Throwing hand, typically meaning a pitcher's. (ex. Meanwhile, Baker has safely reached second base. Pine tar: A sticky substance most commonly used by batters to improve their grip on the bat. four-seamer like a two-seamer, but the rotation shows four seams per revolution. Similarly, with metal bats, the outfielders have to learn to distinguish a "ping" from a "plunk". To beat another team, especially by a decisive score. Breaking ball: A pitch thrown with movement, usually sideways or downward. We don't keep calm, it's Baseball season. A: Assists when a fielder helps in a putout. third for a right-hander or first for a lefty. Short porch: A baseball field with a short distance to the outfield fence. Find me on: Fastpitch softball has a way of its own when it comes to the language you hear between players, coaches, and parents, but if you're a newcomer to the sport, you might be left a little in the dust. TC: Total chances the number of times a player has the opportunity to record an out. To run hard through first base on a close ground ball play in an attempt to beat the throw. Ground ball - A baseball that is hit on the ground. Horsehide was the cover of choice for decades, as it was less prone to stretching than cowhide. Baseball: The official ball used in the sport of baseball. Zach Schonbrun, "Morrow hopes to go deep vs. Rays". Slugger: A player who commonly hits with great power. Triple: When a player hits the ball safely in fair play and gets to third base. Inning: An inning consists of two halves. Defined are over 2,001 quick hitting, concise, and descriptive terms. Milledge was not quite midway between second and third base when he realized the Cubs had him in a rundown. The windup is used when there are no runners on base or there is only a runner on third. This is a list of common baseball lingo and jargon terms. Sometimes these players are referred to as. The term has been attributed to New York Daily News cartoonist Bruce Stark, who in the 1970s first depicted relievers for the New York Mets and Yankees as firemen coming in to save their teams from danger. Of a hitter, with a count of two strikes, to make a third strike by swinging at and missing a pitch, swinging at a pitch and tipping a foul ball directly into the catcher's mitt which is subsequently caught, taking a called strike, or bunting a ball foul. K or : Strikeouts when a batter fails to successfully make a hit. The adage "two hands while you're learning" was a necessity in the early years, when gloves simply absorbed shock. Also called a save opportunity. Score that a two-run double and a big ol' base-running blunder.[157]. When the ball touches the batter in the strike zone. Also known as smoke, a bullet, a heater (the heat generated by the ball can be felt), the express (as opposed to the local, an offspeed pitch), or a hummer (the ball cannot be seen, only heard). Base knock: Another term for hitting a single. Perhaps he has a hitch in his swing, or his batting stance has changed. QAB is short for " quality at bats ," an unofficial statistic not used by the MLB. GIDP: Ground into double plays when a batter hits a ground ball that results in multiple outs. Curtain call: As in theater, when a players performance causes such excitement from the audience that he returns from the dugout to tip his cap or wave. The fence behind homeplate, designed to protect spectators from wild pitches or foul balls. Akin to what is called a. This term is mainly used for change ups and split-fingered fastballs, and occasionally for an overhand curveball. Ducks on the pond: When two or three players are on base. View their position numbers to understand how to score defensive plays. Left on base: A baserunner is said to be left on base or stranded when the half-inning ends, and he has not scored or been put out. The Green Monster is a popular nickname for the37.2 feet(11.3 m) high left field wall at Fenway Park, home to the Boston Red Sox baseball team. Sports Columnists Elliott: An edge in pitching experience, "Pride of Taunton - Taunton, MA - The Taunton Gazette", "Mulder shakes off injury to pitch gem | MLB.com: News", "Orioles vs. Tigers - Game Recap - September 12, 2010 - ESPN", "MLB's new labor deal requires earlier start times on getaway days,", "Even with getaway day lineup, Giants complete Colorado sweep,", "North County Times - Pro Sports - M's go deep four times to trip Twins", "Sporting News: Baseball History of the World Series", "ESPN - Indians vs. Angels - Recap - April 07, 2008", Detroit Tigers, Sean Casey, Todd Jones, Magglio Ordonez, Major League Baseball, Kansas City Royals CBSSports.com, Major League Baseball posts a list of ground rules for each ballpark, Cecilia Tan, "Why I Like Baseball: An Online Journal", Feb. 3, 2001, "Creating MLB's All-Time Hall of 'Very Good' Team", "Golf dictionary, phrases, words, terms and their real meanings", "2020 MLB Park Factors - Runs - Major League Baseball", "Park Factor Review: A Look at All Parks, Majors to A-Ball - Baseball ProspectusBaseball Prospectus", "Feeling hitterish with Diz and the Babe", "The Hole in the Middle of the Indians Line-Up - Blogcritics Sports", "Historical Trends in Home-Field Advantage", "Pirates Slow Down Dodgers In Bid To Overtake Giants", "Roberto Clemente: A Howitzer for an Arm, An Ocean for a Heart", "Things I Love And Hate, Part Two: The Human Rain Delay", "Post-Merger Blues: Intra-League Contract Jumping S. Phillip Heiner", "Granderson's homer, Thames' slam power Tigers' win", "Baseball Falls Short Against VMI in Season Opener, 5-3 - GatorZone.com", "Wang overpowers Sox with two-hitter | MLB.com: News", "Knack in Clutch Spots Eludes Mets", MLB.com, June 16, 2007, "KC makes 'keep the line moving' a way of life", "For Royals, keeping the line moving starts with Alcides Escobar and Ben Zobrist", "'Dickson's Baseball Dictionary' A Labor Of Love,", "Scout.com: Local Sluggers Show Off in AA Home Run Derby", "Countdown to Liftoff: How Joey Gallo and Josh Donaldson Embody Baseball's New Era", "BaseballAmerica.com: High School: Everyone Roasts at East Coast", Adam LaRoche, Akinori Otsuka, Albert Pujols, Major League Baseball - CBSSports.com, "Coolbaugh's death prompts MLB to adopt helmets for base coaches", "Pitcher Tyler Zombro's remarkable recovery after being hit by a line drive", "Field Of Dreams: Phillies Use The Longball To Take Game 1 From The Dodgers", "What Is A "Magic Number" And How Is It Calculated? BK: Balk when a pitcher makes an illegal motion or action. Turn two: To execute a double play. This item: The Language of Baseball: A Complete Dictionary of Slang Terms, Cliches, and Expressions From The Grand Ole Game by Ryan Gray Paperback $19.95 The Dickson Baseball Dictionary by Paul Dickson Paperback $17.39 Product details Publisher : Coaches Choice; DVD Video edition (January 1, 2002) Language : English Stolen base: When a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate. Catbird seat: When a team is in a desirable situation in a game. Also referred to as a "free ticket" and an Annie Oakley. Painting the black: When a pitcher throws the ball over the edge of the plate. If the pitcher surrenders the lead at any point, he cannot get a save, even if his team comes back to win. A Complete Overview. ", "2001: Diary of a Season - RedSoxDiehard.com", The Sports Network Major League Baseball, "Tigers vs. Indians - Game Recap - September 24, 2009 - ESPN", Baseball Corner Baseball & Softball Equipment, Apparel, and Accessories, "Mets, Cards, Tigers Score Game 2 Playoff Wins", "Tigers spank KC 13-1. Aboard Ace American League Championship Series (ALCS) American League Division Series (ALDS) Around The Horn At-Bat Ate Him Up However, it is possible to strike out and still reach base, if the catcher drops the strikeout pitch. Just like batting in baseball, there are many terms used to describe different aspects of pitching as well. Also see Brad Christopherson and Sam Preston. ". A pitcher and catcher from the same team are known as battery mates., Beaned: When a pitcher throws a pitch to hit the batter intentionally (if they do not move out of the way) is known as beaning a hitter. "Langerhans fought off one 3-2 pitch, then drove the next one to the gap in left-center to bring home the tying and winning runs."[100]. They wont be statistics or scenarios, just common terms used for certain areas on a baseball field that someone hearing them for the first time may be confused by. 17+ Basketball Games for Kids The Ultimate List. Also called a three up, three down inning. | Baseball Digest", "Baseball's dirty little secret is out. indicates the ball should be thrown to home plate. A batter who (at season's end) leads the league in three major categories: home runs, runs batted in, and batting average. With that said, Im happy to have you on the site and hope I can help you out in achieving your goals! So the next time you have some free time, turn on the television and start watching a professional game! A pitch that is located exactly where the hitter is expecting it. There are multiple rules and strategies that can be used. When a batter gets 3 strikes on them, they are out. A team may "put away" its opponent by making a decisive play or out, or by, On occasion, teams do not complete every game of the regular season, as when playing a, A very strong arm. However, it is possible for the hitter to strike out and still reach base, if the catcher drops the. It may either be a home run or a foul ball (out of the reach of the fielders). Hockey Style catcher's Mask vs Traditional Mask - Which is Better? Hit and run: A baseball play where the base runner begins to run when the pitch is released. A ball hit in the air fairly that hits any part of the foul pole is also a home run. The term is sometimes used to describe a player who is good at both offense and defense: "Manager. "Harvey, Mets beat Phillies in key NL East tilt", "Instant Replay: The End of Major League Baseball as We Know It", in. "Walk on the wild side pays off for Showalter". It could be throwing to the wrong base, missing the, There may be such a thing as a mistake hitter (a mediocre hitter who occasionally gets a pitch he can, A player who gets an extra-base hit, or who is on base when a teammate gets one, is sometimes said to "motor" for an additional base to continue running without hesitation. A pitcher's "stuff" is an overall evaluation of how effective his pitches are: "good stuff" when they are hard to hit, and "just stuff" or "lousy stuff" when they are not. Together the shortstop and second baseman the fielders nearest second base, often combining on double plays are sometimes referred to as the. Headline: ", If an umpire has made a questionable call, the losing team or fans may complain they "were robbed". Balk: Any pitching motion that is against the baseball rules, resulting in any runners on base advancing one base. A related statistic is "left on base in scoring position", which includes only those LOB where the runner was occupying second or third base. To "fan" a batter is to strike him out, especially a swinging strike three. See Allan R. Andrews, "A Good Jump on the Ball: Algorithm in the Outfield". SBR: Stolen base runs the number of runs scored as the result of a player stealing bases. Some of these terms are also commonly used by announcers when calling a game. Baseball Slang While every sport has its own lingo, no sport uses acronyms and abbreviations as much as baseball. LOB: Left on base the number of players left on bases at the end of an inning or left on base after an individual player is struck out. Again, these can be used when discussing certain actions, plays or statistics you may encounter as a pitcher. This is almost always a breaking pitch a pitch that moves out of the strike zone, increasing the chance that the batter will swing and miss. ", If a thrown ball goes over the head or wide of the infielder and sails off the field of play into the dugout or the stands, the umpire will rule, A pitcher who throws the ball too hard to control it well is said to be "overthrowing the ball". Base Hits: Announcers come up with a bevy of words to describe a base hit (or hitting the ball so that it results in a hit), including poke, pop, scratch hit, bleeder, seeing-eye ball, seed, spank, bloop, Texas . Left field is a short porch!. Ultimate grand slam: A game-ending grand slam hit when the hitters team is down by exactly three runs in the final inning of play. That ball was blistered!, Blooper: A weakly hit fly ball that drops in for a hit; typically, between an infielder and outfielder. Bat flip: An action typically done by a batter to show off after hitting a home run. See also pop fly, infield fly, and ground ball. Zip: Usually refers to the zip on a fastball. Also referred to simply as "standing" i.e. Bad hop: When a groundball makes an unpredictable jump or change in direction. Bullpen: A designated area where pitchers can warm up before entering the game. Pine tar: A sticky substance that batters often use to increase their grip on the baseball bat. Runners in scoring position: When there is a baserunner at second and/or third base, capable of scoring on a single. This is an alphabetical list of selected unofficial and specialized terms, phrases, and other jargon used in baseball, along with their definitions, including illustrative examples for many entries. Bush league: A style of play or specific action that is unsophisticated, unprofessional or without class., Extra innings: Additional innings needed to determine a winner if a game is tied after the regulation number of innings (9 innings at the professional and collegiate level, 7 innings at the high school level). 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. Rubber arm: A pitcher that can throw a lot of pitches without getting tired. "Benard takes a fastball, outside corner at the belt, called a strike", or "Grounded sharply into the hole at short--ranging to his right, Aurilia fields the belt-high hop and fires on to first; two away. 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. When it comes to baseball terminology, dont be intimidated! or just "Batter's out! IBB: Intentional walks occurs when a team intentionally puts a batter on first base instead of letting him hit. "This allowed Loehrke to score, and then a miscue by Ranger right fielder Drew Orbergfell allowed Lounsbury, "Pinch runner Brandon Varnell used his blazing speed, (NABBP) - the 1857-1870 first governing body of baseball, the, (NA) - the 1871-1875 first professional league (in any sport), the, (NAPBL) - the 19012021 trade association of minor leagues, the, The last pitches or last play of a winning game, A game in which one team does not get any, It is a superstition that when a pitcher is working on a no-hitter (or, The portion of a ballpark's spectator area, usually the front row of seats, where a fielder may legally reach into to catch a fly ball, while a spectator or other personnel may legally touch same fly ball even if it interferes with the fielder's attempt to catch it.