it.
rope
- A hard line drive. Also see "frozen rope".
roster
- The official list of players who are eligible to play in a given game and to be included on the lineup card for that game. Major League Baseball limits the regular-season active roster to 25 players during most of the season, but additional players may be on disabled list, and the roster can be expanded to as many as 40 active players after August 31st.
- A starting pitcher in professional baseball usually rests three or four days after pitching a game before pitching another. Therefore, most professional baseball teams have four or five starting pitchers on their roster. These pitchers, and the sequence in which they pitch is known as the rotation. In modern baseball, a five-man rotation is most common.
rubber
- The rubber, formally termed the pitching plate, is a white rubber strip the front of which is exactly sixty feet six inches (18.4 m) from the rear point of home plate. A pitcher will push off the rubber with his foot in order to gain velocity toward home plate when pitching.
rubber arm
- A pitcher is said to have a "rubber arm" if he can throw many pitches without tiring. Livan Hernandez may have the ultimate rubber arm, having eclipsed 200 innings seven times in his ten-year career.
rubber game
- A term used for the third game of 3-game series, the fifth of a best-of-five series, and the seventh of a best-of-seven series, when the two teams have split the first two, four, or six games, respectively. Originally a card-playing term. (Ask Yahoo!).
- A play in which a runner is stranded between two bases, and runs back and forth to try to avoid fielders with the ball. The fielders (usually basemen) toss the ball back and forth, to prevent the runner from getting to a base, and typically close in on him and tag him, barring an error or the need to make a play on another runner. Also called a hot box or a pickle. Sometimes used as a baserunning strategy by a trailing runner, to distract the fielders and allow a leading runner or runners to advance.
runners at the corners
- runners on 1st and 3rd, with 2nd base open.
runners in scoring position
- Batting average with runners in scoring position (RISP) is used as an approximation of clutch hitting. Game announcers are apt to put up and comment on the latter statistic during a broadcast to set the stage for an at bat. A good hitter is expected to have a higher batting average when there are runners in scoring position.
Ruthian Blast
- A home run that travels very far.
S
- Sabermetrics is the analysis of baseball through objective evidence, especially baseball statistics. The term is derived from the acronym SABR, which stands for the Society for American Baseball Research. The term was coined by Bill James, an enthusiastic proponent and its most notable figure.
- A sacrifice bunt (also called a sacrifice hit or simply a "sacrifice") is the act of deliberately bunting the ball in a manner that allows a runner on base to advance to another base, while the batter is himself put out. If the sacrifice is successful, the batter is not charged with an at bat (AB). But he is credited with a SAC or S or SH.
- When a batter hits a fly ball to the outfield which is caught for an out, but a runner scores from 3rd base after tagging up or touching the bag following the catch. The batter thus "sacrifices" himself, gets credited with an RBI, but is not charged with an at bat (AB). Unlike a sacrifice bunt, sacrifice flies are likely to be unintentional, so the batter only gets credit if a run is scored, not merely a base advanced. Also referred to as "sac fly," abbreviated as SF.
safety squeeze
- A squeeze play in which the runner on third waits for the batter to lay down a successful bunt before breaking for home. Contrast this with the suicide squeeze.
salad
- An easily handled pitch.
salami
- A grand slam.
Sally League
- The South Atlantic League ("SAL"), a Class A minor baseball league with teams located mainly in the southeastern United States.
- In baseball statistics the term save (abbreviated SV, or sometimes, S) is used to indicate the successful maintenance of a lead by a relief pitcher, usually the closer, until the end of the game. A save is credited to a pitcher who fulfills the following three conditions:
- The pitcher is the last pitcher in a game won by his team;
- The pitcher is not the winning pitcher (for instance, if a starting pitcher throws a complete game win or, alternatively, if the pitcher gets a blown save and then his team scores a winning run while he is the pitcher of record, sometimes known as a "vulture win");
- The pitcher fulfills at least one of the following three conditions:
- He comes into the game with a lead of no more than three runs, and pitches at least one full inning.
- He comes into the game with the potential tying run being either on base, at bat, or on deck.
- He pitches effectively for at least 3 innings after entering the game with a lead and finishes the game.
- If the pitcher surrenders the lead at any point, he cannot get a save, even if his team comes back to win. No more than one save may be credited in each game.
- If a relief pitcher satisfies all of the criteria for a save, except he does not finish the game, he will often be credited with a hold.
- The third rule can be contentious, as it is subject to the judgment of the official scorer.
- For more discussion see Save (sport).
save situation
- Generally, a save situation is when a pitcher enters the game with a lead of three runs or fewer and finishes the game without relinquishing the lead. Most of the time, the saving pitcher pitches one or more innings.
scoring position
- A runner on 2nd or 3rd base is in scoring position, as he is presumed to have a good chance to score on a base hit to the outfield.
screwball
- A pitch that curves to the same side as the side it was thrown from. For a right-hand pitcher, the ball would break to the right -- it would break "in" to a right-hand hitter. SYNONYMS: reverse curve, fadeaway, fader, screwgie, scroogie, reverse curveball.
seal the win
- See nailed and shuts the door. "Gagne came on in the last inning to seal the victory."
seamer
- 2 seamer - a "two seam fastball" where the ball is held by the pitcher such that, when thrown, its rotation only shows two seams per revolution
- 4 seamer - like a 2 seamer, but the rotation shows 4 seams per revolution of the ball. Batters count the number of visible seams to help judge the kind of pitch by its rotation.
seeing eye ball
- a batted ground ball that just eludes capture by an infielder, just out of infielder's range, as if it could "see" where it needed to go. Less commonly used for a ball that takes an unusual lateral bounce to elude an infielder
Senior Circuit
- The National League, so-called because it is the older of the two major leagues.
sent down
- A major league player may be sent down or demoted to a minor league team either before or during the season. When this occurs during the season, another player is usually called up or promoted from the minor leagues or placed on the active roster after being removed from the disabled list.
series
- A set of games between two teams. During the regular season, teams typically play 3- or 4-game series against one another, with all of the games in the series played in the home park of one of the teams. The set of all games played between two teams during the regular season is referred to as the season series. For games played between teams in a single league, the regular season series includes an equal number of games in the home parks of each team. In the playoffs, series involve games played in the home stadiums of both teams, but these series cannot (mathematically) have an equal number of games in the home parks of each team.
setup pitcher
- A relief pitcher who is consistently used immediately before the closer.
- The period between the top and bottom of the seventh inning, when the fans present traditionally stand up to stretch their legs. A sing-along of the song "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" has become part of this tradition, a practice most associated with Chicago broadcaster Harry Caray. Since the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States, "God Bless America" is sometimes played in addition to, or in lieu of, "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" in remembrance of those who lost their lives in the attacks, especially at home games of the New York Yankees and New York Mets. This occurs on Opening Day, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, September 11th, Sundays and during the All-Star Game, and post-season including the World Series. In Milwaukee fans often sing "Roll Out the Barrel" after the traditional song.
shade
- verb, where a player(s) (usually an outfielder) positions oneself slightly away from their normal spot in the field based on a prediction of where the batter might hit the ball.
shift
- where the entire infield and/or outfield (that is, the players) position themselves clockwise or counter-clockwise from their usual position. This is to anticipate a batted ball from a batter who tends to hit to one side of the field. Also shade. In the case of some batters, especially lefthanders, and with the bases empty, managers have been known to shift fielders from the left side to the right side. This was done to Willie McCovey among others. The most extreme case was the famous "Ted Williams shift" (also once called the "Lou Boudreau shift"). Cleveland Indians manager Boudreau moved 6 of 7 fielders (including himself, the shortstop) to the right of second base, leaving just the leftfielder playing shallow, and daring Teddy Ballgame to single to left rather than trying to "hit it where they ain't" somewhere on the right side. Williams saw it as a challenge, a game within The Game, and seldom hit the ball to left on purpose in that circumstance.
shoestring catch
- When a fielder, usually an outfielder, catches a ball just before it hits the ground ("off his shoetops"), and remains running while doing so.
shoot the cripple
- When the pitch count is 3 balls and no strikes, the pitcher is presumed to need to pitch inside in order to obtain a strike. The name comes from the belief that the next pitch will be easy to hit; since the pitcher has to throw a strike in order to pull close in the count, getting a hit will be as easy as "shooting a cripple".
short hop
- A ball that bounces immediately in front of an infielder. If the batter is a fast runner, an infielder may intentionally "short hop the ball" (take the ball on the short hop) to hasten his throw to first base.
shot
- A home run, as in "Ryan Howard's 2-run shot gives him 39 home runs for the year."
- A good chance, within reach, as in "The Red Sox have a shot at taking over 1st place."
the Show
- The major leagues. Particularly "in the Show." Or in "the Bigs" (big leagues, major leagues).
shut out
- According to the Dickson dictionary, the term derives from horseracing, in which a bettor arrives at the window too late to place a bet, due to the race already having started, so the bettor is said to be "shut out" (this specific usage was referenced in the film The Sting).
- A team shuts out its opponent when it prevents them from scoring any runs in a given game.
- "Santana shut out the Royals with a 3-hitter" means that the Royals went scoreless as Santana pitched a complete-game shutout. The pitcher or pitchers on the winning team thus get statistical credit for an individual shutout or a combined-to-pitch-shutout, respectively.
shuts the door
- Term used to describe when a pitcher, generally the closer, finishes the ballgame with a save or makes the last out.
side retired
- When the third out of an inning is called, the "side is retired" and the other team takes its turn at bat. A pitcher or a defensive team can be said to have "retired the side." The goal of any pitcher is to face just three batters and make three outs: to "retire the side in order," have a "one-two-three inning," or have "three up, three down."
sidearmer
- A pitcher who throws with a sidearm motion, i.e. not a standard overhanded delivery.
single
- A one-base hit.
sinker
- A pitch, typically a fastball, that breaks sharply downward as it crosses the plate. Also see "drop ball."
skipper or skip
slap hitter
- A hitter who sacrifices power for batting average, trying to make contact with the ball and "hit it where they ain't". Prime examples: Ty Cobb, Tony Gwynn, Rod Carew, and Ichiro Suzuki.
slice foul
- When a fly ball or line drive starts out over fair territory, then curves into foul territory due to aerodynamic force caused by spinning of the ball, imparted by the bat. A slice curves away from the batter (ie: it curves to the right for a right-handed batter and to the left for a left-handed batter).
slide
- A slide is when a player drops to the ground when going into a base, to avoid a tag and (in the case of second or third base) as a means of stopping, so as not to overrun the base and risk being put out. Players also sometimes slide head-first into first base, thinking that diving for the base will get them there faster than simply running.
- A team having a losing streak is on a slide or on the skids.
- A relatively fast pitch with a slight curve in the opposite direction of the throwing arm.
slug
- To hit with great power.
slugger
- Any person who commonly hits with great power, but sometimes used in reference to a child to boost their ego.
- A measure of the power of a hitter, calculated as total bases divided by at bats. Often abbreviated as SLG or SA. Just as a "perfect" batting average would be 1.000 (read "one thousand") a "perfect" slugging average would be 4.000 (read "four thousand").
slump
- An extended period when player or team is not performing well or up to expectations. A dry spell or drought.
small ball
- A strategy by which teams attempt to score runs using station-to-station, bunting and sacrifice plays; usually used in a situation where one run will either tie or win the game; manufacturing run(s); close kin to inside baseball.
smoke
- A pitcher who "throws smoke" throws so hard that the batter is likely only to see the ball's smoke trail.
smoked
- When a play-by-play reporter exclaims "That ball was smoked!" he implies that it was hit so hard that all you could see of the ball is its (imaginary) smoke trail.
soft hands
- A fielder's ability to cradle the ball well in his glove. Contrast hard hands.
solo home run
- A home run hit when there are no runners already on base. The batter circles the bases solo.
sophomore jinx
- The tendency for players to follow a good rookie season with a less-spectacular one. (This term is used outside the realm of baseball as well.) Two of the most notorious examples are Joe Charboneau and Mark Fidrych. The statistical term for the sophomore jinx is "regression to the mean".
- Left-hander, especially a pitcher. Most baseball stadiums are built so that home plate is in the west and the outfield is in the east, so that when the sun sets it is not in the batter's eye. Because of this, a left-handed pitcher's arm is always facing south when he faces the plate. Thus he has a "southpaw."
speed merchant
- a fast player, often collecting stolen bases, bunt singles and/or infield hits.
spike
- A runner can "spike" an infielder by sliding into him and causing an injury with the spikes of his shoes.
spitter
- A spitball pitch in which the ball has been altered by the application of spit, petroleum jelly, or some other foreign substance.
split-finger
- A fastball that breaks sharply toward the ground just before reaching the plate due to the pitcher's grip; his first two fingers are spread far apart to put a downward spin on the ball. Also called a splitter or a forkball.
spray hitter
- A batter who hits line drives to all fields. Not a pull hitter.
- In Major League Baseball, spring training consists of work-outs and exhibition games that precede the regular season. It serves the purpose of both auditioning players for final roster spots and giving players practice prior to competitive play. The managers and coaches use spring training to set their opening-day 25-man roster.
squeeze play
- A tactic used to attempt to score a runner from third on a bunt. There are two types of squeeze plays: suicide squeeze and safety squeeze.
squibber
- A nubber.
- The starting pitcher (or "starter") is the first pitcher in the game for each team. A starter is expected to pitch at least five innings, in contrast with relievers who often pitch just three, two or one or even fractional innings. In fact, by the scoring rules, a starter must complete five innings in order to qualify as the winning pitcher in the game, though he need face only a single batter to become the losing pitcher if his team immediately falls behind and stays behind for the remainder of the game.
station-to-station
- Oddly enough, this term can mean completely different things. It can be referred to as a close relative of inside baseball, where hit-and-runs and base-stealing are frequent. It can also mean its exact opposite, where a team takes fewer chances of getting thrown out on the bases by cutting down on steal attempts and taking the extra base on a hit; therefore, the team will maximize the number of runs scored on a homer.
stathead
- Statheads use statistical methods to analyze baseball game strategy as well as player and team performance. They use the tools of sabermetrics to analyze baseball. See Evolution of baseball player evaluation.
stats
- Short for "statistics", the numbers generated by the game: runs, hits, errors, strikeouts, batting average, earned run average, fielding average, etc. Most of the numbers used by players and fans are not true mathematical statistics, but the term is in common usage.
stealing signs
- When a team that is at bat tries to see what kind of sign the catcher is giving to the pitcher (indicating what type of pitch to throw), the team is said to be stealing signs. This may be done by a runner who is on base (typically second base) watching the catcher's signs to the pitcher and giving a signal of some kind to the batter. (To prevent this, the pitcher and catcher may change their signs when there is a runner on second base.) Sometimes a first-base or third-base coach might see a catcher's signs if the catcher isn't careful. In unusual cases, the signs may be read through binoculars by somebody sitting in the stands, perhaps in center field, and sending a signal to the hitter in some way.
- When a hitter is suspected of peaking to see how a catcher is setting up behind the plate as a clue to what pitch might be coming or what the intended location is, then the pitcher will usually send the hitter a message: stick it in his ear.
stick it in his ear
- "Stick it in his ear!" is a cry that that may come from fans in the stands, appealing to the home team pitcher to be aggressive (throw the ball at the opposing batter). The line is attributed originally, however, to Leo Durocher.
- In baseball, a stolen base (or "steal") occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate. In baseball statistics, stolen bases are denoted by SB. If the catcher thwarts the stolen base by throwing the runner out, the event is recorded as caught stealing (CS). Also see uncontested steal.
stone fingers
- A player who misplays easy ground balls. Also see hard hands. Pittsburgh Pirates first-baseman Dick Stuart was given the label "Stone Fingers" (a reference to the James Bond movie Goldfinger) as well as the nickname "Dr. Strangeglove" (a reference to the movie Dr. Strangelove).
stopper
- This term originally a referred to a team's best starting pitcher, who would be called upon to stop a losing streak. Now it refers to the a team's top relief pitcher.
stretch a hit
- Taking an additional base on a hit. "Damon stretched that single to a double with his hustle." "Glaus got caught trying to stretch a double to a triple."
strike
- When a batter swings at a pitch, but fails to hit the ball within the baselines or when a batter does not swing and the pitch is thrown within the strike zone, or when the ball is hit foul and the Strike Count is less than 2 (a batter cannot strike out on a foul ball, however he can fly Out)
strike out the side
- A pitcher is said to "strike out the side" when he retires all three batters in a half inning by striking them out, not necessarily in a row
- An imaginary box used to call strikes (see image here). The Rules Book definition is that the strike zone "is that area over home plate the upper limit of which is a horizontal line at the midpoint between the top of the shoulders and the top of the uniform pants, and the lower level is a line at the hollow beneath the kneecap. The strike zone shall be determined from the batter's stance as the batter is prepared to swing at a pitched ball." When, in the plate umpire's judgment, the ball passes through the strike zone and the batter either does not swing, one strike is "called" (as opposed to a "swinging" strike).
- That wordy definition of the upper limit of the strike zone is sometimes reduced to "the letters", i.e., the area of the uniform shirt where the team's name usually appears; or, as some plain-speaking types say, "the nipple line". (Taking the anatomical comparisons further, the ever-earthy Ted Williams used to describe certain good pitches to hit as being "at cock level").
- Despite the formal rules, umpires differ in the strike zones that they recognize or enforce. Major League Baseball has experimented in recent years with the QuesTec system, which uses laser light technology to standardize the zone and to measure umpires' "personal" strike zones. But balls and strikes are still called by umpires, not machines. The issue of whether a "called" pitch is a ball or a strike is typically the focal point of arguments during a game. While players and managers can yell about the calls from the bench all day, the rules specifically prohibit managers from leaving the dugout to protest ball-and-strike calls, the penalty for which is ejection. No such rule applies to the players, although as with any argument the umpire has the latitude to eject a player whose protest goes beyond a "reasonable" time or becomes personally offensive.
struck out looking
- A batter called out on strikes without swinging on the third strike is said to have "struck out lookin'."
stuff
- Suppose a pitcher has three excellent pitches (fastball, slider, and change-up), a high-90 mph fastball, great command, excellent location, a rubber arm. Bound for stardom, right (assuming no injury)? Only if he has "stuff." Stuff means that his pitches have "something extra" to them: a sudden and timely movement that makes his pitches elusive so that hitters miss them or hit them weakly. In "Amadeus" both Salieri and Mozart could write good music, but only Mozart had "stuff."
submariner
- A pitcher who throws with such a severe sidearm motion that the pitch comes from below his waist, sometimes near the ground. (A submariner does not throw underhanded, as in fastpitch softball.) See submarine.
subway series
- When two teams from the same city or metropolitan area play a series of games, they are presumed to be so near to one another that they could take the subway to play at their opponent's stadium. Mets vs. Yankees would be (and is) called a subway series; a Cubs vs. White Sox series would be an "L" series; and a series beween the Oakland A's and the San Francisco Giants would be (and was) the "BART" series. However, a series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim would not be a subway series, because there is no subway or other rail service between Dodger Stadium and Angel Stadium of Anaheim (not even the fabled line between "Anaheim, Azusa and Cuc...amonga").
suicide squeeze
- A squeeze play in which the runner on third breaks for home on the pitch, so that, if the batter does not lay down a bunt, then the runner is an easy out (unless he steals home). Contrast this with the safety squeeze.
sweep
- To take all the games in a series between two teams, whether during the regular 162-game season or during the league championships or World Series. During the regular season, pairs of teams typically square off in several 3- or 4-game series at the home parks of each team. It is also thus possible for one team to sweep a 3- or 4-game series, the "home series" (all the games a team plays at its home field against another given team), the "road series," or the "season series" between two teams.
switch hitter
- A player who can hit from both sides of the plate, i.e., he bats both left-handed and right-handed.
T
tag
- To hit the ball hard, typically for an extra-base hit. "McCovey tagged that one into the gap."
- A tag out, sometimes just called a tag, is a play in which a baserunner is out because he is touched by the fielder's hand holding a live ball while the runner is in jeopardy. "Helton was tagged out at second" implies that a defensive player touched him with the ball before he reached second base.
take sign
- A sign given to a batter to not swing, or "take", at the next pitch. Sometimes when a new pitcher or reliever comes in, batters are given a general instruction to take the first pitch. Most often, they are told to take a pitch when the count is 3-0.
take-out slide
- A slide performed for the purpose of hampering the play of the defense. A runner from first to second base will often try to "take out" the fielder at the base to disrupt his throw to first base and "break up the double play." Although the runner is supposed to stay within the base-paths, as long as he touches second base he has a lot of leeway to use his body. Runners in this situation usually need to slide in order to avoid being hit by the throw from second to first; but whether they do a "take-out slide" or come into the base with their spikes high in the air depends as much on their personal disposition as it does the situation. The title of a biography of Ty Cobb — "The Tiger Wore Spikes" — said something about how he ran the basepaths.
tap
- To hit a slow or easy ground ball, typically to the pitcher: "Martinez tapped it back to the mound."
tater
- A home run. The term started to appear in the 1970s, specifically as "long tater". The ball itself has been known as a "potato" or "tater" for generations. A long ball is thus a "long tater", shortened to just "tater" for this specific meaning.
tattoo
- To hit the ball very hard, figuratively to put a tattoo from the bat's trademark on the ball.
tee off
- When a pitcher starts serving up hittable pitches as if they were sitting on golf tees, the batters may start teeing off.
Texas Leaguer
- A Texas Leaguer (or Texas League single) is a weakly hit fly ball that drops in for a single between an infielder and an outfielder. See blooper.
third of an inning
- Line stat credited to a pitcher retiring one out of a full inning. For convenience in print, however, a pitcher who goes 4 and one-third innings might be shown in the box score as completing 4.1 innings, as compared with a pitcher who goes four and two-thirds innings for whom the box score would show 4.2.
three-bagger
- A triple.
three-base hit
- A triple.
three true outcomes
- The three ways a plate appearance can end without fielders coming into play: walks, home runs, and strikeouts. Baseball Prospectus coined the term in homage to Rob Deer, who excelled at producing all three outcomes. Traditionally, players with a high percentage of their plate appearances ending in one of the three true outcomes are underrated, as general managers often overestimate the harm in striking out, and underestimate the value of a walk.
three up, three down
- To face just three batters in an inning. Having a "three up, three down inning" is the goal of any pitcher. See side retired.
tipping pitches
- When a pitcher is giving inadvertent signals to the hitters concerning what kind of pitch he's about to throw, he's said to be "tipping his pitches." It may be something in his position on the rubber, his body lean, how he holds or moves his glove when going into the stretch, whether he moves his index finger outside his glove, or some aspect of his pitching motion. When a pitcher "tips his pitches," the batters are likely to tee off and have a spell of batting practice at his expense.
- Coaches and as well as players on the bench make a habit of watching everything an opposing pitcher is doing, looking for information that will allow them to forecast what kind of pitch is coming. When pitchers go through a bad spell, they may become paranoid that they're tipping their pitches to the opposing batters. When this happens, a pitcher and coaches are likely to spend a lot of time studying film of the games to learn what the pitcher might be doing that tips his pitches.
tools
- Tools are a position player's abilities in five areas: hitting for average, hitting for power, running, fielding, and throwing. Baseball scouts evaluate prospects based on their current skills and likely further development in each of these areas. The scouts also make an overall judgment of a player's tools, and they assign an Overall Future Potential (OFP) score to each player; but the OFP is not computed in any formal way from numeric assessments of the players in the specific skill areas. An analogous scouting assessment of pitchers refers to a variety of pitching skills as well as to the pitcher's OFP. The OFP scale for pitchers and position players ranges from 20 to 80. A player with an OFP of 50 is thought to have the potential to play at an average major league level. A score of 60 is also called a "plus," and a score of 70 is also called a "plus-plus"; thus, plus and plus-plus players are viewed as having the potential to become above-average major leaguers. This language can also be applied to the specific tools of a player, as in: "He still projects as a plus hitter with plus power and plus-plus speed."
- Also see 5 tool player.
tools of ignorance
- A catcher's gear.
toolsie
- A player with a lot of tools who hasn't yet developed into a mature player: "Granderson is not just a toolsie player trying to learn how to convert his excellent tools into usable baseball skills. He's already well down the road of converting them."
- A type of elbow surgery for pitchers named after Tommy John, a pitcher and the first professional athlete to successfully undergo the operation. Invented by Dr. Frank Jobe in 1974 and known medically as an ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction.
top of the inning
- The first half of an inning, during which the visiting team bats, derived from its position in the line score.
tossed
- When a player or manager is ordered by an umpire to leave a game, that player or manager is said to haved been "tossed". Usually, this is the result of arguing a ruling by the umpire. Similar to being "red carded" in the game of soccer. See ejected.
"touch all the bases"
- To "touch all the bases" (or "touch 'em all") is to hit a home run. (If a player fails to literally "touch 'em all", i.e. if he misses a base during his home run trot, he can be called out on appeal).
TR
- Throws right; used in describing a player's statistics, for example: John Doe (TR, BR, 6', 172 lbs.)
- A three-base hit.
triple play
- When three outs are made on one play. This is rare.
turn two
- To execute a double play.
twin killing
- A double play.
twirler
- An old fashioned term for a pitcher. In the early years, pitchers would often twirl their arms in a circle one or more times before delivering the ball, literally using a "windup", in the belief it would reduce stress on their arms. The terms "twirler" and "twirling" faded along with that motion. The modern term "hurler" is effectively the substitute term.
two-bagger
- A double.
two-base hit
- A double.
two-sport player
- Many college players play two sports, but it is rare for someone to play two major league professional sports well or simultaneously. Sometimes players have brief major league trial periods in two professional sports but quickly drop one of them. Some "two-sport" players who played multiple major league baseball seasons have been Jim Thorpe, Gene Conley, Bo Jackson, Danny Ainge, and Deion Sanders. Although Michael Jordan tried to become a major league baseball player after his first retirement from the National Basketball Association, he didn't make the grade.
two-thirds of an inning
- Line stat credited to a pitcher retiring 2 outs of a full inning. For convenience in print, however, a pitcher who goes six and two-thirds innings might be shown in the box score as completing 6.2 innings, as compared with a pitcher who goes six and one-third innings for whom the box score would be shown as completing 6.1.
two-way player
- A term borrowed from American football to describe either a player who can both pitch and hit well, or a player who can pitch and play another defensive position well. This term is used almost exclusively to describe high school, college, or low minor league players. The most famous Major League ballplayer who was truly a two-way player was Babe Ruth, who in his early career was an outstanding pitcher but later played almost exclusively in the outfield — and was one of the greatest home run hitters of all-time.
U
UA or U.A.
- Abbreviation for Union Association, a one-year (1884) major league.
Uecker Seats
- Spectator seating offering a very poor view of the playing field. Usually located in a stadium's upper decks. Named in honor of longtime Milwaukee Brewers announcer Bob Uecker, in reference to one of his Miller Lite Beer TV ads in which he is removed from the box seats and learns that his tickets actually put him in the back row of the right field upper deck at the stadium.
ugly finder
- A foul ball hit into a dugout, presumably destined to "find" someone who is ugly, or to render him that way if he fails to dodge the ball.
- The person charged with officiating the game. Sometimes addressed as Blue or abbreviated as ump. Fans and players alike of course have a rich vocabulary for describing umps.
unassisted play
- A play that a fielder single-handedly completes for an out that is more often completed by multiple fielders. For example, with a runner on first base, a ground ball is hit to the shortstop who then steps on second base, completing a force out. Variations are: the unassisted double play (rare) and the unassisted triple play (very, very rare).
Uncle Charlie
- A slang term used to describe a curve ball.
Uncontested steal
- If a base runner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate but the catcher does not attempt to throw him out, then the steal may be scored as an "uncontested steal." In the game's statistics, the runner would not be credited with a stolen base. See also stolen base and defensive indifference.
up
- "Up" has many and diverse uses in baseball. For example:
- "Batter up!": the umpire's cry starting an inning.
- At bat, at the plate. A player who is at bat is "up" or "up at bat."
- Three up, three down: three batters came to the plate, and all three are out.
- A team in the lead is "up" by some number of runs.
- The batter got under the ball and popped it up.
- The pitcher got the pitch "up", and the batter popped it over the fence for a homer.
- Called up means a player has been promoted from the minors to the majors.
up and in
- Same as high and tight.
upper decker
- A home run that lands in the stadium's upper deck of seating.
upstairs
- a pitched ball that is high, and usually outside the strike zone
up the middle
- On the field very close to second base, used to describe the location of batted balls. Also, in a more general sense, the area of the field on the imaginary line running from home plate through the pitcher's mound, second base, and center field. General managers typically build teams "up the middle"; that is, with strong defense in mind at catcher, second base, shortstop, and center field.
utility player
- A player (usually a bench player) who can play several different positions.
V
visiting team
- A team playing in another team's home stadium is the "visiting team" — or the "visitors." The visiting team bats in the top half of the inning. A fabled sign at Tiger Stadium on the visitor's clubhouse read "No Visitors Allowed".
VORP
- Value Over Replacement Player, Keith Woolner's method of evaluating baseball players. VORP ranks players by comparing their run production (for batters) to that of an imaginary "replacement-level" player that teams can acquire for the league-minimum salary.
W
wallop
- A home run. "What a wallop!"
- A game-ending home run by the home team. So called because the losing team (usually the visiting team) then has to walk off the field. The term "walk-off" can also be applied to any situation with two outs or less in the last at-bat of the home team (such as the walk-off single, wild pitch, etc.) where the game ends as the winning run scores. For example, a bases loaded bases on balls in the bottom of the last inning has been described as "a walk-off walk". In reference to a home run, the older term is "sudden death", or, as touted by national broadcaster Curt Gowdy, "sudden victory".
- The dirt and finely-ground gravel (as opposed to grass) area bordering the fence, especially in the outfield. It is intended to help prevent fielders from inadvertently running into the fence. 1950s and 60s broadcaster Bob Wolff used to call it the "cinder path". The first "warning tracks" actually started out as running tracks in Yankee Stadium and Cleveland Stadium. True warning tracks did not become standard until the 1950s, around the time batting helmets came into standard use also.
waste a pitch
- When a pitcher gets ahead in the count, say 0-2, he may choose to throw a pitch that is outside the strike zone in hopes that the batter will chase a pitch he can't hit. "Waste a pitch" is the opposite of attack the strike zone. An example of this usage drawn from a Q & A session: "Basically, it's the preference of pitchers on the mound about wasting pitches. Tigers hurlers choose to attack opposing hitters."
wave
- To swing and miss a pitch, usually with a tentative swing.
- When an umpire signals to a runner to take a base on an overthrow into the dug-out or in case of a ground rule double or a balk, he waves the runner to the next base.
- When a third-base coach signals to a runner advancing toward the base to continue toward home plate he is said to wave the runner home.
- "Doing the wave" in the stands.
Web Gem
- an outstanding defensive play. Popularized by Baseball Tonight on ESPN.
wheelhouse
- A hitter's power zone. "Clem threw that one right into Ruben's wheelhouse. End of story." From the boating term.
wheel play
- Upon a bunt to the left side of the infield, the third-baseman runs toward home to field the bunt, and the shortstop runs to third base to cover. The infielders thus rotate like a wheel.
wheels
- Legs. A player who runs the bases fast has wheels.
whiff
- Another term used to describe a strikeout. The phrase has even been immortalized by ESPN's Dan Patrick, who uses it by saying "The whiff'.
WHIP
- Walks Plus Hits Per Innings-A measurement of the Pitcher's ability to keep batters off base. Calculated as (Bases on Balls + Hits allowed)/ (Innings pitched)
whitewash
- A shutout.
win
- Anybody who knows anything about baseball knows that a win is what the team that scores the most runs gets. But which pitcher gets credit for the win — the W — when two or more pitchers have participated on the winning side, some who may have only faced a single batter, and some who may have faced two dozen or more batters?
- A win (W) is generally credited to the pitcher for the winning team who was in the game when it last took the lead. A starting pitcher must generally complete five innings to earn a win. Under some exceptions to the general rules, the official scorer awards the win based on guidelines set forth in the official rules (see MLB Official Rule 10.19). The winning pitcher cannot also be credited with a save in the same game.
- Note that a starting pitcher must complete five innings to earn a win, but a relief pitcher can win if he is in the game when the team last takes a lead that it doesn't give up.
- A win (W) is generally credited to the pitcher for the winning team who was in the game when it last took the lead. A starting pitcher must generally complete five innings to earn a win. Under some exceptions to the general rules, the official scorer awards the win based on guidelines set forth in the official rules (see MLB Official Rule 10.19). The winning pitcher cannot also be credited with a save in the same game.
- A loss (L) is charged to the pitcher for the losing team who is charged with allowing the run that gives the opposing team a lead they do not relinquish for the remainder of the game. The pitcher who gives up a hit to score the "go-ahead run" does not necessarily receive the loss; instead the L goes to the pitcher who allowed the run-scoring player to reach base. But note that a pitcher (including the starter) need face only one batter to receive his L, but a starting pitcher needs to complete five innings to earn a W.
- For further discussion see Win (baseball).
Winter leagues
- Currently, three minor leagues with seasons that happen during the "off-season" of major league baseball: the Arizona Fall League, the Puerto Rican League, and the Venezuelan Winter League. The winter leagues used to include the Cuban League.
wood
- The baseball bat. See "get good wood."
worm burner
- A hard hit ground ball that "burns" the ground.
WW
- Scoresheet notation for "wasn't watching", used by non-official scorekeepers when their attention has been distracted from the play on field. Supposedly used frequently by former New York Yankees broadcaster Phil Rizzuto.
X
Y
yacker
- A curveball with a big break.
yardwork
- A player is said to be "doing yardwork" by hitting many home runs or exhibiting power. Compare to going yard.
yardjob
- A home run. Compare to going yard.
Z
zone
- The strike zone.
See also
References
- Dictionary of Baseball
- The New Dickson Baseball Dictionary, by Paul Dickson - contains a very extensive list of Baseball jargon and terms.