Seebaseball statistics for more formal definitions of some of the statistical concepts in this glossary.
This is an alphabetical list of selected unofficial and specialized terms, phrases, and otherjargon used inbaseball, along with their definitions, including illustrative examples for many entries.
Adouble play in which the pitcher (1) fields a batted ball and throws home to the catcher (2), who retires a runner advancing from third. The catcher then throws to the first baseman (3) toforce out the batter. These almost always happen with the bases loaded.
The pitcher (1) fields a batted ball and throws to the shortstop (6) to force out a runner advancing to second. The shortstop then throws to the first baseman (3) to force out the batter.
MLB scouts use a 20-80 scale to grade players: 50 is average (MLB level), with 20 being very low and 80 elite. Applies to overall ability & specific skills like hitting or pitching speed.[1]
The first baseman (3) receives throws with shouts of "Three!", nabs runners attemptingtriples ("three-baggers"), and the number 3 might signal a slider from the pitcher.
The first baseman (3) fields a batted ball and throws to the catcher (2), who retires a runner advancing from third and then throws back to the first baseman to force out the batter. These almost always happen with thebases loaded.
The first baseman (3) fields a batted ball, steps on first (to force the batter out), and then throws to the shortstop (6), who tags out a runner. Another possibility is a line drive caught by the first baseman, who throws to the shortstop, who then steps on second base for a second out.
The first baseman (3) fields a batted ball and throws to the shortstop (6) to force out a runner at second. The shortstop then throws to the pitcher (1) (who is now covering first because the first baseman was busy fielding the ball) to force out the batter.
The first baseman (3) fields a batted ball and throws to the second baseman (4) to force out a runner at second. The second baseman then throws back to the first baseman to force out the batter.
The first baseman (3) fields a batted ball and throws to the shortstop (6) to force out a runner at second. The shortstop then throws back to the first baseman to force out the batter.
The second baseman (4) fields a batted ball and throws to the shortstop (6), who forces out a runner at second and then throws to the first baseman (3) to force out the batter.
An informal term referring to a hypothetical line drawn at a 45 degree angle from the front plane of the#rubber to the first base line. It can be used as a reference point to determine whether a left handed pitcher legally stepped at first base while attempting a pickoff. A pitcher is required to step to the base to which he is throwing, and failing to do so is abalk.
Four consecutive pitchesdeliberately wide of the strike zone.Preacher Roe summarized this strategy toStan Musial as "I throw him four wide ones and try to pick him off at first."[2]
The third baseman (5) fields a batted ball and throws to the second baseman (4) to force out a runner advancing from first. The second baseman then throws to the first baseman (3) to force out the batter.
3rd baseman (5) fields a hard-hit ball and steps on third for a force out on R2 (6), then throws a laser to 2nd Baseman (4) to force out R1 (7) at second. Finally, 2nd Baseman (4) fires the ball to 1st Baseman (3) to complete the triple play by retiring the batter (2).
The shortstop (6) fields a batted ball and throws to the second baseman (4), who forces out a runner advancing from first and then throws to the first baseman (3) to force out the batter.
"AA" is also the abbreviation for the American Association, which has been the name of numerous professional baseball leagues:a short-lived major league of the 19th century,a minor league for much of the 20th century, and anindependent minor league that became a "Partner League" of Major League Baseball in 2021.
"Four-A player" (alternatively, "Quadruple-A player") is a term for a minor-league player who is consistently successful in the high minor leagues (AAA), but cannot translate that into success at the major-league level. Poor management can be responsible.[10] "AAAA" may also informally refer to high-quality but unaffiliated foreign baseball leagues outsideNorth America where play is considered less competitive than in MLB but more competitive than in AAA; this is usually restricted to describingJapan'sNPB.[11][12][13]
To move a runner ahead safely to another base, often the conscious strategy of a team that playssmall ball. If a batter does make an out, hisplate appearance will have been less negative if he still got a runner intoscoring position; in certain situations, batters evendeliberatelysacrifice themselves.
A term that signifies whether the batter or pitcher possesses the advantage in an at-bat. If a pitcher has thrown more strikes than balls to a batter in an at-bat, the pitcher is ahead in the count; conversely, if the pitcher has thrown more balls than strikes, the batter is ahead.
If the pitcher is ahead in the count, the batter is in increasing danger of striking out. If the batter is ahead, the pitcher is in increasing danger of walking him.
Sometimes when a pitcher tries a bit too carefully to control the location of a pitch, he is said to "aim the ball" instead of throwing it. This is a different meaning of "aim" from the situation in which a pitcher aims a pitch at a batter in an effort to hit him.
Slang for a fielder's errant throw that sails high over the player to whom he intended to throw the ball. For example, if the third baseman were to throw the ball over the first baseman's head and into the stands, he is said to have "airmailed" the throw. "But Chandler airmailed her throw to third into the dugout..."
Coined by Pittsburgh Pirates announcer Bob Prince, aBaltimore chop would bounce higher than normal due to the extraordinarily hard dirt at Forbes Field.
Also "gap" or "power alley", the space between the leftfielder and the centerfielder, or the rightfielder and centerfielder. If a batter hits the ball "up the alley" with enough force, he has a stronger chance of advancing beyond first base and being credited with an extra-base hit. Typically, this is an appropriate term for describing a line drive or ground ball; fly balls that hit the wall are not normally described this way.
The season's final best-of-seven playoff series which determines the American League team that will advance to theWorld Series. The ALCS–like its analog, theNLCS–came into being in 1969. The ALCS winner takes the American Leaguepennant and the title of American League Champion for that season. The winners of theAmerican League Division Series have met in the ALCS since 1995.
The first round of the league playoffs. The winners of the three divisions and the winner of the Wild Card Game are paired off in two best-of-five series, the winners of which advance to the ALCS.
A play in which the defense has an opportunity to gain a favorable ruling from an umpire by addressing a mistake by the offense or seeking the input of another umpire. Appeals require the defense to make a verbal appeal to an appropriate umpire, or if the situation being appealed is obvious a player may indicate an appeal with a gesture. The onus is on the defense to make an appeal; umpires will not announce potential appeal situations such as runners failing to touch a base, batting out of order, or unchecked swings until an appeal is made.
A short-season minor league in which high-level prospects from all thirty Major League Baseball clubs are organized into six teams on which players have the opportunity to refine and showcase their skills for evaluation by coaches, scouts, and executives. Such teams are referred to as "scout teams" and "taxi squads".
A metonym for a pitcher ("A's trade two young arms to Kansas City...",[14] "...Anthopoulos is just stockpiling arms in an attempt to lure a trade..."[15]).
Theinfielders' practice of throwing theball to each other after recording anout, provided there are no runners on base. The purpose is as much traditional as anything, but it serves as a way to celebrate the out. Typically, if an out is made at first base, thefirst baseman will throw to theshortstop, who throws to thesecond baseman, who throws to thethird baseman, who returns the ball to thepitcher. Patterns vary from team to team, but the third baseman is usually the last infielder to receive a throw, regardless of the pattern.
Throwing the ball around the horn is also done after astrikeout with no baserunners. Thecatcher will throw the ball to the third baseman, who then throws it to the second baseman, who throws it to the shortstop, who then throws it to the first baseman. Some catchers, such asIván Rodríguez, prefer to throw the ball to the first baseman, who then begins the process in reverse. Some catchers determine to whom they will throw based on the handedness of the batter (to first for a right-handed batter because the line to the first baseman is not blocked and vice versa) or whether the team is in an overshift, when the third baseman would be playing close to where the shortstop normally plays and would require a harder throw to be reached.
An additional application of this term is when a5-4-3double play has occurred, which mimics the pattern of throwing the ball around the horn.
An old-fashioned word referring to a baseball bat, which is typically made of wood from an ash tree. "The shrewd manager substitutes a fast runner for a slow one, and sends in a pinch hitter when the man he takes out is just as good with the ash as the man he sends in."[16]
Slang for a fastball that is especially hard to hit due to its velocity and/or movement, in reference to the difficulty of making contact with something as small as anaspirin tablet. May additionally reference batters seeing a pitched ball as relatively smaller than normal, a potential psychological effect on batters who are in aslump.[17][18]
Theofficial scorer awards an assist to every defensive player who fields or touches the ball (after it has been hit by the batter) prior to a putout, even if the contact was unintentional. For example, if a ball strikes a player's leg and bounces off him to anotherfielder, whotags the baserunner, the first player is credited with an assist.
A fielder can receive only one assist per out recorded. A fielder also receives an assist if a putout would have occurred, had not another fielder committed anerror.
InNegro league baseball, a team who was not granted league membership or agree to play a league schedule, but games played by league teams against this team will still count in league standings.
A slang term for a baseball record that is disputed in popular opinion (i.e., unofficially) because of a perception that the record holder had an unfair advantage in attaining the record. It implies that the record requires a footnote explaining the purportedly unfair advantage, with theasterisk being a symbol commonly used in typography to call out footnotes. In recent times it has been prominently used in the following circumstances:
The record holder is widely believed to have usedperformance-enhancing drugs, whether or not such use is proven or admitted.Barry Bonds was regularly greeted with banners and signs bearing an asterisk during the 2007 season when he brokeHank Aaron's career home run record. The ball Bonds hit for the record-breaking home run was subsequently branded with an asterisk before it was sent to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
A holder of a single-season record accomplished the feat in a longer season, and thus had additional opportunities to break the record. A well-known example of this was whenRoger Maris brokeBabe Ruth's single-season home run record on the last day of a 162-game regular season in 1961, while Ruth set the previous record in a 154-game season in 1927; the asterisk usage is exemplified in the title of the film61*, which was about Maris' quest to break Ruth's record.Baseball CommissionerFord Frick declared that Maris's record should be listed separately from Ruth's (contrary to popular belief no asterisk was mentioned or used in this case), a decision not formally reversed until 1991.
TheHouston Astros's2017 World Series championship, which was later marred by allegations of the Astrosusing technology to steal signs throughout the 2017 season. Fans of opposing teams, especially theYankees andDodgers, frequently employ the use of asterisks when referencing the team's season in 2017, often derisively calling the team the "Houston Asterisks".
A completed plate appearance by a batter which results in abase hit or a non-sacrificeout. At-bats (or "times at bat") are used for the calculation of a player'sbatting average andslugging percentage. Note that a plate appearance is not recorded as an "at-bat" if the batter reaches first base as a result of abase on balls, orhit by pitch, nor if he executes asacrifice bunt orsacrifice fly.
Occasionally a batter may be at the plate when the third out of the inning is made against a base-runner; in this case the batter will lead off the next inning with a clean strike count and his interrupted plate appearance is not counted as an at-bat.
A pitch that crosses the plate at the height of the letters of the team's name on the shirt of the batter's uniform is said to be "at the letters", "letter-high" or "chest-high".
Slang for pitching aggressively by throwing strikes, rather than trying to trick hitters into swinging at pitches out of the strike zone or trying to "nibble at the corners" of the plate. Equivalent phrases are "pound the strike zone" and "challenge the hitters".
A batted ball in fair territory which bounces out of play (e.g. into the seats) entitles the batter and all runners on base to advance two bases but no further. This term is used by some commentators in lieu ofground rule double, which refers toground rules in effect at each ballpark.
A strike is deemed "automatic" when the pitchergrooves a strike–typically on a 3-0count–with such confidence that the battertakes the pitch without swinging at it.
Since 2023 in MLB, a batter is charged with an automatic strike if he is not in the batter's box and alert to the pitcher when there are at least 8 seconds remaining on the pitch clock.
A pitch outside the strike zone, on the opposite side of the plate as the batter, is referred to as being "away", in contrast to a pitch thrown between the plate and the batter that is known as "inside".
Slang for outs. For example, a two-out inning may be said to be "two away"; a strikeout may be referred to as "putting away" the batter.
Games played at an opponent's home field are "away games". The visiting team is sometimes called the "away" team.
A breaking pitch, usually aslider,curveball, orcut fastball that, due to its lateral motion, passes through a small part of thestrike zone on the outside edge of theplate after seeming as if it would miss the plate entirely. It may not cross the front of the plate but only the back and thus have come in through the "back door". A slider is the most common version, because a slider has more lateral motion than otherbreaking pitches (it curves down and 'slides' across the zone).
Consecutive. When two consecutive batters hit home runs, they are said to hitback-to-back homers. Or a pitcher may issue back-to-back walks, and so forth.
Opposite of "backdoor". Usually a mistake, apitch that begins inside off ofhome plate and breaks back over the plate. A pitch that does this is said to have "backed up".
A batter who sees a pitch coming toward his head may "bail out" (hit the deck).
When two fielders are converging on a fly ball, one of them may "bail out" to avoid running into the other.
Arelief pitcher may come into the game with men on base and bail the previous pitcher out of ajam.
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 on the verge of being swamped, or perhaps bailing somebody out of jail.
Probably the most confusing concept in baseball, even for avid fans. Balks are covered in rule 6.02(a) in theOfficial Basebal Rules as published byMajor League Baseball.[19] Generally speaking, a balk is any illegal action by the pitcher when there is a runner (or runners) on base.
A pitcher who assumes a legal pitching position - thewindup orset - may elect to deliver a pitch to the batter, legally disengage the rubber (by stepping back with thepivot foot and dropping his hands to his sides if he is in the windup position), or make a legal throw to a base in an attempt to put out a runner.
Any motion which is naturally associated with delivering a pitch commits the pitcher to that delivery. Failing to complete the delivery is an illegal action. With no runners on base, a ball is awarded to the batter. With runners on base it is a balk.
A pitcher pitching from theset who swings hisfree foot beyond the back plane of therubber is committed to delivering the pitch to the batter, unless he is making a legal throw or feint to second base. Otherwise it is a balk.
The penalty for a balk is that each runner is awarded one base and the batter remains at bat with the samecount. In theMLB (or in other leagues which useOfficial Baseball Rules) and the NCAA, certain balks are live ball balks, meaning that the penalty (if necessary) is applied at the end of the playing action. This is typically when a pitcher delivers a pitch without first coming legallyset. The balk is vocalized by the umpire(s), but the batter may still elect to strike at the pitch. If at the end of the playing action each runner (including thebatter-runner) has advanced at least one base, the balk is ignored. Otherwise the penalty is enforced and the batter returns with the same count. InNFHS (high school) rules, a balk is always a dead ball.
The most common balk scenarios are when a pitcher fails to come fully set (if using theset position) before his delivery; or having coming set, starts his motion and stops again (sometimes called a "double set"); or failing to step directly at a base when attempting a pickoff throw. The general criteria used for determining if a pitcher has stepped at a base is a) did he gain ground toward the base as a result of his step; and b) did he step ahead of his throw; and c) (a bit more subjectively) did he step more toward the base than toward the batter in the case of a left handed pitcher throwing to first base.
While primarily intented to protect the runner from any intentionally deceitful action by the pitcher, there are other scenarios where a balk may be called:
If the ball is inadvertently dropped while the pitcher is in contact with therubber;
If the pitcher throws to an unoccupied base, unless it is an attempt to put out or drive back an advancing runner;
If after taking a legal pitching position (that is, if he has brought his hands together as required for theset orwindup position) the pitcher removes his hand from the ball, unless it is in actually delivering a pitch or throwing to a base;
Failing to legally disengage the pitcher's plate by stepping back with thepivot foot when switching pitching positions (windup to set or vice versa);
If the pitcher stands on or astride thepitcher's plate without possession of the ball, or feints a pitching motion while not in contact with the pitcher's plate;
Acatcher's balk is a type of illegal pitch called when a catcher is not inside of the catcher's box if the pitcher is attempting an intentional walk, and carries the same penalty as a balk if runners are on base. However, as pitchers are no longer required to deliver any pitches for an intentional walk, this is exceedingly rare, although it is still listed as an illegal action by the pitcher in rule 6.02(a)(12).
This list is not comprehensive, and the sometimes subjective nature of what constitutes a balk has often been a topic of hot debate. Balks are not reviewable.[20]
A ball hit forcefully into the ground near home plate, producing a bounce high above the head of a fielder.[21] This gives thebatter time to reach first base safely before the ball can be fielded. An important element ofBaltimore Orioles coachJohn McGraw's "inside baseball" strategy, the technique was popularized duringMajor League Baseball'sdead-ball era, during which baseball teams could not rely on the home run.[22]
To give the maximum bounce to a Baltimore chop, Orioles groundskeeper Tom Murphy packed the dirt tightly around home plate, mixed it with hard clay and left the infield unwatered.[23] Speedy Orioles players like McGraw,Joe Kelley,Steve Brodie, andWillie Keeler most often practiced and perfected it.
In modern baseball, the Baltimore chop is much less common, usually resulting when a batter accidentally swings over the ball. The result is sometimes more pronounced on those diamonds withartificial turf. The technique still sees use insoftball.[24]
Cancelling a game because of bad weather: "I thought we were gonna get banged but we got in five innings."
To hit the ball hard, especially to hit a homer. "Utley banged the game-tying home run."
Players who arebanged up are injured, though may continue to play. Example: "Banged up Braves ready for playoff rematch with Astros."
Abang-up game is an exciting or close game. Example from a sports headline: "A Real Bang-Up Finish."
Abang 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.
bang it inside is when a pitcher throws on the inside of the plate, and the batter cannot get his arms extended enough to hit the ball, which goes "bang" into the catcher's mitt. "It was an unbelievable feeling and a feeling I'll never forget,"Giavotella said. "Scherzer was trying to come in on me all day. He was banging me inside and I couldn't get my hands extended. I guess he missed over the plate that time and I got my hands inside and barreled it up and it flew out of the park."[26]
Abatter who lacks power. A banjo hitter usually hits bloop singles, often just past the infield dirt, and would have a lowslugging percentage. The name is said to come from the twanging sound of the bat at contact, like that of abanjo. See alsoPunch and Judy hitter.
An advanced metric that measures the times a batter hits the ball at certain launch angles with certain exit velocities. Barrels are more likely to produce hits, particularly extra-base hits, than non-barrels.
Female "groupie" known to "be easy" for baseball players.Susan Sarandon played such a role as the character Annie Savoy in the 1988 American film "Bull Durham".
InfamousRuth Ann Steinhagen was the first "Baseball Annie". She became obsessed with Cubs and then Phillies first basemanEddie Waitkus. She shot him through the chest, nearly killing him in 1949. This story inspired the 1952 novelThe Natural.
Runners on first, second, and third bases. Also known as "bases full", "bases packed", "bases jammed", "bases juiced", "bases chucked", or "bases drunk". This presents a greatscoring opportunity for thebatting team, but it also presents an easydouble play opportunity for thedefense. Causing the bases to become loaded is calledloading the bases. A batter is oftenintentionally walked when there are runners on 2nd and 3rd base to make it easier for the defense to record more than one out.
A bases-loaded situation is the only time there is aforce athome plate.
When ahome run is hit with the bases loaded, it is called agrand slam. It scores four runs, which is the most runs that can be scored on a single play.
Abaseball bat is a smooth contoured round wooden or metal rod used to hit the ball thrown by thepitcher. A bat's diameter is larger at one end (the barrel-end) than at the other (the handle). The bottom end of the handle isthe knob. A batter generally tries to strike the ball in thesweet spot near the middle of the barrel-end of the bat, sometimes referred to as thefat part of the bat or themeat end of the bat.
The player who uses it to strike the ball—a batter, hitter, or batsman—can be said tobat the ball.
A player known as a good hitter might be said to have agood bat. Headline: "Shortstop mixes golden glove with solid bat."[27] A player who is adept at both hitting and fielding might be said to have a good bat and good glove. The headline "Wesleyan shortstop Winn has bat and glove"[28] does not mean Winn owns a bat and a glove, it means he is very skilled at both hitting and fielding.
A team with many good hitters might be said to have a lot of "bats" (referring to the players not the instrument). "It's an awesome thing when we all get going like that,"Murphy said. "We've got so many bats in our lineup that we're hard to beat if we keep hitting."[29]
According toThe Dickson Baseball Dictionary, a team has "batted around" when each of the nine batters in the team'slineup has made aplate appearance, and the first batter is coming up again during a single inning.[30]Dictionary.com, however, defines "bat around" as "to have every player in the lineup take a turn at bat during a single inning".[31] It is not an official statistic. Opinions differ as to whether nine batters must get an at-bat, or if the opening batter must bat again for "batting around" to have occurred.[32]
A physical property of a bat, expressed as a (usually) negative number equal to the bat's weight in ounces minus its length in inches. For example, a bat that is 34 inches (86 cm) long and weighs 31 ounces (880 g) has a bat drop of –3. In general, bats with a larger bat drop (i.e., lighter) are easier to swing, and bats with a smaller bat drop (i.e., heavier) can produce faster ball velocity, though these results depend on the batter's ability.
A celebration in which a batter who just hit a home run flips/tosses the bat in a dramatic way, rather than simply dropping it as they start running. The practice is controversial - some players such asTim Anderson andJose Bautista have been subject to retaliation by the opposing team when they bat flipped after a home run against them.[33]
When a batter hits a fair ball not caught by a fielder, he becomes the batter-runner. The batter-runner is forced to advance to first base, and may be put out by being tagged by the ball securely held by a fielder (or by the fielder's glove, provided he has secure possession of the ball in the glove), or by a fielder with secure possession of the ball touching first base before the batter-runner touches it. If there are other runners on base, they may also be forced to advance because the batter has become a runner. This is called aforce play.
A solid-colored, usually dark area beyond thecenter field wall that is the visual backdrop for thebatter looking out at thepitcher. It allows the batter to see the pitched ball against a dark and uncluttered background, partly for his safety. It is comparable to thesight screen incricket. The use of a batter's eye has been standard in baseball since at least the late 1800s.
One example of a batter's eye is the black area in center field of thefirst Yankee Stadium. At one time there were seats in that section, but because of distractions the seats were removed and the area was painted black.
A rectangle on either side ofhome plate in which thebatter must be standing for fair play to resume. A foot and a hand out of the box are not sufficient to stop play (although pitchers will usually respect a batter's wish to step out of the box). The umpire must grant the batter a timeout before play is stopped.
Thepitcher andcatcher considered as a single unit, who may also be calledbatterymen[34] orbatterymates of one another. The use of this word was first coined byHenry Chadwick in the 1860s in reference to the firepower of a team's pitching staff and inspired by theartillery batteries then in use in theAmerican Civil War.[35] Later, the term evolved to indicate the combined effectiveness of pitcher and catcher.[35]
Batting average (BA) is the average number ofhits perat-bat (BA=H/AB). A perfect batting average would be 1.000 (read: "one thousand"). A batting average of .300 ("three hundred") is considered to be excellent, which means the best hitters fail to get a hit in 70% of their at-bats. Even the level of .400, which is outstanding and rare (last achieved at the major league level in 1941), suggests "failure" 60% of the time. Bases on balls are not counted in calculating batting average. This is part of the reasonOBP is now regarded by "figger filberts" as a truer measure of a hitter's worth at the plate. In 1887, there was an experiment with including bases-on-balls as hits (and as at-bats) in computing the batting average. It was effectively an early attempt at an OBP, but it was regarded as a "marketing gimmick" and was dropped after the one year. It eventually putCap Anson in limbo regarding his career hits status; dropping the bases on balls from his 1887 stats, as some encyclopedias do, put his career number of hits below the benchmark 3,000 total.
The period, often before a game, when players warm up or practice their hitting technique. Sometimes refers to a period within a game when one team's hitters have so totally dominated a givenpitcher that the game resembles a batting practice session. Referred to colloquially as well as abbreviated as BP.
An initialism for Batted-BallCoefficient of Restitution, a standard that all non-wooden bats (both metal andcomposite) must meet in order to be approved for use in most amateur baseball leagues, such as U.S.college baseball.[36]
Apitch intentionally thrown tohit thebatter if he does not move out of the way, especially when directed at the head (or the "bean" in old-fashioned slang). The wordbean can also be used as a verb, as in the following headline: "Piazza saysClemens Purposely Beaned Him."[37]
Kevin Pillar (right) beats out a throw to first base.
When a runner gets to first base before the throw, hebeats the throw orbeats it out. Akin toleg out. "Greene's throw to first base pulls Gonzalez off the bag andNorris Hopper is fast enough to beat it out before Gonzalez can get his foot back on the bag."[38]
Occurs when a batter hits the ball on the ground with a runner on first and fewer than two outs. If the play has the potential of being adouble play, the batter can beat the rap if he reaches first base before the throw from the fielder who recorded the putout at second base. The result of the play becomes a fielder's choice.
Opposite ofahead in the count. For the batter: when the count contains more strikes than balls. For the pitcher: vice versa.
If the pitcher is behind in the count, he is in increasing danger of walking the batter. If the batter is behind, he is in increasing danger of striking out. "While he allowed only three hits, he walked five and pitched from behind in the count."[39]
To hit a ball hard to the outfield or out of the park, fair or foul. "Jones belts that one deep to left... but just foul."
The actual belt worn by a player as part of the uniform, usually mentioned in reference to the location of a pitch or a ball in play. "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."
"The bench" is where the players sit in thedugout when they are not at bat, in the on-deck circle, or in the field.
"The bench" may also refer to theplayers who are not in the line-up but are still eligible to enter the game. "LaRussa's bench is depleted because of all the pinch hitting and pinch running duties it's been called on to perform tonight."
A player, coach or manager with the talent of annoying and distracting opposition players andumpires from his team's dugout with verbalrepartee. Especially useful against those withrabbit ears. The verbal jousting is frequently called "riding"; hence the "rider" from the dugout becomes a "bench jockey". Riding opposition players enough to unnerve them but not enough to enrage them and provoke a fight is believed[by whom?] to be fast-fading in the 21st-century game. Major League Baseball players on the injured list are permitted to be on the bench but they are not permitted to engage in bench jockeying.[40]
When a hitter sees the pitch so well that it appears to be larger than its actual size, he may describe the ball as being "as big as a grapefruit". "After hitting a 565-foot home run,Mickey Mantle once said, 'I just saw the ball as big as a grapefruit'. During a slump,Joe 'Ducky' Medwick of theSt. Louis Cardinals said he was 'swinging at aspirins'."[41]
The opposite mentality ofsmall ball, if a team is thinking "big inning" they are focusing on scoring runs strictly through base hits and home runs, as opposed to bunts or other sacrifices. More generically, a "big inning" is an inning in which the offense scores a large number of runs, usually four or more.
A swing of the bat that produces a home run. "Pinch runnerHernán Pérez came in forMartinez and Perez walkedDirks, setting the stage forAvila's big swing."[42]
Asingle. A base hit that ends up with the hitter on first base. "Brown tried to stretch the bingle into a double, and was out,Monte Irvin to Frank Austin."[43] (A rare usage nowadays.)
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 calledbleacher bums orbleacher creatures.
A weakly hit ground ball that goes for a base hit. Ascratch hit. "Dunn walked to bring up Morra, who jumped on the first pitch he saw and hit a bleeder that didn't leave the infield, driving in Gradwohl."[44]
A ball that is hit so hard that it seems to generate its own heat may be said to have been blistered. "Chapman then blistered a ball toward left-center, andKnoblauch raced back, moving smoothly, and made the catch with his arm outstretched."[45]
A catcher (left) drops to both knees to block the plate from an opposing baserunner during a Japanese high school baseball game
Acatcher who puts a foot, leg, or whole body betweenhome plate and arunner attempting to score, is said to "block the plate". Blocking the plate is a dangerous tactic, and may be consideredobstruction (Official Rules of Baseball, Rule 2.00 (Obstruction)).
AnEephus pitch (q.v.); a trick pitch thrown like aslow-pitch softball pitch, with a high arcing trajectory and very little velocity (ca. 40-55mph or less). Specifically, such a pitch thrown ostensibly as acurveball.
A blooper or bloop is a weakly hitfly ball that drops in for asingle between aninfielder and anoutfielder. Also known as a "bloop single", a dying quail, or a duck snort.
An odd or funny play, such as when a pitcher throws the ball to the catcher after the batter has stepped out of the batter's box and timeout has been called -- perhaps hitting the catcher in the head with the pitch.[47]
To gain a commanding lead in a game, perhaps after the game has been very competitive or the score has remained tied or close. "Pirates Score Late To Blow Open Close Game AgainstStony Brook."[48]
A blown save (BS) is charged to a relief pitcher who enters a game in asave situation but allows the tying run to score. If the pitcher further allows the winning run to score, he is charged with both a loss and a blown save. If, after blowing the save, the pitcher's team regains the lead, the pitcher may also be credited with the win. The blown save is not an officially recognized statistic by Major League Baseball, but is recognised by theRolaids Relief Man Award, which charges two points against a reliever's record for a blown save opportunity. It is often used on broadcasts to characterize the "record" ofclosers analogous to win–loss records of starters. "Jones has made 31 out of 34 saves" or "Jones has 31 saves and three blown saves."
Anumpire, referring to the traditional blue color of the umpire's shirt.
Sometimes used derisively, such as when complaining about a ruling, e.g.: "Oh, come on, Blue!" However, it is also used as a neutral and informal term (particularly at lower levels) if the umpire is not acquainted with the teams, or they either do not know or do not remember the umpire's name, e.g.: "Hey Blue, can I have time?"
Made anerror, kicked it – typically referring to a misplay on aground ball. "Miguel Cabrera hit a ground ball toAlex S. Gonzalez, who booted the ball. Had Gonzalez fielded the ball properly, the Cubs could have ended the half-inning with adouble play."[49]
Sometimes said of asinker ordrop ball, implying that a pitch suddenly moved downward as if through atrap door. Ideally, the pitcher throws with the same familiar arm speed and release point only to have the "bottom drop out" at the last instant, leaving the batter wondering what happened.[50]
The vicinity of thepitcher's mound. Baseball announcers will sometimes refer to a batted ball going back through the pitcher's mound area as having gonethrough the box, or a pitcher being removed from the game will be said to have beenknocked 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.
Also, thebatter's box, the area within which the batter stands when hitting. The batter must be in the box for the pitcher to pitch.
Statistical summary of a game. Theline score is an abbreviated version of the box score, duplicated from the field scoreboard. Invention of the box score is credited toHenry Chadwick.
When a team scoresrun(s) that bring the score up to a tie, it is said to be "a brand new ball game". The phrase was popularized byHall of Fame Dodgers broadcasterVin Scully.
Anypitch that markedly deviates from a "straight" or expected path due to a spin used by thepitcher to achieve the desired effect. Some examples are thecurveball, theslider and thescrewball.
When a team gains a multiple-run lead, perhaps in a single rally that expands their lead, the game may be said to be "broken open". "ThePadres broke the game open with five runs in the fifth, thanks to three errors by theCubs, who havedropped 12 of 14."[51]
A batter who strikes out looking, especially if the batter did not move his bat at all. This term is mainly used by sports commentators. Synonymous withwindow shopping.
Apitch intentionally thrown close to abatter to intimidate him, i.e., to "brush him back" from the plate. Also apurpose pitch orchin music. Archaic usage: "a blowdown".[52]
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". Major league position players with a batting average this low will very likely be demoted down to AAA for seasoning or even released outright. See alsoMendoza line.
A change-up pitch that appears to arrive at homeplate so slowly that a batter can make three swings and misses on a single pitch. Whiff-whiff-whiff, three strikes and the batter is out. The reference is toBugs Bunny, the animated cartoon character, who is depicted employing such a pitch in the cartoonBaseball Bugs. AsTrevor Hoffman's changeup evolved into an all-world weapon, his pitching teammates were in awe of it, much like many hitters were. They liked it so much, they gave it a nickname. They called it the Bugs Bunny Pitch. 'You could swing at it three times and it still wouldn't be in the mitt',Andy Ashby said, bringing up the image of the famous cartoon. 'I swear, he could tell them it's coming and they still couldn't hit it.'[53]
"Bullpen" can be used to describe the area in which theseTampa Bay Rays relief pitchers are sitting or as ametonym for the pitchers themselves.
The area used bypitchers andcatchers to warm up beforetaking 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 anoutfield fence. It is almost never infair territory, presumably due to the risk of interference with live action. A rare exception was at New York'sPolo Grounds where the bullpens were in the deep left and right center field quarter-circles of the outfield wall.
A team'srelief pitching corps (so named because the relievers are in the bullpen during games).
There are varying theories of the origin of the term, discussed in more detail in the main article.
A strategy by which a club does not assign relief pitchers to specific roles such as "closer", "set-up", or "long relief", and instead may use any reliever at any given time. At the major league level, this strategy is commonly used when the club's closer is unavailable.
An infrequently used strategy that involves using a string ofreliefpitchers (some of whom, in this strategy, may be pitchers more often used asstarters) in stints of no more than two innings instead of relying on one pitcher to work most of the innings.[54]
To deliberatelybat the ball weakly to a particular spot on the infield by holding thebat nearly still, with one hand behind the sweet spot (q.v. underbat) and letting the ball hit it. Typically, a bunt is used toadvance otherrunners and is then referred to as asacrifice ora sacrificehit or asacrifice bunt. When done correctly,fielders have no play except, at best, to throw thebatter-runner out at first base.
Speedy runners also bunt forbase hits wheninfielders areplaying back. In such a situation, left-handed hitters may use adrag bunt, in which they start stepping towards first base while completing the bunt swing. Even the great sluggerMickey Mantle would drag bunt once in a while, taking advantage of his 3.1 second speed from home to first base. Currently,Ryan Zimmerman of theNationals is notable in that he is a right-handed hitter who uses drag bunts successfully.
A slang term for play that is ofminor league or unprofessional quality. The"bushes" or the"sticks" are small towns where minor league teams may operate. A "busher" refers to someone from the "bush leagues": see subtitle of Ring Lardner's first book,You Know Me Al: A Busher's Letters.
A strategy where the hitter first shows he intends to bunt, pulls back the bat when the pitcher begins the delivery, and takes a quick swing at the pitch. Generally used by weaker hitters such as pitchers.Greg Maddux was known for employing this tactic effectively in the early part of his career with the Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves.
A caddy's sole function is to come in as a substitute in the late innings of a lopsided game to act as a defensive replacement for an aging power hitter or to pinch run.
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 beensent down to the minor leagues or else placed on thedisabled list. Players who have been in the major leagues previously (and were sent down) may be said to berecalled rather than called up. After August 31, several minor leaguers may be called up to take a spot on theexpanded roster.
A high, easy-to-catch,fly ball hit to the outfield. The phrase is said to have originated in the nineteenth-century and relates to an old-time grocer's method of getting canned goods down from a high shelf. Using a stick with a hook on the end, a grocer could tip a can so it would fall for an easy catch into his apron. One theory for use of corn as the canned good in the phrase is that a can of corn was considered the easiest "catch" as corn was the best selling vegetable in the store and so was heavily stocked on the lowest shelves. Another theory is that the corn refers to the practice in the very early days of baseball of calling the outfield the "corn field", especially in early amateur baseball where the outfield may have been a farm field. Frequently used byRed Barber, a variation, 'A #8 CAN OF GOLDEN BANTAM' was favored byBob Prince, Pittsburgh Pirates' announcer. The phrase was also used by Yankee announcerPhil Rizzuto, Red Sox and then White Sox broadcasterKen "The Hawk" Harrelson, and Blue Jays broadcaster and former managerBuck Martinez as voiced in the popular video gameTriple Play 2000. Also, a phrase used to refer to something that is not challenging. Informally, can of corn may be used as a phrase to describe mild excitement, personal acknowledgement or recognition of significance.
A manager who often takes a pitcher out of the game at the first sign of trouble.Sparky Anderson was perhaps the best example of a "Captain Hook" at the major league level. Seehook.
When a pitcher quickly dispatches a batter with three or four pitches that the batter only whiffs at, the pitcher may be said to have "carved up the batter" – like a chef carving up a turkey. Headline: "HowBuehrle carved upTampa Bay with just one 90-m.p.h. pitch."[55]
To knock in a runner who is already on base. "Lauren Rorebeck then cashed both runners in with a home run over the left field fence to tie the game at 7–7 with two innings to play."[56]
A desirable or auspicious situation. Popularized byRed Barber, longtime broadcaster for theBrooklyn Dodgers.James Thurber wrote in his short story of the same title:"[S]itting in the catbird seat" means sitting pretty, like a batter withthree balls and no strikes on him. Thecatbird is said to seek out the highest point in a tree to sing his song, so someone in the catbird seat is high up.
As if a batter were running a footrace with a fastball, he's said to "catch up" to a fastball if his reaction time and bat speed are quick enough to hit a fastball by apower pitcher. "Our scouting reports indicate he can still hit and still catch up to a fastball. As long as he can catch up to a fastball, he's going to get the money."[57]
It is catcher's interference when the catcher physically hinders the batter's opportunity to swing at a pitch. In professional baseball, play continues and after continuous playing action ceases, the umpire calls time. The penalty 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. The manager of the offensive team has the option of keeping the result of the play. He will not be given the option by the umpires and must explicitly declare it before the play continues after awarding bases. The catcher is charged with an error. This is one of many types ofinterference call.
A baserunner who istagged out because he wasn't paying attention to what the defensive players were doing is "caught napping". Often this involves apickoff play in which the infielder sneaks up behind the runner and takes a throw from the pitcher or, less often, the catcher.
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 ofcellar dweller. SYNONYM:basement.
A baseball pitched with the intent to break out of the strike zone that fails to break and ends up hanging in the strike zone; an unintentional slow fastball with side spin resembling a fixed-axis spinning cement mixer, which does not translate.
Specifically regarding a batter: A seat on the bench, as opposed to reaching base or remaining in the batter's box. As in, "throw him the chair". The expression is an encouragement to the pitcher to strike out the batter, sending him back to the dugout, thus "throwing him the chair"—forcing him to sit down.
When a pitcher is aggressive and throws strikes, perhaps his best fastball, he may be said to "challenge the hitter". Akin topounding the strike zone orattacking the strike zone. "Jared has outstanding stuff", Mee said. "The one thing I would like to see him do is throw more strikes and challenge the hitters. He has a lot of ability and when he is ahead in the count he's a very difficult guy to hit off of."[59]
A pitcher "changes the eye level" of a hitter by throwing pitches at different heights in the strike zone. This is intended to keep the hitter off-balance or uncomfortable. "Changing the eye-level of a hitter is important because as you advance, it'll become more difficult for you to get a hitter to move his feet in the batters box – even by pitching inside – so the next option is to move the hitter's eyes."[60]
A changeup ora change is apitch meant to look like afastball - but with less velocity - short forchange of pace. A variety of this pitch is thecircle change, where a circle is formed using the thumb and index finger 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, frequently resulting in ground balls. Also, astraight change - made famous byPedro Martínez - 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 beinghit by a pitch or in some cases after narrowly avoiding being hit. The first incident 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 abench-clearing brawl and will most likely result in the batter'sejection.
A pitcher who is removed from the game by the manager because he gave up too many runs is said to have been "chased from the game" or "chased from the mound" by the opposing batters. "Pettitte was chased from the game in the seventh inning following an RBI single byWilly Taveras and a two-RBI triple byKazuo Matsui."[61]
A player or coach who isejected from the game by an umpire can be said to be chased. "Martin was tossed by umpireLee Weyer in the fourth game of the1976 Series, seven years afterWeaver was chased byShag Crawford in the fourth game in 1969."[62]
To verbally challenge or taunt to distract the opposing batter. Fans and players alike participate in chatter. "Heybattabattabatta" is an example of common baseball chatter.
A run that comes about from luck or with little effort by the offensive team. Headline: "A Cheap Run for the Rays." Story: "Carl Crawford got lucky with that blooper down the line; wasn't a bad pitch fromJamie Moyer."[63]
When thepitcher or an infielder who fields a ball, looks in the direction of arunneron base and thereby causes him to not take as large of alead as he would otherwise have taken.
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, theumpire 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, a defensive player such as the catcher or pitcher can ask the home plate umpire to ask another umpire whether the batter swung at the pitch. In such a case, the home plate umpire always accepts the judgment of the other umpire. "Basically, theTigers tied theSox in knots the entire game—or else they wouldn't have had as many checked swings as they did. Or as many strikes that they tried to sell to the umpires as balls."[64]
Afastball, particularly one that is difficult to hit. A fastball high in the strike zone is also calledhigh cheese, and one low in the zone can be called cheese at the knees. 'Easy Cheese' refers to the seemingly effortless motion of a pitcher as he throws a fastball at very high velocity.[65]
An older term for a home run, often a high fly ball, that barely clears the fence at that part of the outfield closest to the plate. It was frequently used in reference to such hits at thePolo Grounds, former home of theNew York Giants, which had notoriously short foul lines. Its use has declined since that stadium was demolished, and even further as it has been perceived as ethnically offensive.[66]
A secondary sense is that of a long fly ball, usually one that travels backward from home plate. This usage appears to be restricted tosandlot ball games inNew England, where it may have evolved from a supposed "Chaney's home run", a backward foul by a player of that name who eventually won a game for the hitting team when the ball, the last one available, could not be found. The umpire then ruled that the other team failed to provide an adequate number of balls and had thus forfeited the game.[66]
A chopper refers to a batted ball that immediately strikes the hardened area of dirt directly in front of home plate, causing it to bounce high into the infield. Batters who are fast runners can convert such choppers into base hits. Also a batted ball that bounces several times before either being fielded by an infielder or reaching the outfield. Former Braves broadcaster Skip Caray often whimsically called bouncers to third base when Atlanta was on defense as "a chopper to Chipper" in reference to long-time Braves third basemanChipper Jones.
Joey Votto chokes up on the bat during a 2015 game
Abatter "chokes up" by sliding his hands up from the knob end of thebat 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 abloop single in the2001 World Series,Luis Gonzalez choked up on the bat.[citation needed] Thus he came through, and did not "choke" in the clutch.
Throw. A pitcher is sometimes referred to as a chucker or someone who can really chuck the ball. In San Francisco, sometimes the fans are referred to asbattery chuckers, referring to several incidents where many fans threw batteries onto the field. These incidents date back at least to the early aughts in San Francisco, although there was at least one earlier incident involving Phillies fans.[67]
When a batter hits a ball through the infield without its being touched by a fielder, he may be said to have a "clean hit". Similarly, if a batter hits a ball over an outfielder's head, he may have a "clean hit". "Tris truly loved to hit and would always get a thrill when getting a 'clean' hit that travelled over an outfielder's head."[68]
When a pitcher allows zero hits, walks or runs and the defense does not commit an error. "I want to see clean innings",Cooper said. "This is a time when we should be seeing them – crisp, clean innings. Yet we're hitting guys [who] are trying to bunt, walking guys on four pitches... This is not young kids doing this stuff. This is ridiculous. I don't care who it is. It shouldn't be happening. We've got to clean it up. I'd like to see some clean innings sooner or later. We should be throwing strike one, strike two, make some pitches. We're all over the place. We're not even close to the strike zone."[69]
The fourthbatter in the lineup, usually apower hitter. The strategy is to get somerunners on base for the cleanup hitter todrive home. In theory, if the first three batters of the game were toload the bases, the No. 4 hitter would ideally "clean up" the bases with agrand slam.
A batter who drives home all the runners on base without scoring himself is said to "clear the bases". "Dikito's base-clearing triple sent the pro-Falcon crowd into a frenzy."[70]
A tactic where apitcher delivers a succession ofpitches out of thestrike zone, each higher than the last, in an attempt to get the batter to swing at a pitch "in his eyes".
When afielder makes an unusually high jump to catch a highline drive, as though he climbed an invisible ladder to make the catch
Arelief pitcher who is consistently used to "close" or finish a game by getting the final outs. Closers are often among the mostoverpoweringpitchers, and sometimes even the most erratic. Alternatively, they might specialize in a pitch that is difficult to hit, such as thesplitter or thecut fastball.
One can "close the book" on a pitcher who has been replaced when his statistics for the game become final. If arelief pitcher enters the game with one or moreinherited runners, and those runners eventually score, they still affect the statistics of the pitcher who allowed them on base (e.g.,earned run average). Once all runners charged to a particular pitcher score or get put out, or the third out is made in the inning, then his statistics can no longer change (except his status aspitcher of record) and his "book" is "closed".
A team'slocker room, which may also include eating, entertainment, and workout facilities, especially at the highest professional level. The term "clubhouse" is also frequently used in the sports of golf and thoroughbred horse racing.
Good performance under pressure when good performance really matters. May refer to such a situation (beingin the clutch) or to a player (a goodclutch hitter, or one who "can hit in the clutch"); or to specifichits ("that was a clutch hit"). Most baseballfans believe that clutch hitting exists, but there is significant disagreement amongstatheads whether clutch hitting is a specific skill or instead just something good hitters in general do. An old synonym for clutch ispinch, as inChristy Mathewson's book,Pitching in a Pinch.
A belt-high, very hittable fastball, usually down the middle of the plate. As used by Bob McClure, former Red Sox Pitching Coach: "When you throw a cock-shot fastball just above the belt, right down the middle, you're hoping they don't swing. A lot of times, that gets hit out of the ballpark."[71]
Symbol of going hitless in a game, suggested by its resemblance to a zero, along with the implication of "choking";to wear the collar: "If Wright doesn't get a hit here, he'll be wearing an 0for5 collar on the day." Also,to take the collar: "Cameron Maybin took the collar in his major league debut, striking out twice."[72] Also,Bob Starr (sportscaster) who was a Major League baseball announcer for 25 years (1972-97), restricted his use of the term "wears the collar" only to players whostruck out 4 times in a game.
The advanced skill of a pitcher's ability to throw a pitch where he intends to. Contrast with control, which is just the ability to throw strikes; command is the ability to hit particular spots in or out of thestrike zone. Also seelocation.
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 complete game can be awarded to a pitcher even if he pitches less than (or more than) nine innings, as long as he pitches the entire game.
A hitter who does notstrike out often. Thus, he's usually able to make contact with the ball andput it in play. This doesn't mean he's necessarily a pitty-pattyslap hitter. He may hit for power, but typically with more doubles/triples instead of home runs.Pete Rose,Tony Gwynn, andWade Boggs are all excellent examples of contact hitters.
When a runner at third base is instructed by a coach to attempt to score as soon as he hears the bat make contact with a pitch, not waiting to learn what kind of contact has been made (fair ball or foul ball, fly ball or ground ball). In such a case, the runner is told to "run on contact". This play would typically occur when the game is close or the bases are loaded. More generally, "Baserunners 'run on contact' when there are two outs, since there is nothing to lose if the ball is caught or the batter is thrown out."[73]
A pitch that is easy to hit. Conversely, in the case where the first pitch is a strike and the second pitch is a ball, the second may be the result of a pitcher's missing his spot; the pitcher responds by throwing acookie to regain control.[74]
A metonym for theHall of Fame, located in Cooperstown, New York. A player or manager "on his way to Cooperstown" is one thought destined for induction into the Hall of Fame.
Abat in whichcork (or possiblyrubber or some other elastic material) has been inserted into the core of the wooden barrel. Although modifying a bat in this way may help to increase bat speed or control by making the bat lighter, contrary to popular belief it does not impart more energy to the batted ball.[75] A batter could achieve a similar effect bychoking up on the bat or using a shorter bat. A player who is caught altering his bat illegally is subject to suspension or other penalties. The last such case in Major League Baseball involved the sluggerSammy Sosa.[76]
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" (pronounced "three and oh"), 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 afull count. A count of 1–1 or 2–2 is calledeven, although the pitcher is considered to have the advantage on a 2–2 pitch because he can still throw another ball without consequence, whereas another strike means the batter is out. A batter is said to beahead 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 bebehind 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, stand next to a base in anticipation of receiving the ball from another fielder, then make a play on a baserunner who is approaching that base. On aforce play or anappeal play, the fielder covering a base stands with one foot on that base when he catches the ball.
The sound of the bat hitting the ball. The term is used in baseball to mean "immediately, without hesitation". For example, a baserunner may start running "on the crack of the bat", as opposed to waiting to see where the ball goes.
Outfielders often use the sound of bat-meeting-ball as a clue to how far a ball has been hit. As physicistRobert Adair has written, "When a baseball is hit straight at an outfielder he cannot quickly judge the angle of ascent and the distance the ball will travel. If he waits until the trajectory is well defined, he has waited too long and will not be able to reach otherwise catchable balls. If he starts quickly, but misjudges the ball such that his first step is wrong (in for a long fly or back for a short fly), the turn-around time sharply reduces his range and he will again miss catchable balls. To help his judgment, the experienced outfielder listens to the sound of the wooden bat hitting the ball. If he hears a 'crack' he runs out, if he hears a 'clunk' he runs in."[77]
Similarly, with metal bats, the outfielders have to learn to distinguish a "ping" from a "plunk".
To hit a ball for extra bases, typically a home run. "Jeter cranked a homer to left to make it 6–5."[78] Also, a turn of the century (19th century) euphemism for baseball spectators, referring to the cranking of the turnstiles as they pass into the ballpark.
A method of defending against abunt in which the first and third basemencharge towards the batter to field the ball, the second basemancovers first base, and the shortstop covers second or third, depending on where the lead runner is going. May also refer more generally to the action of any infielder charging towards the batter on a bunt.
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 aninning is said to "hang a crooked number" on the scoreboard or on thepitcher.
A home run that is clearly going out as soon as it is hit. It is referred to in this manner because it is disturbing to the pitcher like some type of creature.
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 apassed ball, allowing a runner on base to advance. "Barrett's passed ball allowed the last of three runs to score in the fifth as theReds increased their lead to 7–2.Williams' pitch crossed him up. 'I was looking for a sinker and it cut away from me', Barrett said. 'I had a play at the plate, but my shin guard stuck in the grass. It was a frustrating day.'"[79]
When a batter has been set up to expect a certain type of pitch but instead receives a different one, he may be crossed up, perhaps leading to a weakly hit ball or a swing and a miss.
When a pitcher throws the ball toward the inside part of the plate, he may be trying to "crowd the hitter" by making it difficult for him to extend his arms and get a full swing at the pitch.
When abatter sets hisstance extremely close to theplate, sometimes covering up part of thestrike zone. This angerspitchers and, if done repeatedly, can lead to abrush-back pitch or even abeanball being thrown at the batter to clear the plate. "I am fully aware that when you crowd the plate, you're going to get a high heater."[80]
A batter who hits a ball extremely hard and far might be said to crush the ball, as if he had destroyed the baseball or at least changed its shape. Related expressions arecrunched the ball ormashed the ball. Indeed, a slugger is sometimes described as amasher. Illustration: "Though the 25-year-old has impressed with two homers in five games, he's more of a pure hitter than a masher."
Other types of baseball destruction includeknocking the stuffing out of the ball andknocking the horsehide [cover] off the ball.
When a ball is hit off the end of the bat, the batter may be said to have "cued the ball" (as if he hit it with apool cue). "Kendrick took third on a broken-bat ground-out and scored on a cued grounder to first base byRyan Shealy..."[81]
A short time spent by aminor league player at themajor league level. The idea is that the player was there only long enough to have a cup of coffee. It can also be used to describe a very brief stay (less than a season) with a major league club.
A cut fastball or cutter is afastball that has lateralmovement. A "cut fastball" is similar to aslider that is more notable for its speed than its lateral movement.
When a batter reduces the amplitude of his swing, either bychoking up on the bat or just by starting his swing less far behind his head, he "cuts down on his swing", thereby helping him to get his bat around faster. Also "shorten his swing". "Guerrero swung so hard during an 0-for-5 night Tuesday he looked as if he might come right out of his spikes. So,Hatcher suggested Wednesday that Guerrero widen his stance slightly, a move that forces hitters to cut down on their swing a bit."[82]
When a ball is hit in the gap between outfielders, a fielder often has to make a choice whether to run toward the fence to catch or retrieve the ball or to run toward the ball and try to field it before it gets by him and reaches the fence. In the latter case, he's said to"cut the ball off" because he's trying to shorten the path of the ball. "WhenGranderson drifted towards left-center field onCarlos Peña's fifth-inning line drive, he wasn't heading that direction to make a catch. He was preparing to field it on the bounce. 'I was actually getting into position to cut the ball off', Granderson said after theTigers' 11–7 loss to theRays Monday afternoon. 'I didn't think I was going to have a chance to catch it.' "[83]
A defensive tactic where afielder moves into a position between theoutfielder who hasfielded thebatted ball and thebase where aplay can be made. This fielder is said to "cut off" the throw or to be the "cut-off man". This tactic increases accuracy over long distances and shortens the time required to get a ball to a specific place. It also gives the cut-off man the choice of putting out a trailing runner trying to advanceon the throw if he thinks it impossible to make the play at home.Missing the cut-off (man) is considered amistake by an outfielder (though not scored as an error) because it may allow a runner to advance or to score.
Old-fashioned term for a hard-hit ground ball, close enough to the grass to theoretically lop the tops off any daisies that might be growing on the field.
A pitch that is difficult to see, much less hit. "Throw him the dark one" is an encouragement to the pitcher, typically given with two strikes, to throw a strike past the batter.
When a normally effective or dominant pitcher seems unable to throw as hard as he usually does, he may be said to have a "dead arm". "If you have watched the radar gun whenCarlos Zambrano has pitched this month, you know something's not right. The problem, the Cubs right-hander said Saturday, is that he's going through a 'dead arm' phase."[84]
The ball becomes "dead" (i.e., the game's action is stopped) after a foul ball and in cases of fan or playerinterference, umpire interference with a catcher, and several otherspecific 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 theLive Ball Era, when the composition of thebaseball along with other rules tended to limit the offense, and the primary batting strategy was theinside game. Hitting a home run over the fence was a notable achievement.
Apull hitter is abatter who generally hits the ball to the same side as which he bats. That is, for aright-handed batter, who bats from the left side of the plate, will hit the ball to left field. Hitters are often referred to asdead pull if they rarely do anything other than pull the ball. A contemporary example of a dead pull hitter isJason Giambi.
If a batter is "sitting/looking dead red" on a pitch, this means he was looking for a pitch (typically a fastball), and received it, usually hitting a home run or base hit.
A team's games "decided in the last at bat" are those with a winning team scoring the go-ahead or winning run in its last offensive inning. In this case, "at bat" is the team's time at the plate, constituting three outs (not to be confused with an individual at bat). See alsowalk-off.
Whenever a third ball has been called, (3-0, 3-1, or 3-2count), the situation favors the batter. "In his fourth start after missing two months following elbow surgery,Robertson … went deep in the count against many hitters but allowed just five hits and two earned runs in five innings."[85]
Asabermetric concept: the rate at which balls put into play are converted into outs by a team's defense.[86] An analogous concept is used in the analysis of other team sports, including basketball and football. It is figured this way in baseball: 1-(((H+ROE)-HR)/(PA-(SO+HBP+HR))) where H=Hits allowed, ROE=opposing team's reached base on error, HR=home runs allowed, PA=opposing team's number of plate appearances, SO=team's pitching strikeouts, and HBP=pitcher's hit-by-pitch.
When thedefense allows abaserunner to advance one or more bases. The runner then does not get credit for astolen base because the base was "given" not "stolen". The defense may allow this in the ninthinning with a large lead, where the focus is on inducing the finalbatters to makeouts.
To deliver is topitch. Announcer: "Koufax delivers...Strike three!!!"
Delivery is the basic arm angles ofpitchers, 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.
The designated hitter (DH) is a player who permanently hits in the place of a defensive player (typically the pitcher) and whose only role in the game is to hit. TheAmerican League has used the DH since 1973, while theNational League did not permanently adopt the role until 2022.
To hit ahome run. Headline: "Sox Sluggers Dial Long Distance—Ramirez,Ortiz Each Crank Two-Run Homers."[87] The phrase is sometimes stated as "Dial9 for long distance."
The layout of the fourbases in theinfield. It's actually a square 90 feet (27 m) on each side, but from the stands it resembles a parallelogram or "diamond".
A fly ball is said to die if it travels a shorter distance from home plate than initially expected due to wind or other aerodynamic factors. Not to be confused withdead ball.
A means by whichMajor League teams may temporarily remove injured players from theiractive roster. Another player can then becalled up as a replacement during this time. The term "disabled list" was replaced by "injured list" prior to the 2019 MLB season.
When a batter tends to lean in toward the plate so he can more easily hit a ball that is on the outside of the strike zone, he is said to be "diving over the plate" or "diving for the pitch". To protect the strike zone, a pitcher may respond to this by pitching the ball inside, perhaps with a "purpose pitch". "NowGlavine has an equalizer with his cutter. He can bore it into the hands of righthanders to keep them from diving over the plate with impunity at his sinker and changeup."[88]
Applying a foreign substance to the ball or otherwise altering it in order to put an unnatural spin on a pitch. Examples: By applyingVaseline or saliva (aspitball), or scuffing with sandpaper,emery board (anemery ball), or by rubbing vigorously to create a shiny area of the ball (ashineball). All of these became illegal beginning in the 1920 season, helping to end thedead-ball era. (Official Rules of Baseball, Rule 8.02(a).) In practice, there are ambiguities about what kinds of things a pitcher can legally do.[89]
A number of famous cases of doctoring the bat have also occurred in the Major Leagues. Seecorked bat.
A slang term for the pitcher hitting the batter with a pitched ball (knockdown pitch), either intentionally or accidentally. If a player "shows up" a pitcher (taking a long time to circle the bases or having an excessive celebration after a home run), if an important player on a team is struck by a pitch, or a player violates of one of baseball'sunwritten rules, the offending player can expect to get "dotted" the next time he is at bat as a form of intimidation or correction of the perceived offense. One of the "unwritten rules" is that the "dotting" done by the pitcher should be below chest level on the batter to minimize risk of injury as a higher pitch risks injuries to the hands or even the head. Pitching higher is known as "head hunting" or "buzzing the tower", and puts the pitcher at risk of actual violence by the other team.
When a pitcher is throwing strikes on the corners of the strike zone, it is said he is dotting the corners.
When a fielder – usually an infielder or a catcher – draws his arm back twice before throwing he's said to "double clutch". This hesitation often leads to a delayed or late throw, allowing runners to advance a base. The term is borrowed froma method of shifting gears on an automotive vehicle.
A pitcher who is getting a lot of quick outs. Implies that he has parked his car illegally and is trying to get back to it and avoid a ticket, and this is why he is keen to get outs quickly.
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.
Thedouble play combination (or DP combo) on a team consists of the shortstop and the second baseman, because these players are the key players in a 6-4-3 or 4-6-3 double play. They are also sometimes calledsackmates because they play either side of second base (also known as second sack).
'Roll a bump' is a colloquial east coast slang for turning a 1-6-3 double play or a 1-4-3 double play.
Two runners attempt to simultaneously steal a base. Typically this is seen when runners who are on first and second make an attempt to steal second and third. Another common example is when a runner on first steals second, enticing the catcher to throw down to second so the runner on third can then steal home.
The double switch is a type of player substitution that allows a manager to make a pitching substitution and defensive (fielding) substitution while at the same time improving the team's offensive (batting) lineup. This is most effectively used when a pitcher needs to be replaced while his team is on defense, and his turn to bat is coming up in his team's next offensive try. Rather than replace the pitcher with another pitcher, a position player (one who recently batted in his team's last offensive try) is replaced with a new pitcher, and the outgoing pitcher is replaced by a player able to play the position of the outgoing position player. The two subs then trade to their natural defensive roles but keep the batting order positions of those they replaced so that when the team next comes up to bat, it is the newly subbed position player who hits during the turn of the vacated pitcher, and the new pitcher does not have to hit until the outgoing position player's turn comes again. The double switch is primarily used by leagues that do not usedesignated hitters, such as Japan'sCentral League, or theNational League prior to 2022.
When a runner becomes the second out in adouble play, he may be said to have been doubled up (or doubled off). This could be a batter who has hit into a double play or a runner who is caught off base when a fielder catches a ball and throws behind the runner to a fielder who touches the base to complete a double play (hence "doubling up" the runner).
A team that wins adoubleheader may be described as having doubled up their opponent: "Royals double upBlue Jays".[90] Also refers to winning by exactly double the amount of runs of the opponent, such as an 8–4 or 6–3 score.
When two games are played by the same two teams on the same day. When the games are played late in the day, they are referred to as a "twilight-night" or "twinight" doubleheader. When one game is played in the afternoon and one in the evening (typically with separate admission fees), it is referred to as a "day-night" doubleheader. A doubleheader can also be referred to as a Twinbill. In minor league and college baseball, doubleheader games are often scheduled for seven innings rather than the standard nine for aregulation game.
According to the Dickson dictionary, the term is thought to derive from a railroading term for using two joined engines (a "double header") to pull an exceptionally long train.
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.
Over the middle portion ofhome plate, often refers to the location of pitches. Also referred to asdown the pipe,down the pike,down Main Street,down Broadway, and, inAtlanta,downPeachtree. Very different fromup the middle.
When a team is approaching the end of the season in pursuit of the pennant or championship, it is heading down the stretch. Perhaps this derives from horse racing or automobile racing in which competitors come out of the final turn of the track and are heading down the home stretch toward the finish line. "Detroit provided more than enough offense forFister, who was terrificdown the stretch after the Tigers acquired him in a trade withSeattle shortly before the July 31 deadline."[91]
A slang term for a shortstop and second baseman combination, as primary executors ofdouble plays. They are also occasionally referred to assackmates. Generally speaking, only the best sets of middle infielders get called DP combos.
Abunt in which a left-handed hitterlays down a bunt out of the reach of the pitcher and toward the right side of the infield, in hopes that he will safely reach first base. Often such a bunt has an element of surprise to take advantage of the batter's speed and the fact that the first baseman and second baseman are playing their positions back. The batter may even take a stride toward first base as he bunts the ball, thereby appearing to drag the ball with him as he runs toward first base.
A batter who gets called balls is sometimes said to have "drawn a ball" or "drawn a walk". "After a brief pause to put specially marked baseballs in play,Bonds drew ball one and ball two – with boos raining down onVandenHurk - before a called first strike. Then, the 96 mph fastball was gone – a drive estimated at 420 feet."[92]
When the outfield plays closer to the infield to prevent fly balls from dropping between them and the infielders, they are said to be "drawn in". This typically happens when the game is close in the final inning, and with less than two outs, and the defensive team wants to prevent the offense from getting base hits that might score the winning run (while conceding that a long fly ball might score a run even if the ball is caught in the outfield).
The infield may also be drawn in if there is a runner on third base with less than two outs, so that the infielders may field a ground ball and attempt to throw out the runner at the plate.
A single infielder, typically the third baseman or the first baseman may also play "in" when it's anticipated that a batter may attempt to make asacrifice bunt.
A dropped third strike occurs when the catcher fails to cleanly catch a pitch which is a third strike (either because the batter swings and misses it or because the umpire calls it). The pitch is considered not cleanly caught if the ball touches the dirt before being caught, or if the ball is dropped after being caught. On a dropped third strike, the strike is called (and a pitcher gets credited with a strike-out), but the umpire indicates verbally that the ball was not caught, and does not call the batter out. If first base is not occupied at the time (or, with two outs, even with first base occupied), the batter can then attempt to reach first base prior to being tagged or thrown out. Given this rule, it is possible for a pitcher to record more than three strike-outs in an inning.
A softlyhit ball that goes over theinfielders and lands in theoutfield for ahit. Originally called a "duck fart",[citation needed] the term was popularized by White Sox announcerHawk Harrelson to make it more family friendly.
A batter is said to be "due" when he's been in a hittingslump, but he usually hits for a fair or better average. Example: "Paul Konerko is 0-for-3 today, he's due for a hit." This is a baseball version of theGambler's fallacy.
Thedugout is where a team's bench is located. With the exception of relief pitchers in thebullpen, active players who are not on the field watch the play from the dugout. A dugout is 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 rule book still uses the termbench, as there is no requirement that it be "dug out" or necessarily below field level. The original benches typicallywere 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.
A player who bunts the ball may be said to dump a bunt. "Polanco dumped a bunt down the third base line." See alsolay down. A right handed hitter dumps a bunt to third and pushes the bunt to first. A left handed hitter drags the ball to first and pushes the bunt to third
Apitch, often abrush-back, thrown so farinside that thebatter drops to the ground ("hits the dust") to avoid it. Somewhat contradictorily, on the same play thepitcher may be said to have "dusted off" the batter.
Abatted ball that drops in front of theoutfielders for ahit, often unexpectedly (like a shot bird). Also known as ablooper, a li'l looper, achinker, a bleeder, or a gork.
Anyrun for which thepitcher is held accountable (i.e., the run did not score as a result of afielding error or apassed ball). Primarily used to calculate theearned run average. In determining earned runs, an error charged to a pitcher is treated exactly like an error charged to any other fielder. Some pitchers, notablyEd Lynch, referred to earned runs as "earnies".
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine. Runs resulting from defensive errors are recorded as unearned runs and omitted from ERA calculations.
A reminder to the defensive team that when there are two outs only one more is needed to end the inning, and therefore they should get the easiest out possible. "Let's go D, two away, get the easy out." An easy out is also a weak-hitting batter, usually at the bottom of the order.
The action of fielding a batted ball (usually cleanly or almost so) but holding on to it rather than attempting to make a throw to a base to retire a runner. This is usually done because the fielder believes there is little chance of retiring the runner and that it would be preferable to allow the runner to reach one base unchallenged rather than risk committing an error that might allow the runner to advance additional bases. The phrase is usually used only to describe the action of an infielder, catcher, or pitcher. "That slow roller didn't get past a divingScutaro, but he decided to eat the ball rather than risk a throw to nip the quick-runningGardner." Also commonly used in the past-tense. "The charging third baseman Cabrera ate the ball after that great bunt fromJuan Pierre."[citation needed]
A very slowpitch with a high arcing trajectory. Invented by 1930sPittsburgh Pirates hurlerRip Sewell, it is a part of Phillies pitcher Jose Contreras' repertoire; thrown 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 the game-winning home run that he hit off of Sewell in the 1946 All-Star Game was his greatest thrill in baseball.
A player or coach who is disqualified from the game by anumpire forunsportsmanlike conduct. Synonyms include: tossed, thrown out, banished, chased, given the thumb, given the (ol') heave-ho, kicked out, booted, run, sent to the clubhouse.
When apitcher who is normally areliever or in theminor leagues is called on tostart the game on short notice because the originally scheduled starter is injured or ill. Illustration: "WithChan 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 viaPortland, where he has spent the past 10 days with the Triple-ABeavers."[97]
An error is a fielder's misplay which allows a batter or baserunner to reach one or more additional bases when, in the judgment of theofficial scorer, that advance could have been prevented by ordinary effort. 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. Because the pitcher and catcher handle the ball so much, some misplays by them are called a "wild pitch" or a "passed ball", and are not counted as errors.
SYNONYMS: bobble, blooper, muff, miscue, flub, kick or boot ("Lopez kicked the grounder"; "Johnson booted it".)
Aposition player, as opposed to apitcher 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:
aplatoon 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 asbench players orrole players. They may also take onpinch hitting orpinch running assignments.
A common nickname for theNew York Yankees due to its wealth and winning by far the most championships. This nickname is used especially by fans of theBoston Red Sox and by fans of other teams to a lesser extent. Even some Yankees fans have been known to call themselves and their team the "Evil Empire" as a badge of honor.
When a pitcher getsahead in the count, he "expands the strike zone" because the hitter is more likely to swing at a pitch that is at the edge or out of thestrike zone or in some otherlocation where he can't hit it. "Ideally, a pitcher is going to try and getahead in the count and when this happens the pitcher has effectively 'expanded the strike zone' since the batter is now on the defensive and will be more prone tochase pitches outside the strike zone."[98]
AMajor League term for the largerroster of players that can be used under specific circumstances, such as when gaining an extra player on days of a double header or the previous (before 2019) controversial practice when major league rosters could expand from 25 to up to 40 players on September1.
When a batter is able to hit a pitch that is at a comfortable distance from his body, he is said to have "extended his arms", which allows a full swing and hitting the ball harder. "J. D. Martinez has hit two homers in three career at-bats offAllen, who was trying to protect a 2–1 lead against the middle of Detroit's vaunted lineup. 'I was just overthrowing it', Allen said. 'I just didn't make pitches when I had to. One pitch – J. D. Martinez got extended on a fastball and hit it very hard.'"[99]
Additionalinnings needed to determine a winner if a game is tied after the regulation number ofinnings (nine at the college/professional level, seven at high school level, six in Little League). Also known asbonus baseball orfree baseball because paying spectators are witnessing more action than normal. It is sometimes, but not commonly, referred to as "overtime" as a play on other team sports.
When a team makes a mistake on a defensive play that should have been an easy out, the team is said to have given its opponent an "extra out". "'There were a couple of innings where we gave them extra outs,'Wedge said. 'They may not be errors, but we're not making plays.'"[100]
TheWorld Series—the championship series ofMajor League Baseball, in which the champion of theAmerican League faces off against the champion of theNational League. Typically, this series takes place in October, soplaying 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 theYankees. Another Yankee,Derek Jeter, picked up the nickname "Mr. November" after he hit awalk-off home run in Game4 of the2001 World Series just after midnightlocal time on November1. By comparison, Yankees ownerGeorge Steinbrenner's dubbing another of his players (Dave Winfield) "Mr. May" expressed his disappointment with that player's performance in the Fall Classic.
The one time the Fall Classic was actually played in the summer was 1918, when the season was curtailed due to World War I and the Series was played in early September.
The first time the Fall Classic extended in to November was in 2001. Jeter's walk-off homer was the first plate appearance in the month of November in MLB history; the 2001 season had been delayed for several days following9/11, eventually pushing the start of the World Series into the last week of October – and the end of the Series in to November. The 2009, 2010, and 2015–17 World Series would subsequently have games in November.
A pitch is said to "fall off the table" when it starts in the strike zone or appears hittable to the batter and ends low or in the dirt. This term is mainly used forchange ups andsplit-fingered fastballs, and occasionally for anoverhand curveball.
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 becomesdead, and theumpire will award any bases or charge any outs that, in his judgment, would have occurred without the interference. This is one of several types ofinterference calls in baseball.
If a fan touches a ball that is out of the field of play, such as a pop fly into the stands, it is not considered to be fan interference even if a defensive player might have fielded the ball successfully. So the infamous case in Game6 of theNLCS in which aChicago Cubs fan,Steve Bartman, attempted to catch a ball in foul territory thereby possibly preventing Cubs left fielderMoisés Alou from making a circus catch, was not a case of fan interference.
A fielder who puts an extra flourish on his movements while making a play in hopes of gaining the approval of the spectators.[102][103]Wilbert Robinson was manager whenAl López started out as a catcher in the majors. Robinson watched Lopez' style and finally hollered, "Tell that punk he got two hands to catch with! Never mind theFancy Dan stuff." Lopez went on to eventually surpass Robinson's record of games behind the plate.
A farm team is a team or club whose role it is to provide experience and training for young players, with an expectation that successful players will move to the big leagues at some point. Each Major League Baseball team's organization has afarm system of affiliated farm teams at differentminor league baseball levels.
Apitch that is thrown more for high velocity than for movement; it is the most common type of pitch. 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).
Acount in which the pitcher would be ordinarily expected to throw afastball, such as 3–1, 3–2, or 2–1, as fast ball are usually easiest to locate in the strike zone. Occasionally a pitcher willpull the string by throwing an off-speed pitch.
When a pitcher relies too much on his fastball, perhaps because his other pitches are not working well for him during that game, he is said to be "fastball happy". This can get a pitcher into trouble if the batters can anticipate that the next pitch will be a fastball. "Andy is at his best when he trusts his breaking stuff and doesn't try to overpower guys. When he gets fastball happy he gets knocked around."[104]
To throw the ball carefully to another fielder in a way that allows him to make an out. A first-baseman who has justfielded a ground ball will "feed the ball" to the pitcher who is running over from the mound to make theforce out at first base. An infielder who has fielded a ground-ball will feed the ball to the player covering second base so the latter can step on the base and quickly throw to first base to complete adouble play.
Tofield the ball is to capture or make a play on aground ball or to catch afly ball.
To take the field means the defensive players are going to their positions, while the other team is on the offense or at bat. "The Reds have taken the field, and Jose Reyes is leading off for the Mets."
Any defensive player (the offense being batters and runners). Often, defensive players are distinguished as eitherpitchers orposition players. Position players are further divided intoinfielders andoutfielders.
The head coach of a team is called themanager (more formally, the field manager). He controls team strategy on the field. He 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'sgeneral 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.
An old-fashioned and more colorful way of saying "numbers nut" orstathead, for afan 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 theBaseball Hall of Fame and prior to that was one of the first, if notthe 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 calledsabermetrics.[citation needed]
When a batter has two strikes on him and gets a pitch he cannot hit cleanly, he may be said to "fight off the pitch" byfouling it off. "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."[105]
A compliment for a pitcher, especially one who specializes in breaking balls with a lot of movement. Also for a particularly impressive breaking ball, especially one thrown for a third strike. Synonymous with "nasty".Bert Blyleven was an example of a pitcher with an absolutely filthy curveball.
When a batter has been in a slump perhaps for no evident reason, but then starts getting hits, he may be said to have "found his bat". "With theTigers having found their bats for a night, they reset the series and put themselves in position to all but lock up the AL Central."[107]
When a batter has experienced aslump, he may take extra practice or instruction to "find his swing". Perhaps he has ahitch in his swing, or his batting stance has changed. Having "lost his swing", now he must "find it". This phrase is also used ingolf.
As if a ball leaving the bat is in search of a place to land, a ball that "finds the seats" is one that leaves the field of play and reaches the stands. It may either be a home run or a foul ball (out of the reach of the fielders).
A player, often one of small stature, who is known for his energy, extroversion, and team spirit – sometimes perhaps more than for his playing ability. "Morgan defied this mold by outworking everybody and employing his moderate athletic gifts to become one of the best all-around players of his era. He hit for power, he hit for average, he stole bases and manufactured runs and he was one of the toughest, smartest defensive second basemen the game has ever seen. He was a relentless fireplug, respected by opposing players and hated by opposing fans."[109]
When a batter swings at a pitch that is inside and the ball hits the bat close to his fists (hands). "Following the top half of the first, the Bulls offense struck early when junior leftfielder Junior Carlin fisted a pitch back up the middle on a 1–0 count."[110]
A derogatory term referring to a starting pitcher who is unable to go beyond five innings before wearing out. In the current era in which managers are increasingly aware of the risk of injury to pitchers who have highpitch counts, and in which relief pitching has become a critical part of the game, starters achieve fewer and fewercomplete games. Headline: "Vasquez Disputes Five-and-Dive Label".[111]
Ahitter who hits really well during batting practice, but not so well during games. These were formerly known as "ten o'clock hitters" or "two-o'clock hitters" back when there were no night games.
To catch or knock down aline drive, as if flagging down a speeding train. "Cody Ross, who singled and moved to second on a ground-out, wasstranded whenRamírez's scorched liner... was flagged down by a divingJones."[112]
Making an outstanding or difficult defensive play. A player who regularly makes difficult defensive plays may be described as a"leather flasher". Seeleather.
The act of a fielder's softly tossing the ball to a teammate covering a base when the two are so close that making a regular overhand throw would waste time and/or unnecessarily risk an inaccurate throw.
A game played in the bullpen by relief pitchers. There are multiple rules and strategies that can be used.
A pitcher who tends to induce more fly balls than ground balls. Those pitchers are disadvantageous in that they allow more home runs than any other pitcher.
An out that results from an outfielder catching afly ball.
A batter whose fly ball is caught in the outfield is said to "fly out". "Rodriguez flew out to center fielder Suzuki." (Past tense "flied"is acceptable.)
Synonymous with "buckled" where a pitcher throws a breaking ball (typically a curveball) that starts inside, appearing to the batter that it may hit him, causing him to duck, but which breaks into the zone. It refers to the folding of the knees as the batter attempts to move out of the way.
Any play where arunner is forced to advance because the batter has become a runner after hitting a fair ball not caught. Any runner put out is considered to have been forced out for the purpose of determining whether a run has scored, if that runner is put out before reaching the base to which he is forced to advance. No run may score on a play where the third out is the result of a force play, whether that runner is tagged or a fielder with secure possession of the ball touches the base to which the runner is forced to advance.
The term "force out" is generally used to refer to any time a runner is put out because a fielder with secure possession of the ball touches the base to which the runner is forced to advance on a force play before the runner reaches the base.
The term "force out" is also used to refer to a runner who is put out when a fielder with secure possession of the ball touches the base which a runner is forced to retouch after a batted ball is caught in flight by a fielder.
A type ofsplit-fingerfastball or splitter in which the fingers are spread out as far as possible. The ball drops sharply and typically out of the strike zone, maybe even into the dirt.
Two straight lines drawn on the ground from home plate to the outfield fence to indicate the boundary betweenfair territory andfoul territory. These are called either theleft-field foul line and theright-field foul line, or thethird-base foul line andfirst-base foul line, respectively. Thefoul poles on the outfield walls are vertical extensions of the foul lines.
Despite their names, both the foul lines and the foul poles are infair territory. Any fly ball that strikes the foul line (including the foul pole) beyond first or third base is a fair ball (and in the case of the foul pole, ahome run).
Note that while the foul lines in baseball are in fair territory, just like the side- and end-lines of a tennis court, in basketball or American football the sidelines are considered out of bounds. In other words, hitting the ball "on the line" is good for the offensive player in baseball and tennis, but stepping on the line is bad for the offensive player in basketball and American football. The situation is slightly different in association football (soccer): the sideline and the goal line are inbounds, and the ball is out of play when it has wholly crossed the side line (touch line) or the goal line, whether on the ground or in the air.
Purposely batting apitchfoul with twostrikes in order to keep theat-bat going, in part to tire thepitcher 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". Such a hitter might also be said to bebattling orworking the pitcher.
A pole located on each foul line on the outfield fence or wall. Theleft-field foul pole andright-field foul pole are used by umpires to determine whether a batted ball is ahome run or afoul ball. The foul pole is a vertical extension of thefoul line. The term "foul pole" is actually a misnomer, because the "foul pole" (like the foul line) is in fair territory and a fly ball that hits the foul pole is considered to be afair ball (and a home run).
A batted ball that is hit sharply and directly from the bat to the catcher's mitt and legally caught by the catcher. It is not a foul tip, as most announcers and journalists mistakenly use the term, if the ball is not caught by the catcher. In this case, it is simply a foul ball. It is also not considered a foul tip if it rebounds off something, like the ground, catcher's mask, the batter, etc. after being struck by the bat but before touching the catcher's mitt. A foul tip is considered in play, not a foul ball, and also counts as a strike, including the third strike (and is also considered a strikeout for the pitcher). It is signalled by the umpire putting his right hand flat in the air and brushing his left hand against it (imitating the ball glancing off the bat) and then using his standard strike call. If the out is not the third out then the ball is alive and in play (unlike on a foul) and runners are in jeopardy if they are trying to advance.
A standardfastball, which does not necessarily break though a good one will havemovement as well as velocity and location that makes it difficult to hit. The batter sees the four parallel seams spin toward him. Afour-seamer. Seetwo-seamer.
As a noun, a frame is half an inning (either the top or the bottom). Announcer: "Two hits, and two runs scored so far in this frame." Also abowling term, as suggested by the resemblance of an inning-by-inning scoreboard to a bowling scoresheet.
As a verb, framing [a pitch] refers to the positioning and/or movement of the catcher's mitt and body when he catches a pitch and the effect this has on the umpire calling a pitch a strike. The boundaries of the strike zone are clearly defined in the rules; however, with many major-league pitches traveling well in excess of 90 mph (140 km/h), or with "moving" pitches such as the curveball and the knuckleball, it is often difficult for an umpire to judge whether a ball went through the strike zone based solely on watching the ball, particularly at the boundaries of the strike zone. Consequently, umpires sometimes unofficially use the catcher's position and/or movement to help judge whether a pitch is a strike. Framing is a catcher's attempt to use this to his team's advantage. For example, on a pitch near the boundary of the strike zone, a catcher might move his mitt a short, subtle distance toward the strike zone within a split second after catching the ball, with the hope that the umpire will call a strike even if it did not go through the strike zone. Conversely, a pitch near the top of the strike zone might be called a ball if the catcher has to rise from his crouched position to catch it, even if it did go through the defined strike zone.Sabermetricians have developed metrics for how well catchers perform in framing pitches.[113]
To throw a strike that is so unexpected or in such a location that the batter doesn't swing at it. "AsCashman spoke,Pettitte fired a strike on the corner, which froze the hitter."[114] "But the right-hander reached in her bag of tricks and threw a tantalizing changeup that froze the hitter for the final out."[115]
Acount of 3balls and 2strikes; another strike will result in astrikeout, while another ball will result in awalk. At that point, only a foul ball will extend the at-bat.
Three of a kind (three balls), and two of a kind (two strikes): afull count. From the term used inpoker. Sometimes calledfull 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.
Afly ball hit for fielders to practice catching. It is not part of the game, but is accomplished by a batter tossing the ball a short distance up in the air and then batting it himself.
A lightweightbat with a long, skinnybarrel used to hitfungoes. It is not a legal or safe bat to use in a game or even in practice with a live pitcher, because it is too light.
A player who plays particularly hard (especially with a willingness to sacrifice his body for the play) and is prone to making the right play at the right time, often in big games. Also used to refer to an excellent piece of equipment, such as a glove or mitt.
The space betweenoutfielders. Alsoalley. A ball hit in the gap is sometimes called aflapper or agapper. "He's swinging the bat right now better than he has all year, and I'm hoping now some of them turns into gappers",Leyland said.[116]
The gross ticket prices paid by all the customers who passed through the entrance gates for a game or a series. Also referred to simply as"the gate". "There's a big gate awaiting the champions..."[117]
The general manager (GM) runs the organization of a baseball team (personnel,finance, and operations). Normally distinct from thefield manager and the club owner.
A very well pitched game, almost always a win, in which the pitcher allows few if any hits and at most a run or two. Headline: "Mulder Shakes Off Injury to Pitch Gem".[118]
When swinging a round bat at a round ball, the batter hopes to hit the ball solidly in the center. When he does, he's said to "get a good piece of the ball". "'When you hit in the middle of the order, those are the situations you want', saidCabrera, who leads the major leagues with 116 RBIs. 'He threw me a fastball, and I got a good piece of it.'"[119]
Getaway Day (orGetaway Game) refers to the last game of a regular season series (usually on a Wednesday, Thursday, or Sunday afternoon) that sees the visiting team leave town ("get away") after its conclusion, either for the next stop on theirroad trip or for home. May also refer to the last day of a team'shome stand. "MLB's new labor deal requires earlier start times on getaway days."[120]
A startinglineup for Getaway Day that features backup players. Usually assembled by amanager so that his regular starters can enjoy a day's rest (especially if they had played the night before), though considerations such as the team's standing in thepennant race may preclude him from making such moves. "The San Francisco Giants completed a four-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies, even with a getaway day lineup taking the field."[121][122]
To break a scoreless, hitless, or winlessstreak (i.e., a schneid). According to theDickson Baseball Dictionary, the term "schneid" comes to baseball viagin rummy, and in turn comes from German / Yiddish "schneider", one who cuts cloth, i.e., a tailor.
Abaseball glove ormitt is a large padded leather glove that players on the defensive team wear to assist them in catching and fielding. Different positions require different shapes and sizes of gloves. The term "mitt" is officially reserved to describe the catcher's mitt and the first-baseman's mitt. By rule, fielders other than the first-baseman and the catcher can wear only conventional gloves (with individual finger slots), not mitts. There is no rulerequiring fielders to wear a glove or mitt, but the nature of the game makes it necessary. A fielder may have to catch a ball bare-handed, if he loses his glove in pursuit of a ball or finds himself at the wrong angle to use it.
Most batters nowadays wear leatherbatting gloves to improve their grip and provide a small amount of padding. Base-stealing artists, especially those who practice the head-first hands-first slide, wear specializedsliding gloves.
Players generally keep batting and sliding gloves in their pants pockets when not in use, and their fielding gloves in the dugout. At one time, players would leave their fielding gloves on the field; later they carried them in their pants pockets. This illustrates (1) how much larger and baggier uniforms were and (2) how much smaller the gloves were. The adage "two hands while you're learning" was a necessity in the early years, when gloves simply absorbed shock. The glove has since evolved into a much more effective "trap", and one-hand catches are now the norm.
Jokes used in movies and cartoons notwithstanding, the rules forbidthrowing the glove to "catch", slow down, or even touch a batted ball. When the umpire calls it, the batter is awarded an automatic triple (meaning all runners ahead of him are allowed to score freely); it is also a live ball, and the batter-runner can try for home. Similarly, it is against the rules to use one's cap as a glove, as "All the Way Mae" (Madonna) did inA League of Their Own. Note that it is only against the rules to actually touch the ball with a thrown glove or other equipment; there is no penalty if the ball is not touched.
A player who is very skilled at defense is said tohave a good glove.
The run which puts a team which was behind or tied into the lead. Used particularly with runners on base (e.g., "The Phillies haveJimmy Rollins andShane Victorino on base down 4–2; Victorino represents the tying run andChase Utley is the go-ahead run at the plate.").
A starting pitcher who pitches past the 6th inning is said to "go deep into the game". "Against the White Sox on Thursday,Morrow'scommand wasn't there. He walked six batters in5+2⁄3 innings, and despite coming one out shy of recording aquality start, he didn't prove yet he's able to pitch deep into games."[124]
When the defending team allows no opponent on base in a half-inning, thereby retiring the side facing the minimum three batters, the batting team is said to have gone down in order, the defending team is said to have retired it in order.
When a team fails to mount a strong offense, such as going 1–2–3 in an inning, it may be said to have "gone quietly". "Outside of a walk toMantle afterTresh's clout and a ninth-inning single byPepitone, theYankees went quietly the rest of the way."[125]
A player who retires without a lot of fanfare or complaining may be said to "go quietly".
One whostrikes out four times in one game is said to have gotten a "golden sombrero". Three strike outs is called the "hat trick", while the rare five strike outs is called the "platinum sombrero." Only eight times has a player struck out six times in a game; this is called the "horn" (named byMike Flanagan afterSam Horn who did this in 1991), "double-platinum sombrero," or "titanium sombrero." If it ever happens, Flanagan said a seven-strikeout game shall be called "Horn-A-Plenty."
A hitter who has excellent awareness of the strike zone, and is able tolay off pitches that are barely out of the strike zone, is said to have a "good eye", "Ortiz andRamirez are a constant threat, whether it's swinging the bats or taking pitches",Cleveland third basemanCasey Blake said. "They have a couple of the best swings in the game and a couple of the best eyes in the game..."[126]
A situation where a batter puts the ball in play in a way that maximizes the result for his team. "Good pieces of hitting" tend to result in runs scoring and draining several pitches out of an opposing pitcher, especially in situations where the pitcher's team was looking for a decent amount of length.
An accolade given to a batter who does not swing at a pitch that is close to, but not in, the strike zone; most often said to a batter with two strikes (who is naturally tempted).
Exclamation by a broadcaster when a batter hits a home run. First uttered by an unknown broadcaster in the filmThe Natural.Spalding is a major manufacturer of baseballs.
A gopher ball (orgopher pitch) is a pitch that leads to ahome run, one 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 are hit by both teams may also be described as "gopher ball".
When a hitter swings slightly under the center of the pitched ball, thereby leading to a high fly ball out instead of a home run, he's said to "get under the ball".
Showing off for the fans in thegrandstands. Also calledgrandstanding. Not only players, but managers, owners, and politicians often play to the crowd to raise their public image. An example: "Tellem weighed in with a thoughtful back-page article in this Sunday'sNew York Times regarding the recent Congressional and mainstream media grandstanding over steroids."[127]
A sarcastic term for seats high in thebleachers, a long way from the playing field. The phrase was popularized byBob Uecker in a series of TV commercials.
The Green Monster is a popular nickname for the 37.2 feet (11.3 m) high left field wall at Fenway Park, home to the Boston Red Sox baseball team. The wall is 310 feet (94.5 m) from home plate and is a popular target for right-handed hitters. The seats on top of the Monster, installed for the 2003 season, are among the most coveted seats at Fenway.
The Red Sox have spring training at JetBlue Park at Fenway South (informally, JetBlue Park) in Fort Myers, Florida. JetBlue is an exact copy of Fenway, including a full-sized Green Monster.
The Red Sox' mascot is "Wally, the Green Monster".
When a pitcher throws a pitch down the middle of the plate ("the groove"). The result may be predictable. An example: "But in the third, with two out and a man at second and the Cards ahead 2–1,Verlander grooved a pitch thatPujols clobbered for a home run."[130]
Aground ball that barely gets between twoinfielders for abase hit, seeming to "see" the only spot where it would be unfieldable. Also seeing-eye grounder, orseeing-eye single.
Under standardground rules, there are conditions under which a batter is awarded second base automatically. If a ball hit in fair territory bounces over a wall or fence (or gets caught in the ivy atWrigley Field) without being touched by a fielder, it will likely be declared a double. If a ball hit into fair territory is touched by a fan, the batter is awarded an extra base.
A hitter who primarily guesses what type of pitch is coming and where it will be located as their approach to hitting rather than just looking for a fastball and then reacting to off speed pitches.
Illustration of a gyroball illustrating the sharp breaking motion
A type of curveball with a severe break.Boston Red Sox pitcherDaisuke Matsuzaka is said to throw a gyroball. It was designed by a couple of Japanese scientists to reduce arm fatigue in pitchers. The result was a way to throw the ball with an extreme break. Whether such a special pitch really exists remains the subject of great controversy among experts of various pedigrees.[133]
To swing awkwardly at the ball. "As his son stood in the batter's box and hacked away, Wolpert came up with the idea of opening his own batting cage in Manhattan."[134] Sometimes said of an aggressive hitter who would swing at any pitch within reach, whether high, low, inside, or outside. "An unrepentant free swinger who hacked at anything in the same area code as the strike zone,Puckett drew just 23 walks that year."[135]
TheBaseball Hall of Fame inCooperstown, New York. AbbreviatedHOF. In popular usage, the terms "Hall of Fame broadcaster" and "Hall of Fame writer" are often used to describe recipients of two annual awards, respectively theFord C. Frick Award andJ. G. Taylor Spink Award. Recipients of these awards are recognized in dedicated Hall exhibits, but are not considered actual Hall of Fame members.
Atongue-in-cheek expression used to refer to players who had successful careers, but whose stats and/or overall performance are not good enough to put them into consideration for the Hall of Fame. Example of players said to be in the "Hall of Very Good" areChris Carpenter,[136]Lee Smith (who eventually earned Hall of Fame induction), andMark McGwire.[137]
Often it's said of a player who has not fielded a batted ball cleanly that he "couldn't find the handle on it". This suggests the fanciful notion that a baseball would be easier to hold onto if it had a handle.
Abreaking ball that does not "break", or change direction, and so is easy tohit. Ahanging curveball.
Apitcher may behung with aloss if he is responsible for his team falling behind in runs and the team never recovers the lead.
A runner may behung up if he is caught in arundown.
A runner may behung 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.")
A team mayhang a (number) on the opposing pitcher or his team by scoring that many runs. May use a literal number or an informal term such as acrooked number or asnowman.
When a pitcher uses a particular type of pitch so much that he becomes less effective, he's sometimes said to be "happy" with the pitch – fastball happy or curveball happy, for example. "This article is a response, in part, to aBoston Globe sports rumor asserting thatJosh Beckett has become 'Curveball Happy' and has changed his release point."[138]
Tostrike out three times. Used jokingly, as the same term means to score three times inhockey and other sports. This term is also used to indicate someone who has hit threehome runs in a game.
When a player breaks their bat after hitting the pitch, and the main portion of the bat (the barrel) lands within the infield, the broken portion can splinter into many pieces. (If the barrel lands either in foul territory or outside the established infield, the event isnot a head of lettuce.) The term pays homage to other food-related baseball terms such as "can of corn", "high cheese", "in a pickle", etc. The original use of the term dates to 2006 when Joshua Githens first noted the likeness to striking a head of lettuce with the bat. "That bat exploded like a head of lettuce!"
Middle of home plate. "Looking to go up the ladder, Hughes instead missed right over the heart of the plate just below belt high with a 95-mph fastball. As good hitters do,Vladimir Guerrero made him pay with a single up the middle."[139]
A pitcher who pauses in his wind-up, perhaps at the top of the wind-up, may be said to have a hesitation pitch. If this is part of his regular motion, it may be effective in throwing off the timing of the batter. If it's an occasional motion and used when there are runners on base, the pitcher is at risk of being called for abalk.
A very rare feat in which a fielder has the ball and hides it from a runner, tricking him into believing some other fielder has it or that it has gotten away from them. (There is no rule against such deception except that once the pitcher toes or stands astride the rubber, hemust have the ball in his possession or else abalk will be called.) Any baserunner so victimized will be ribbed endlessly by his teammates for having beencaught napping.
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. Seehit by pitch
The termsacrifice 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 without benefit of an error).
Anoffensive tactic whereby abaserunner (usually onfirst base) starts running as if tosteal and thebatter is obligated to swing at thepitch to try to drive the ball behind the runner to right field. Contrast this to a run and hit, where the runner steals, and the batter (who would normally take on a straight steal)may swing at the pitch.
After a batter has attempted but failed to lay down a bunt, or in a situation in which he might ordinarily be expected to bunt, he may instead make a normal swing at the ball on the next pitch. In such a case he is said to "hit away" or "swing away". "Smoltz swung away, fouling it off for strike one. Knowing that the bunt had been given away on the first pitch,Braves managerBobby Cox took off the bunt sign this time."[140]
When apitch touches abatter in thebatter's box, the batter advances tofirst base. If the pitch hits him while he is swinging (striking) he is not awarded a base, and if the umpire feels he made no effort to avoid getting hit he simply calls a ball.
Colloquially, a batter who is hit by a pitch has been plunked, drilled, nailed, plugged, or beaned.
Said to be the (grammatically casual) response of turn-of-the-20th-century playerWillie Keeler to the question, "What's the secret to hitting?" in which "'em" or "them" are thebatted balls, and "they" are thefielders.
When a given player hits asingle,double,triple andhome run in the same game. To accomplish this feat in order is termed a "natural cycle". Hitting for the cycle is a rare enough occurrence thatMajor League Baseball keeps special statistics on it.[141]
When a player seems to have a natural aptitude to get hits in all situations. "Magglio can hit Christmas Day",Tigers managerJim Leyland said. "It's an old saying, and he's one of those guys who can. There's nothing fancy. He sees it, hits it and does it pretty damned good."[142]
To hit the ball even center with measured force, often resulting in a loud crack of the bat. Aslumpingbatter might be comforted by "hitting the ball on the screws" when not getting ahit. The phrase derives fromgolf, referring to a well executed shot. Back when "woods" were actually made of wood, manufacturers screwed a plastic insert into the club face as a safeguard against premature wear. When a golfer hit a good shot he would say, "I hit it on the screws."[143] Another source is the fact that early baseball bats usually cracked lengthwise into two pieces; many were repaired using glue and two screws. (Such repairs are now illegal.)
When a batter drops or dives to the ground to avoid being hit by a pitch. "The third kind of pitch is the one that is coming right at your head. This one you don't even have time to think about. Some part of you sees the ball as it leaves the pitcher's hand, and something about the fact that the ball is coming straight toward your eye makes it almost disappear into a blind spot. You hit the deck before you even know you've done it."[144]
When a batter does not swing the bat in a single motion – perhaps he lifts the bat or moves his hands or hesitates before swinging – he may be said to have a "hitch in his swing". Having a hitch may slow down how quickly or powerfully he swings at the pitch. "All winter,Green worked on eliminating a hitch from his swing. He did it by setting up a video camera at a batting cage near his home in Irvine, California, taping swing after swing, and comparing it with video from his days with the Los Angeles Dodgers."[145]
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. Seecount.
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 measuringPark 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.[146] Baseball Reference[147] and other baseball research organizations also report park factors for major league parks. Baseball Prospectus[148] 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 orpitcher's park may change from day to day. For example, when the wind is blowing "out" atWrigley Field, it is typically rendered a "hitter's park", and a double-digit score for one or both teams is not unusual.
On the other hand, some are hitter's parks, any and all other factors notwithstanding.Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium, Braves home field from 1966 to 1996, was known asThe Launching Pad.
A physical and/or mental state where a player is seeing pitches well and his timing is on, so that observers or the player himself feel he has a good chance at getting a hit. Often used by players and sportscasters. "It's like Charley Lau used to tell us, used to tell me: 'You look very hitterish up there. You look hitterish, you look like you're going to hit the ball hard'", Brett said in camp.[149]
A hold (abbreviated asH) is awarded to arelief pitcher if he enters in a save situation, records at least one out, and leaves the game without having relinquished that lead. To receive a hold, the pitcher mustnot finish the game (thus becoming the closing pitcher) or be the winning pitcher.
Unlikesaves, 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 credit to non-closer relief pitchers. Holds are most often accredited tosetup pitchers, as they usually pitch between thestarter and thecloser. Holds are not an official Major League Baseball statistic, but are recognized by the MLB in its rules.
When a runner is on first base, the first baseman might choose to stand very close to first base rather than assume a position behind first base and more part-way toward second base (a position better suited to field ground balls hit to the right side of the diamond). When he does this he's said to "hold the runner on (first)" because he's in a position to take a throw from the pitcher and thereby discourage the runner from taking a big lead-off.
When a batter begins to swing the bat at a pitch but stops swinging before the bat makes contact with the ball or the bat passes the front of the plate, he may be said to "hold up on his swing".
One of the nine places in the batting lineup. The leadoff 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.
A team that has one or more weak hitters in its 9-person batting order has a "hole in the lineup" that opposition teams can take advantage of. "There are no holes in that lineup, so to say you're going topitch around one batter might not be the best thing."[151] "If the team thatShapiro has constructed is going to overtake theBoston Red Sox, theNew York Yankees or any of the other contenders in theAmerican League, it can't afford another season with a hole in the middle of the lineup thatHafner was from May through the playoffs last season."[152]
When a player for thehome team gets a favorable or generous call from the official scorer, the players may refer to the scorer's call as "home cooking". For example, the scorer may credit a batter for a base hit on a batted ball that a fielder bobbled briefly and then failed to make a putout.
"Home cooking" is sometimes used synonymously withhome field advantage. The reference may be to the home team having the advantage of living at home, not just to being able to play in its own stadium.
Teams playinghome games have a small advantage over visiting teams. In recent decades, home teams have tended to win about 53.5% of their games.[153] Because teams play the same number of games at home as they do away during the regular season, this advantage tends to even out. In play-off series, however, teams hope to gain from home-field advantage by having the first game of the series played in their home stadium.
A game played at the home stadium or ballpark of a baseball club. When theYankees play inYankee Stadium, they're playing a home game. The team hosting the game is referred to as the home team. In rare instances, the home team plays in a stadium not their own. In 2005, the Houston Astros played a "home" series against the Chicago Cubs at Miller Park in Milwaukee, home of the Brewers, because their home stadium,Minute Maid Park, was rendered temporarily unusable because ofHurricane Rita. In 2010, the Toronto Blue Jays played a "home" series against the Philadelphia Phillies at the Phillies' home park, Citizens Bank Park, because of security concerns due to theG-20 summit being held in Toronto. Despite being in Philadelphia, the Blue Jays wore their home white uniforms and batted last. Also, despite Citizens Bank Park being a National League field, the designated hitter was used in the series.
A batting competition in which the object is to hit the mosthome runs.[154] The 1960 television seriesHome Run Derby featured such a competition.[155] The term can also be used to refer to a game during which many home runs are hit.[156] The term was first used in the 1920s to refer to the race ("derby") between batters to lead their league in home runs for the season.[157]
When a batter, realizing the ball he just hit is about become a home run, slows from a run to a celebratory trot. "Well, I've been saying it all year, and it finally happened tonight:David Ortiz became the first player in the 2010 season to take more than 30-seconds to trot around the bases after a home run. With four of the top five slowest home run trots of the year already - all four of which were clocked in at 28.95 seconds or slower - it seemed inevitable that he would be the first to break the half-minute barrier."[161]
Sometimes a player mistakenly slows down, however, when the wind or a superb play by an outfielder, turns a home run into a double or single off the outfield wall, or to along out, or to another odd outcome, as the following case illustrates:
Unfortunately for his personal power totals,Milledge was bamboozled into believing his liner in the fourth inning against theChicago Cubs on Thursday night had cleared the left-field fence atPNC Park for his first careergrand slam. Dead certain he hadgone deep, Milledge raised his fist rounding first base, put his head down and went into a trot. Cool. Double-dog certain because the fireworks guy at PNC set off the pyrotechnics that explode every time a Bucs player goes deep. Music also began to blare. What a glorious moment for the Bucs!... only, the ball had not cleared the fence. It hit the top and stayed in the field of play.AsBucs announcerBob Walk said, "Uh oh, uh oh, uh oh, uh oh—we got a problem here." Milledge was not quite midway between second and third base when he realized the Cubs had him in arundown. And, yeah, um, he was tagged out. Score that a two-run double and a big ol' base-running blunder.[162]
The "home team" is the one in whose stadium the game is played against the "visiting team". The home team has the advantage of batting in the second or bottom half of theinning. In case a game is played at a neutral site, the "home" team is usually determined by coin toss.
A derisive term for a dedicated, almost delusional,fan. Especially used for a broadcaster, inany sport, whose team "can do no wrong"; for example, they might argue a bad strike call, but say nothing about one against the opponent.Johnny Most of theBoston Celtics andHawk Harrelson of theChicago White Sox were notorious "homers." In a somewhat more humorous example,Bert Wilson used to say, "I don't care who wins, as long as it's the Cubs!" A common "homer" saying is, "My two favorite teams are (my team) and whoever's playing (my team's rival)."
When amanager leaves the dugout with the obvious intention of replacing thepitcher with areliever, 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 inVaudeville to yank unsuccessful acts off the stage if they were reluctant to leave on their own. When he was manager of theCincinnati Reds,Sparky Anderson's heavy reliance on relief pitching earned him the nickname "Captain Hook", a reference both to the standard usage and to thePeter 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 behung with the loss.
A batted ball that takes several bounces in the infield, or a single"high hop" after it hits the ground just in front of home plate. Also see "short hop".
The ball (abaseball) 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.
A batter who is having ahitting streak or a team having awinning streak is said to be "hot". "'Today was pretty impressive',Scioscia said. 'Hitters, they have their times. When they're hot, they're hot. You can't do anything about it.'"[163]
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 ofNorman Rockwell's well-known baseball paintings is a literal illustration of this term.
A batter who strikes out looking. The term was made popular by legendaryDetroit Tigers radio broadcasterErnie Harwell, who would often say, "He stood there like the house by the side of the road, and watched the ball go by."[164] The phrase originates from the title of a poem bySam Walter Foss.
A very strong arm. A cannon. Agun. Usually applied to an outfielder. Named after theHowitzer artillery piece. Headline: "Roberto Clemente: A Howitzer for an Arm, An Ocean for a Heart".[165]
A humanrain delay is a derisive term for a player who is very deliberate in his play, such as a pitcher who takes a long time between pitches or a batter who constantly steps out of thebatter's box. "TheSeattle Mariners will announce a new manager today—Mike Hargrove. Hargrove bears a great nickname—'The Human Rain Delay'. The name stems from the fact that, as a player, Hargrove would take about 15 minutes for every plate appearance. He would step out of the batter's box, fidget with his gloves, his helmet, his pants. He drove the pitcher nuts, but that was his plan."[166]
A fielding play, usually where a lofty fly ball is to land equidistant between two fielders. Both are unsure who should catch it, usually resulting in last-second leaps or dives. Often neither does, in which case the one who had the better chance is charged with an error.
The definition specifies that a ball need not be caught by an infielder, only that an infielder could have caught the ball using "ordinary effort." The ball does not need to remain in the infield for the infield fly rule to be invoked. The definition specifically states that no arbitrary marking, such as the infield cutout, may be used to determine whether a batted ball is an infield fly.
The catcher and the pitcher are considered infielders for the purpose of the infield fly rule.
The batter is automatically called out in this situation whether or not an infielder attempts to catch the fly ball, assuming it stays fair. The rule states that the umpire is supposed to announce, "Infield fly, if fair." If the ball will be almost certainly fair, the umpire will likely yell, "Infield fly, batter's out!" or just "Batter's out!"
This rule is intended to prevent the fielder from intentionally allowing the ball to drop and gettingforce outs on 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, allegedly to prevent the notoriously trickyBaltimore Orioles from intentionally dropping the ball.
The simplest way to think about it is this: If there is a potential force out at third with fewer than two outs, the infield fly rule is in effect.
Inherited runners orinherited baserunners are the runners on base when arelief pitcher enters the game. Since a previouspitcher has allowed these runners to reach base (or was simply pitching when the runners reached base, such as in the case of afielding error), any inherited runners who score when the relief pitcher is pitching are charged to the previous pitcher'sruns allowed and/orearned runs allowed total, depending on how each runner reached base. Modernbox scores list how many runners each relief pitcher inherits (if any), and how many of those inherited runners the relief pitcher allows to score, calledinherited runs allowed (IRA).
In general, a baserunner isin jeopardy at any time the ball islive and the baserunner is not touching a base, except in the cases of overrunning first base on afair ball or advancing to an awarded base, e.g., on abase on balls orhit by pitch. A baserunner who isin jeopardy may beputout by a fielder at any time.[167]
Major league teams may remove injured players from theiractive roster temporarily by placing them on theinjured list. Another player can then becalled up as a replacement during this time.
An inning consists of two halves. In each half, one team bats until threeouts are made. A full inning consists of six outs, three for each team; and aregulation game consists of nine innings. The first half-inning is called thetop half of the inning; the second half-inning, thebottom half. The break between the top and bottom halves is called themiddle 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. Sometimes the bottom half is also referred to as thehome half.
A pitcher who may or may not be a starter or a closer but who can be relied on to pitch several innings either to keep his team in contention or sometimes when the game is no longer close, is an "innings eater". Headline: "Appetites never diminish for 'innings-eating' pitchers".
The success of most pitchers is based on statistics such as won-loss record, ERA or saves, but the unsung "innings eater" is judged by how many innings he pitches and the impact his work has on the rest of the staff. "I don't have a whole lot of goals going into the season. I don't shoot for a certain ERA or a certain strikeout number or certain number of wins," saysBlanton, entering his second full season. "I try to go out and get a quality start every time, six innings or more, and not miss any starts. I feel if I can do that, I'll get my 200 innings in a year and everything else falls into place with that."[168]
Theinside baseball is anoffensive strategy that focuses on teamwork and good execution. It usually centers on tactics that keep the ball in theinfield:walks,base hits,bunts, andstolen bases. This was the primary offensive strategy during thedead-ball era. Inside baseball is also a common metaphor in American politics to describe background machinations. The equivalent modern term issmall ball.
Proper mechanics of a baseball swing, in which the hitter rotates his body while keeping his hands and the bat close to his body, with the bat coming across the plate after the body has almost fully rotated 90 degrees from his initial stance. Sometimes the phrase used is that the hitter "keeps his hands inside the baseball", and sometimes that the hitter himself "keeps inside the ball" – never mind the connotation of a player's literally being inside a baseball. "He's staying inside the ball so good, man",Dunn said. "For big guys like us, that's a hard thing to do. You always want to get the head [of the bat] out. His right hand is staying inside, so good. That's why he's able to hit the ball to left, to center, to right. He's in a good place right now."[169]
When the batter swings at a pitch with his hands ahead of the end of the bat. For a right-handed hitter, this often leads to balls being hit toward the right side of the diamond. One of the most famous "inside-out" hitters isDerek Jeter: "While Jeter became known over his two decades for rising to the occasion and delighting fans with his heroics, he was above all a technician, slashing at pitches with his trademark inside-out swing."[170]
A run scored by a team already in the lead. These surplus runs do not affect the game outcome but serve as "insurance" against the team giving up runs later.
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.
Regular-season games between teams in different major leagues, which allow natural rivals andcrosstown rivals to play each other more often, not just in play-offs.
While Major League Baseball calls on theBaseball Writers' Association of America (BBWA) to name the most valuable player, rookie of the year, and Cy Young Award winner each year, since 1997Baseball Prospectus has conducted an on-line poll to make Internet Baseball Awards in those categories as well as manager of the year.[171]
A batting average below .200. A player with a batting average of .195 is said to be on I-95, a reference to the numbering on theInterstate Highway System. See alsothe Mendoza Line.
The game is over. Long-timeNew York Mets radio broadcasterHowie Rose (first onWFAN, now onWOR) ends every Mets win with the catchphrase, "Put it in the books!" (Rose's memoir is entitledPut It In The Book!)
Dueup to bat after theon-deckbatter. Probably derived from boating, where it was originally "in the hold",[citation needed] the place prior to being "on deck". "In the hole" is a corruption of the original nautical term (a mondegreen or eggcorn) made popular by people who did not understand the original origin. Today, the corruption has become universal.
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, theumpire calls the ballfoul, or there is faninterference or some other event that leads to adead ball. A ball hit into foul territory but in the air is in play (a fielder may attempt to catch it for an out and runners may attempt to advance after such a catch), but only before it hits the ground or the fence.
Topitch far enough inside that thebatter is unable to extend while swinging. "The pitcher jammed the batter." The batter was "handcuffed" or "shackled" by the pitch.
A batter's legs are "made out of jelly" when he departs from a good stance. "His curve ball... it jelly-legs you." - Phillies First BasemanJim Thome, referring toBarry Zito's curve.[172]
To "pull" the ball towards left field if you bat right handed or "pull" the ball towards right field if you're batting left handed. Opposite of jerk would be push or hitting an "oppo", meaning going towards the opposite field.
To hit the ball hard, typically used to refer topulling the ball over the fence for a home run. "Derrek Lee jerked one of his patented doubles into the left-field corner to lead off the fourth against Minnesota leftyJohan Santana, the reigningCy Young winner."[173]
A player who is said to be juiced is thought to be takingperformance-enhancing drugs. "It is now assumed, of course, thatBonds may well have been juiced on steroids at the time; the previous year he had set the all-time single-season record of 73 home runs, and his musculature was almost freakishly swollen."[174]
A baseball that is juiced has been modified in some way that makes it travel farther when hit. "Spectacular increases in home runs have often raised the question: Has the ball been juiced up to travel farther, in order to increase the number of home runs?"[175]
A fielder is said to get a goodjump on the ball when he anticipates or reacts quickly to a batted ball and is thereby able to make a good play by fielding or catching it.[176] Also seecrack of the bat.
A baserunner getsa good jump when he is able to leave the base well before the pitch reaches the plate. "Upsetting the timing of the baserunner can effectively prevent him from getting a good jump... Base runners often read a pitcher's look and get their jump, or start, based on the pattern the pitcher establishes."[177]
To move to another team or league despite existing contractual obligations.[178]
TheAmerican League, so-called because it is the younger of the two major leagues. The American League was founded in 1901, while theNational League – theSenior Circuit – was founded in 1876.
breaking balls andknuckleballs,pitches that are hard to hit due to movement rather than velocity. "I couldn't believe he threw me a fastball because he had me down 1-2",Thames said. "He's usually ajunk pitcher and he tried to sneak a fastball past me, and he left it up."[179] See also:Eephus pitch
Apitcher who throws predominantlyjunk, usually due to a weak (or slow)fastball. Ajunkballer or ajunk artist: "Like all junk artists, Trujillo will have to prove himself at the higher levels before getting a shot at a major league job."[180] See also:Eephus pitch
The traditional abbreviation for astrikeout. A backwardsK is often used to denote acalled strikeout. Invented byHenry Chadwick by taking the "most prominent" letter and reinforcing it with an inferredknockout, the connotation still exists when an announcer says the pitcher "punched out" the batter, a play on words that also refers to punching a time clock and to the motion a home plate umpire usually makes on a called third strike.
Also singular, "keep off the board". Keep a team from scoring, and hence off the scoreboard. "Wainwright has kept runs off the board at a better rate thanLester."[181] "After loading the bases with one down in the fourth, the Gators were kept off the board by Barham."[182]
A pitcher needs to mix up his pitches and thereby "keep the hitter honest" by making it difficult for the hitter to anticipate the type, speed, and location of the next pitch. Sometimes this means throwing abrushback pitch to keep the batter from leaning over the plate to reach a pitch on the outer part of the plate. "Partially withBoston in mind,Wang focused this spring on expanding his repertoire to keep hitters honest and move them off the plate."[183]
A reference to a series ofbatters getting on base safely and advancing runners on base, alluding to anassembly line. "Beltran's popout tore apart a rally that had shaken theHall of Fame-boundRivera, molding a game out of what moments before had been a five-run rout. Instead, Beltran couldn't keep the line moving, leaving an eagerDavid Wright awaitingon deck."[184] The2015 Kansas City Royals were one of the most notable examples of "keeping the line moving" during their postseason run, which led to aWorld Series title.[185][186]
Together the shortstop and second baseman – the fielders nearest second base, often combining on double plays – are sometimes referred to as thekeystone combination.
Abreaking ball (usually acurveball) that breaks very sharply, so much so that itfreezes the hitter. It starts out directly at the batter (knees buckling out of fear) and then drops into the strike zone.
Knocks: Hard hits or extra-base hits, not necessarily producing RBIs or referring to a specific type of hit. "Curtis had some solid knocks today."
Knocked around: A pitcher who gives up a lot of hits and gets removed from the game is said to have beenknocked around orknocked out of the box orknocked out of the game. Example headline: "Toronto 7, Detroit 4:Phil Coke knocked around; Tigers' bats don't respond".[188]
Knock down: an infielder who stops aline drive from getting through the infield "knocks it down", perhaps then picking up the ball and throwing the runner out.
Knock off: to knock off an opponent is to win the game. "Hawai'i knocks off Santa Clara."[189]
Apitch thrown with no spin, traditionally thrown with the knuckles, but also with the fingertips. It tends to flutter and move suddenly and erratically on its way to theplate. Also refers to abatted ball that flutters "like a knuckleball". SYNONYMS: knuckler, flutterball, butterfly ball, floater, bug.
An acronym forLeagueAverageInningMuncher. A LAIM is generally a starting pitcher who can provide around 200 innings over the course of a season with an ERA (Earned Run Average) near the league average. A LAIM is counted on to consume innings, keeping his team in the game but not necessarily shutting down the opposition. The term was coined by baseballblogger Travis Nelson, but is used by other writers as well.[191]
A game in which one team gets a large lead, perhaps early in the game, and it appears the other team has no chance at all of catching up. With nothing to worry about, the manager and team can relax. Aneasy win; aromp; ablowout.
To hit a long fly ball, as if launching a rocket. "Orso, who recently signed with Alabama Southern to play college baseball next season, launched several rocket shots and by far hit the furthest home runs of anyone in the competition..."[192]
It is also said that a pitcher "launches" the ball when he throws a wild pitch that gets away from the catcher, and that a fielder "launches" the ball when he throws it wildly out-of-reach of the intended receiver.
If a batter decides not to swing at a pitch, especially if he deliberately avoids swinging at certain types of pitches, he may be said to "lay off" a pitch. Pitchers tempt hitters to swing at pitches they cannot hit; batters try to lay off such pitches. "Batters can't seem to lay off his slider, just as his parents can't seem to lay off his carrot cake—they're nearly addicted to it."[194]
The first batter listed on a team'slineup card (in the 1-hole or the "leadoff spot" on the line-up card). When the announcers read the starting line-up they might say, "Leading off, and playing short-stop, is Sammy Speedyrunner. Batting second, playing second base, Carlos Contacthitter. Batting third, in the pitcher's spot, isdesignated hitter Burt "Biggie" Brokenleg. Batting clean-up, playing left field, Thor Thunderbat..."
The first batter in an inning (who could be in any hole on a team's line-up card). If that batter gets a single, or a home run, or a walk, the announcer would say he has a "leadoff single", a "leadoff home run", or a "leadoff walk" respectively.
Referring to afielder's glove, a player withgood leather is a good defensive player (typically an infielder).
Flashing the leather means making an outstanding defensive play.
Aleather player refers to a player who is outstanding on defense but only average or even less on offense.Ron Karkovice is one example of a "leather player".
Althoughbaseball bats are symmetrical in shape, and thus there is no such thing as a left-handed baseball bat (or a right-handed baseball bat), in colloquial language ahitter who bats left-handed may be referred to as a "left-handed bat" or "left-hand bat". Headline: "Giants look to acquire left-handed bat".[195]
Also "left-hand hitter". A batter who, paradoxically, bats from the right-side of the plate. Typically, an individual who isleft-handed in most activities, including throwing a baseball, stands in the right-handbatter's box, the one closest tofirst base.
Abaserunner is said to have beenleft on base (abbreviatedLOB) orstranded when the half-inning ends and he has notscored or been putout. This includes a batter-runner who has hit into a fielder's choice, causing another runner to be put out as the third out.[196] It also includes runners on base at the end of a game, as when the home team scores a winning run in the ninth or a subsequent inning. Thus a batter who hits a single in the home half of the tenth inning in a tied game with the bases loaded drives in one run and leaves three on base (runners who were at first and second, and himself).
Team LOB totals are commonly reported in a baseballbox score. It counts only those left standing on the bases when the third out of each inning occurs. Team LOB is used in "proving" a box score. The number of a team's plate appearances is to equal the sum of that team's runs, that team's LOB, and the opposing team's putouts. In other words, every batter who completes aplate appearance is accounted for as a run scored, putout, or LOB.
Individual LOB totals are sometimes reported in baseball box scores. This is a more recent statistic that is computed for each player who isat bat at least once in a game and is calculated on how many baserunners were "left on base" when the player was at-bat and caused an out, no matter how many outs there were at the time. Note that "at bat" does not include otherplate appearances such as sacrifice bunts or flies made by the batter, third outs caused bypickoffs orcaught stealing, or games ended with the winning run scoring on a successful steal, etc. Two common misconceptions of the individual LOB are that the individual LOB is the number of times theplayer was left on base as a baserunner (this is a "runner's LOB" and is not usually recorded), or that the individual LOB applies only when the at-bat player caused thethird out. Note that the total of the individual LOBs for all players on a team will usually exceed the team LOB.
A related statistic is "left on base in scoring position", which includes only those LOB where the runner was occupying second or third base. Yet another related statistic is "left on base in scoring position with less than two out". The intent of these statistics is to measure the tendency of a team or player to waste opportunities to score.
To run hard to get safelyon base or to advance a base: "Podsednik legged out an infield hit, stole second and scored whenEverett legged out a double."[197]
A letter-high pitch is one that crosses the plate at the height of the letters on the batter's chest. Also seeat the letters. Equivalent term: "chest high". "Dietrich fouled off a couple of pitches beforePorcelloput him away with a letter-high fastball at 94."[198]
Apitcher who so dominates the hitters that the game is effectively over once he takes themound—so they can turn out the lights and go home. The pitcher retires the batters in order without allowing a single run. "Putz pitched lights-out baseball once he took over the job for good fromGuardado."[199]
Afastball thepitcher delivers with such velocity that the hitter has no time to respond—it "blew by you." A pun on the song title "Blue Bayou," originally recorded in 1961 byRoy Orbison but popularized throughLinda Ronstadt's 1977 cover version.[190]
Also known as aliner, a line drive is a batted ball that is hit hard in the air and has a low arc. See alsorope.
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.
Line drives can be dangerous to baseball players and spectators. For example, on July 22, 2007,Tulsa Drillers first base coachMike Coolbaugh was killed in a line drive accident at anaway game with theArkansas Travelers. Though the ball hit his neck, his death was the impetus for base coaches to start wearing helmets.[200] In a 2021 minor league game, pitcherTyler Zombro was hit in the head by a 104-mile-per-hour (167 km/h) line drive,fracturing his skull and causing him to have aseizure.[201]
Thebatting order, which also lists each player's defensive position. An announcer reading the starting lineup for a game will typically begin something like this: "Batting first, playing second base ..."
A form kept by eachmanager listing the starting players and all other players who are on the activeroster and available to play in the game. Typically this form will be taped to the wall inside the dugout for the manager and coaches to consult when they need to make substitutions during a game. Before the game starts the manager hands a lineup card to the home plate umpire. This lineup will change throughout the game as starting players are removed and substitutes inserted.
Afair ball in which the batter is able to circle the bases and score due to the defense committing one or moreerrors on the play. Such a play is not officially scored as ahome run due to the errors, but the effect on the score is the same.
A pitcher who "lives on the corners" throws most of his pitches on the inside or outside edges of home plate. He's not inclined to try to overwhelm the hitter with hard pitches down the center of the plate. Many of his pitches will appear to barelynibble the plate.
A fastball that seems to be not just fast but also hard to hit because it may have somemovement on it or it may appear to speed up as it gets closer to the plate. "'His fastball has got more life to it',Jays catcherRod Barajas said. 'It's finishing. What I mean by that is the last 10 feet [to home plate], it seems that it picks up speed.' According to Barajas, that has particularly helpedRyan against right-handed hitters. "They end up being late, because that last 10 feet, it seems like it picks up a couple miles per hour," Barajas said.[202]
Apitcher'scommand 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.
To sign a player to a long-term contract, thereby keeping him off the free-agent market. "Come onUncle Drayton, you have to lock this guy up for a few years. He is one of the best in the league and along withBerkman, is the new face of theAstros."[203]
To throw a pitch that keeps the hitter from making any effective swing. For example, when a left-handed pitcher throws aroundhouse curve or an inside fastball to a left-handed hitter, the hitter may appear to freeze in place. "We had him 0-2. We were trying to go in with a fastball, hopefully lock him up."[204] Also see "freeze the hitter".
Ahome run. A team is said to "win by the long ball" after awalk-off home run or the team hits several home runs to win. Headline: "Phillies Use the Longball To Take Game1 from the Dodgers".[205]
A type ofrelief 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.
A foul ball which finishes particularly close to being fair, often where a fair ball would have been a home run. So named as despite the good effort of the hitter, the result is a strike against him if the count before the pitch was less than two strikes.
A mildly derogatory nickname for aleft-handed specialist. An acronym for "LeftyOneOutGuY", a left-handed pitcher who may be brought into the game to pitch against just one or two left-handed batters to take extreme advantage ofplatoon effects. An example isJavier Lopez, who was a key component of theGiants' World Series winning bullpen in the 2010s. Starting in 2020, MLB instituted a new rule that any pitcher who enters the game in the middle of an inning must face at least three batters or finish the inning before he can be replaced, unless he is injured. This rule intends to reduce the length of a game by limiting pitching changes, but also reduces the benefit of a LOOGY on the roster, since most of the time he would also have to face a right-handed hitter, who is much more likely to get a hit off him.
When there is a runner on first base, a pitcher who has already gone into thestretch may step off therubber and either threaten a throw toward first base or just stare at the runner to encourage him to step back toward first. In either case he's said to "look the runner back" to first (rather than throwing over to first in an effort topick the runner off).
When there is a runner on second or third base (but not first) with fewer than two outs, an infielder fielding a sharp ground ball briefly stares at the runner to discourage him from trying to advance. The fielder then throws to first to force out the batter.
A softly hitTexas leaguer that drops in between the infielders and outfielders. Alsoblooper. A fielder may make a superior defensive play, however, and turn a looper into an out. "Sacramento's Lloyd Turner ended the fourth with a sprinting, sliding snag of Alvin Colina's looping liner to left that sent the stands into a frenzy."[207]
When a pitcher gives up a walk, especially when he getsahead in the count or has afull count but gives up a walk, he is said to have "lost the hitter".
During theregular season, the team lost more games than it won. For a modern Major League team, this means a team lost at least 82 games out of 162 games played in what is called thelosing season.
When a batter hits a long fly ball that is caught in the outfield, perhaps when a crowd reacts loudly thinking it will be a homer, the announcer may say the batter made a "loud out". "Home runs are already overrated. A home run in one park is a loud out in another."[208] "Long, loud out asGarciaparra takesGreen to the warning track. But the former Dodger makes the catch easily and we're in the bottom of the third."[209]
A fastball thrown with such high speed that it goes right by you (pun on bayou). A term often used by Phillies radio play-by-play broadcasterScott Frantzke.
A baseballbat. Sometimes used in reference to a powerful offensive showing, "The Yankees busted out the lumber tonight with a 10–0 victory." Also timber.
Colloquial term for a game in which the pitcher throws acomplete gameshutout, on 99 or fewer pitches. Named after Hall of Fame pitcherGreg Maddux, who threw 13 such shutouts in his career.
A number that indicates how close a front-running team is to clinching a division or season title. It represents the total of additional wins by the front-running team or additional losses by the rival team after which it is mathematically impossible for the rival team to capture the title.[210]
When a player does something to catch the attention or make an impression on the other team, he may be said to "make a statement". Perhaps he makes a spectacular fielding play, hits a home run, slides hard into second base, or throws abrushback pitch. This phrase is also used in other sports when a team seeks to show up or to demonstrate its power against an opponent. "There were a lot of times where we could have given up, but no one gave up. We made a statement here tonight".[211]
When an offensive team tries to make the opposing pitcher throw a lot of pitches and tire them out byworking the count, ortaking pitches orfouling off pitches, it is said to be making the pitcher work. "We've got a lot of good hitters up and down this lineup, but the key is to make the pitchers work",Laird said. "Tonight we madeSaunders work. Then we got to their bullpen and were able to string some key hits together."[212]
When an umpire makes a bad call on a pitch, he may implicitly acknowledge it on a later pitch by making another bad call to "make up" for the first. For example, say an umpire mistakenly calls a strike on a pitch that is out of the strike zone; he may later call a ball on a pitch that is in the strike zone so the hitter gets back what was initially taken away. Umpires typically, and understandably, deny there is any such thing as a "make-up call".
When a game is canceled because of arainout or some other reason, a make-up game is usually scheduled later in the season. Late in the regular season if the outcome of that game would not affect which teams would reach the play-offs, then the game might not be made up.
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 oferrors, alert baserunning including stealing a base or advancing on an out or a mistake by a fielder. In other words:small ball.[213]
Typically a good-natured jab at the batter by his own teammates when he watches several good pitches without swinging. It is a reference to when a retail clerk asks a customer if they may help them find something, and the customer replies that they are "just looking."
It is similar to the term "window shopping," but can be used at any point during the at-bat.
Abatting average of .200. Named (most likely) forMario Mendoza, a notoriously poor hitter but decent shortstop who managed to have a 9-year major league career from 1974 to 1982 with a life-time batting average of .215.[215]
A long swing that does not protect the inside part of the plate. Generally used to describe college players adjusting to professional ball and wooden bats.
A batter who hits with power, and who thus may be suited to be in the third, fourth, or fifth slot in the batting order. "I thinkBrett Jackson looks a lot more like a top of the order guy right now than a middle of the order guy, and he seems like a viable leadoff hitter based on his performance as a professional".[citation needed]
Arelief pitcher who is brought in typically during the middle-innings (4, 5, and 6). Since they are typically in the game because thestarting pitcher allowed the opponents a lot of runs, the middle reliever is expected to hold down the opponents' scoring for an inning or two in hopes that their own team can close the gap.
A pitcher who excels at getting batters to swing but miss is said to "miss some bats". Arelief pitcher who is good at missing bats may be brought into a game when the other team already has runners inscoring position.
A pitcher who does not have goodcommand of their pitches and is not able to throw the ball where they intend to is said to "miss some spots". "Angels ManagerMike Scioscia agreed. 'He missed some spots on a couple of hitters', Scioscia said, 'and they didn't miss their pitches'."[217]
A "mistake" is poor execution, as distinguished from an error. It could be throwing to the wrong base, missing thecut-off, running into an obvious out, or throwing a pitch into the batter's "hot zone" instead of where the catcher set up for it.
There may be such a thing as a mistake hitter (a mediocre hitter who occasionally gets a pitch he candrive), but a "mistake pitcher" does not last long in the big leagues.
When asked how the mightyYankees lost the 1960 World Series,Yogi Berra remarked, "We made too many wrong mistakes."
"Mitt" (derived from "mitten") can refer to any type ofbaseball glove, though the term is officially reserved to describe the catcher's mitt and the first-baseman's mitt. Those mitts (like a mitten) have a slot for the thumb and a single sheath covering all the fingers, rather than the individual finger slots that gloves have. By rule, mitts are allowed to be worn only by the catcher and the first baseman. See the entry onglove.
To be successful, most pitchers have to use a variety of pitches, and to mix them up tactically (not randomly) to keep hitters off balance. "Jackson was overwhelming. 'I was just trying to come out and be aggressive and mix my pitches up', he said. 'I've seen them in the past and I know what they can do. You have to mix it up to keep them honest'."[218]
Commonly-used abbreviation for Major League Baseball, the organization that operates the two North American major professional baseball leagues, theAmerican League and theNational League.
A pitcher's best pitch, or the one he throws at the most critical time. They are said to earn their pay – their money – with that pitch. Headline: "The Outlawed Spitball Was My Money Pitch".[219]
A man who is good in theclutch. Someone you can count on (or bet on) when it really matters. Sometimes the term used is simply "money", as in "Alex has really been money these last few games".
An often misused term. It refers toMichael Lewis's 2002 book. "Moneyball player" most often refers to one who has a highon-base percentage, and does notsteal 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, evokingMoneyball to describe a player or team can be a term of derision.
Ahome run that is hit very high. When theBrooklyn Dodgers relocated to Los Angeles and played in theL.A. Coliseum,Wally Moon took advantage of the short distance to the left-field fence—251 feet (77 m) from home plate down the left-field line, compared to 440 feet (130 m) to the right-field fence[220]—to hit high home runs.[221][222] The ball had to be hit high in order to clear the 42-foot-high (13 m) fence. For comparison, Fenway Park's famousGreen Monster is 37 feet (11 m) tall. Dodgers broadcasterJerry Doggett seems to have coined the phrase in 1959,[223] and the rest of the media picked it up.[221]
A mop-uppitcher or "mop-up man" is usually the bullpen's least effectivereliever who comes in after the outcome of the game is almost certain. Sometimes other position players also come in to mop up in the last inning in order to gain playing experience as well as give the regulars a rest. "La Russa saidHancock's final outing was typical of a reliever whose role frequently called for mop-up duty."[224] See also:long reliever.
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. "This allowed Loehrke to score, and then a miscue by Ranger right fielder Drew Orbergfell allowed Lounsburyto motor to third base".[226]
"Pinch runner Brandon Varnell used his blazing speedto motor down the third base line on the fielding error by Memorial reliever Garrett Hill and slide head first into home plate to tie the game at 5-5".[227]
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 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 (46 cm) behind the center of the mound, making it 60 feet 6 inches (18.44 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 10 inches (25 cm) above home plate. From 1903 through 1968 this height limit was set at 15 inches, but was often slightly higher, especially for teams that emphasized pitching, such as theLos Angeles Dodgers, who were reputed to have the highest mound in the majors.
ALansing Lugnuts mound visit including a pitcher, catcher, pitching coach and infielder
Mound visits or mound meetings occur when the pitching team's coaches, manager or players (most often the catcher) go out to the mound between pitches to consult with the pitcher, generally to discuss strategy. Each team is limited to one mound visit per inning (excluding visits to attend to an injury); a pitching change must be made on any subsequent visit. In 2016, Major League Baseball limited the amount of time allowed for individual mound visits to 30 seconds. In 2018, MLB limited the number of mound visits per team to six per nine-inning game, with one additional mound visit for eachextra inning. This was reduced to five per nine-inning game in 2020.[228]
A pitcher who dominates the opposing hitters, allowing few if any to get on base, is said to have "mowed them down" as if they were just so much hay being cut down by amower.
To fail to field a ball cleanly, often resulting in anerror or only one out on adouble play, typically on an easy play. "He muffed it. The ball went right through his legs." Also, tobobble.
Murderers' Row was the nickname given to theNew York Yankees of the late 1920s, in particular the 1927 team. The term was actually coined in 1918 by a sportswriter to describe the pre-Babe Ruth lineup, with quality hitters such asFrank "Home Run" Baker andWally Pipp who led theA.L. in home runs. In subsequent years, any lineup with a series of power hitters who represent a daunting challenge to pitchers might be dubbed by the press as a "murderer's row".
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'sfastball or fielder's throw.
Arelief pitcher who is as "tough as nails" or very effective atnailing down a win is sometimes said to be "nails". "As the season has progressed, you can see that he looks forward to that 9th inning and he has been nails lately."[230] "This guy has been nails for us,"Cardinals managerTony La Russa said.[231] Phillies and Mets center fielder Lenny Dykstra was known as "Nails" for his all-out style of play.
An informal rule that used to apply todouble plays. As long as the defensive player covering second base was in the "neighborhood" of second base when he caught the ball and threw it on to first base, the runner would be calledout. The rule was designed to compensate for runners who slid into second too hard, making it dangerous for the defensive player. In recent years, umpires have required the defensive player to have a foot actually on second base, not just in the neighborhood, and have penalized runners who slide toward the defensive players too aggressively, so neighborhood plays are rarely seen today.
The official name of either of the twoon-deck circles. Each team has its own circular area, five feet (1.5 m) in diameter, which is designated for unencumbered use by theon-deck batter (the next batter due to bat after the current batter); the on-deck batter may wish to stretch, run in place, or take practice swings immediately prior to taking his turn in thebatter's box (which actuallyis rectangular in shape). Especially during finals and semifinals, each circle is typically painted with the corresponding team logo. The location of thenext batter's box is specifically defined in MLB rules, and the most common method to locate it was granted a patent.[232]
When a pitcher focuses on pitching just at the left or right edges of home plate rather than throwing a pitch over the heart of the plate where a batter can get the meat of the bat on the ball, he's said to nibble at the edges.Tigers managerJim Leyland praisedScherzer for his aggressiveness against such a powerful lineup: "The one thing you can't do against theYankees is getbehind in the count. If you do, they'll justsit on pitches and hit a lot of them hard. Max went after them. He understood he couldn'tnibble around the edges of the plate, and he did a heckuva job."[233]
Aslider. Also used to mean an average or possibly "hanging" slider. Hitters look at the spin on a ball when it is released by the pitcher, so the "dot" (circle which is created from the pitcher's rotation on the ball that the batter sees to identify a pitch as a slider out of the pitcher's hand) is said to be "nickel sized". Also, it could be used to mean a pitch with more lateral movement (closer to a slurve than to a slider) rather than velocity.
Abbreviation forNational League Championship Series: the final, best 4 out of 7, playoff series to determine the National League champion. The winners of theNational League Division Series play in this series. The winner of the NLCS is the winner of the National League pennant and advances to theWorld Series against the pennant winner from the American League.
Abbreviation forNational League Division Series: the first round of the league playoffs, to determine which two teams advance to theNational League Championship Series (NLCS). This round pits the winners of each of the three league divisions plus the winner of the wild-card slot (the team that wins the most games in the regular season without winning a division) in two pairings, each of which plays a best three out of five series to determine who advances to the NLCS.
Acronym for "No outs, bases loaded ending (with) team incapable of getting easy run". This situation occurs when the batting team loads the bases with nobody out but does not score a run in the inning. The unofficial statistic was first tracked onReddit, where it wasnamed in honor of theDetroit Tigers.[234][235]
Anystarting pitcher who earns neither a win (W) nor a loss (L) is said to have a "no decision", which has no special meaning in official baseball statistics; however, ithas become conventional to note whether he made aquality start.
Ahome run whose landing destination in the stands is in no doubt from the moment it leaves the barrel of the bat. A no-doubter will be seen/heard to "leap" off the bat, usually having a launch angle between 20 and 40 degrees and highexit velocity.
A game in which one team does not get anyhits, a rare feat for apitcher, especially at the major league level. Also colloquially called a "no-no". If no batter reaches base safely byany means (walk,error, etc.) the pitcher is said to have pitched aperfect game, which is much rarer than a "normal" no-hitter.
It is a superstition that when a pitcher is working on a no-hitter (orperfect game), his teammates stay far away from him (sometimes even a whole bench length) and will not say anything toanyone about the no-hitter. Some play-by-play on-air announcers will also avoid mentioning the no-hitter until either an opposing batter gets a hit or the no-hitter is completed; others however will mention one in progress and are sometimes blamed for jinxing no-hitters.[236]
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. A ball touched by a spectator in this manner is notspectator interference.
Sometimes said by a play-by-play announcer when thebases are loaded, i.e., there is no open base. Usually means thatintentionally walking andpitching around the batter are poor strategies for the fielding team, as awalk will score a run for the batting team. Also "no place/nowhere to put [the batter]".
ANon-RosterInvitee (NRI) is a player invited toSpring training who is not yet on a Major League team's 40-manroster. He may be a young prospect, a veteran who has been released from or retired from a previous contract with a team, perhaps someone who left baseball after an injury. If he performs well, he has a chance to be placed on the roster and assigned to a minor league team or even join the major league team.
A game that can be considered complete. If more than half the game has been played before being ended, or "called", by anumpire, it is considered official and all records from the game are computed in the players' and teams' statistics. For a nine-inning game, five innings need to be played, or4+1⁄2 if the home team is winning. An incomplete game can be eithersuspended 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 to the league offices.[238] The official scorer never goes on the field during a game (but typically watches from the press box). The official scorer's judgments do not affect the progress or outcome of the game but they do affect game and playerstatistics. 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 is the official scorer who determines whether a pitch that got by the catcher is a wild pitch or a passed ball, and whether a batted ball is ahit or anerror (or a combination of the two); likewise whose errors, put-outs and assists are whose.
A day when a player performs below his normal level, whether due to illness, bad luck, or other factors. "Bonderman had an off-day and didn't have goodcommand of hisbreaking pitches."
A day when a team does not have a game scheduled. During the regular season, Major League Baseball teams almost always have games scheduled on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, and they may need to travel between series. Off-days tend to occur on Mondays and Thursdays.
When a team that is behind ties the game or takes the lead, the pitcher who would otherwise have been credited with theloss is said to be "off thehook".
When a player hits the ball off the middle of the bat, where the manufacturer's trademark is usually placed, resulting in a weakly hit ball. Usually the result of a pitcherjamming the hitter.
When an outfielder throws the ball directly to an infielder or the catcher without relaying it or bouncing it, he's said to "throw the ball on a line". Usually used when a strong throw beats the runner and gets him out. "Jack Barry, however, made a running stab to grab the ball and threw on a line toMcInnis for an out."[239]
The nextbatter due to bat after the current batter. The area designated for the on-deck batter is a circle five 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.
A team is "on the board" (the scoreboard) when it has scored one or more runs. "After being shut out for six innings, the Sox are finally on the board." White Sox announcerHawk Harrelson also uses the phrase as part of his home run call: "You can put it on the booooard... YES!"
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 aninterstate name (e.g., .195 looks like I-95, especially on older scoreboards). A hit to put an average above .199 gets a batter "off the interstate." A batter whose average is below .100 is sometimes said to be "off the map". See alsoMendoza line. Players in the majors who spend too much time "on the interstate" will most likely be demoted toTriple-A.
When a pitcher appears to be tired or lost command of his pitches, he may be said to be "on the ropes" and about to be replaced by another pitcher. The term likely derives from the sport of boxing, in which a fighter who is being beaten up or dominated by his opponent may lean against the ropes to keep from falling to the mat.
A defensive attempt to put out a baserunner attempting to reach more bases than the type of hit would typically allow, such as a runner on first attempting to advance to third on a single.
Also refers to the successful advance of a baserunner while such a play is being attempted on his teammate.See also:fielder's choice.
A batter who safely reaches first base but is tagged out attempting to reach a subsequent base on the same play is credited with ahit for the number of bases he safely reached, but is said to be outon the throw.
Example: With Abel on first base, Baker hits a base hit to center field. Abel easily reaches second and tries to advance to third, but the throw from the outfield is in time and he is tagged out by the third baseman. Meanwhile, Baker has safely reached second base. Abel is out at third baseon the throw. Baker has asingle and advanced to secondon the throw. The next batter, Charlie, hits a double to the center field wall, allowing Baker to score from second. Charlie safely rounds first and second base and attempts for third, but the throw from center field is in time and Charlie is tagged out at third base. Charlie is credited with anRBIdouble, but is out at third baseon the throw.
A traditionalreliefpitcher who starts a game for strategic reasons and is replaced early in the game, usually after the first inning, by a pitcher who is expected to last as many innings as a truestarter.[54]
Ahit to the "opposite" side of the field from the direction of a player's naturalswing, i.e., a left-handed batter who hits toleft field or a right-handed batter who hits to right field. Also known asgoing the other way. Seepull hitter.
Defined in MLB Rule 2 as "the effort that a fielder of average skill at a position in that league or classification of leagues should exhibit on a play, with due consideration given to the condition of the field and weather conditions." A defensive player's ordinary effort is considered by theofficial scorer in making certain judgment calls, such as hit vs. error or wild pitch vs. passed ball.
To throw a pitch that is so fast the batter cannot catch up to it with his swing. "And eight runs were more than enough offense to back Wolfe, as he continually overpowered hitters with his blazing fastball. Santa Clara hitters just couldn't catch up to it."[241]
A baseball vernacular term synonymous with "shift", either an infield or outfield shift. The fielders shift to occupy the areas a particular batter is thought to typically hit.
When a fielder throws the ball so high that it sails over the head and out of reach of his target. "Sean Halton struck out, but the catcher couldn't hold onto the pitch, and then overthrew first base, which allowed both Martin and Greene to score."[242]
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 rulean overthrow and allow the runner to advance one base.
A pitcher who throws the ball too hard to control it well is said to be "overthrowing the ball". "Gardenhire saidCrain, demoted to Class AAA Rochester earlier this season, is pitching with more confidence and, most importantly, he's not trying to overthrow the ball."[243]
A hard hit line drive that is hit so "square" and powerfully, that it has little or no spin. (Like a knuckleball) This results in the ball suddenly and sharply cutting left or right as it speeds past defenders. It is said that if such a hit were to strike a defensive player or runner, they would be left "cutting paper dolls" for the rest of their lives.
A catcher is charged with a passed ball (abbreviatedPB) when he fails to hold or control a legally pitched ball which, in the opinion of theofficial scorer, should have been held or controlled with ordinary effort, and which permits a runner or runners to advance at least one base; and/or permits the batter to advance to first base, if it's a third strike (with first base unoccupied and/or two outs). A run that scores because of a passed ball is not scored as an earned run. Neither a passed ball nor a wild pitch is charged as anerror. It is a separately kept statistic.
Doesn't do a lot of first-pitch swinging, swinging at pitches out of the strike zone, or even swinging at strikes he can't hit because of their location and/or type. Generally gets a lot of walks.
If after the pitcher from one team tries to bean or otherwise hit a batter, the opposing pitcher retaliates by trying to hit a batter from the first pitcher's team, it's a "payback". Such retaliation often happens when it is one of a team's stars who is the initial target; in such a case the opposing pitcher is likely to target the star player on the other team when he gets his first opportunity. Umpires may issue a warning if they think a pitch is intentionally thrown at a batter, and if such an attempt happens again by either team's pitcher, the pitcher is likely to be ejected from the game.
Apitch thrown with afull count. The implication is that much effort has gone into reaching this point (this is at least the sixth pitch of theat-bat), and the pitch will either pay off for thepitcher (astrikeout) or the batter (ahit or awalk). However, afoul ball can extend the at-bat. The term is most often used when ahit will score arun and astrikeout will end theinning.
AAAAminor league that formerly had "open" classification (between AAA and major league) from 1952 to 1957, now operating as under Triple-A classification in the Western United States
A system for forecasting pitcher and hitter performance developed byNate Silver ofBaseball Prospectus. A player's "PECOTA" may be the forecasted range of his performance on a variety of indicators for the current or future seasons.
A special type ofno-hitter where eachbatter isretired consecutively, allowing nobaserunners viawalks,errors, or any other means. In short, "27 up, 27 down". A "perfect game" could involve multiple pitchers with one pitcher relieving another, but in themajor league they are defined as being thrown by a singlepitcher.
Major League Baseball's designation for someone who is banned from MLB or affiliated minor league clubs, for misconduct. Permanently ineligible players are also ineligible for induction into theHall of Fame. Banned individuals may be reinstated at the discretion of the Commissioner of Baseball.
A commonly used acronym forPitchers'FieldingPractice. A session in which pitchers practice fielding bunts and other ground balls, throwing to a base, and covering first base and home plate.
Having made a mistake or failed an attempt, a player may ask a teammate, "Pick me up." Said in praise by a pitcher, "The guys picked me up with a lot of runs today."
A fan of a team who is perceived to be merely "jumping on the bandwagon" as opposed to a more loyal, knowledgeable fan (of either gender).[citation needed]
A pitcher who doesn't try to strike out batters but instead tries to get them to hit the ball weakly, especially on the ground, is said to pitch to contact.
Thefielder responsible forpitching the ball. Prior to 1884, the rules specified that the ball was to be "pitched, not thrown to the bat", i.e. underhand.
A park in which pitchers tend to perform better than they perform on average in all other parks; inverse ofhitter's park. Seepark factor.
When the wind is blowing "in" atWrigley Field, it is typically rendered a "pitcher's park", and a low score for one or both teams is not unusual. Under those circumstances, no-hitters also become possible at a park many fans normally think of as a "hitter's park".
Because of its large foul area (recently shrunk to add more seating), symmetrical outfield walls, and small "corners" near the foul poles,Dodger Stadium is traditionally known as a pitcher's park, especially at night, when fly balls tend to die more quickly than they do during the day.
In games where thedesignated hitter rule is not in effect, or in DH rule games where a team has forfeited its DH, this term refers to the pitcher's turn in thebatting order; its usage usually implies there is some possibility that the pitcher will not actually take his turn batting and instead will be replaced by apinch hitter and by rule arelief pitcher.
A defensive tactic used topick off abaserunner, typically employed when the defense thinks a stolen base play is planned. Thepitch is thrownoutside and thecatcher catches it while standing, and can quickly throw to a base.
The pivot foot is the foot which remains in contact with the pitcher's plate from the moment he intentionally engages the plate and during the pitcher's delivery motion. It will be the same foot as the throwing arm, e.g., a right-handed pitcher's pivot foot will be his right foot. To legally disengage from the pitcher's plate after intentionally coming in contact to take a legal pitching position, the pitcher is required to step backwards with his pivot foot. Failure to do so with runners on base is abalk.
Generally refers to thesecond baseman. A second baseman often has to turn or pivot on one foot in order to complete adouble play. A short-stop also sometimes pivots to complete such a play.
As a noun,plate usually connoteshome plate. There is also apitcher's plate, but it is more commonly referred to as therubber.
As a verb,plate means to score arun. "In the fourth our defense continued to hold and we managed to plate a couple runs in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game at3."[246]
Any turn at bat is considered aplate appearance for computing stats such ason-base percentage, and for determining whether a batter hasenough of them (minimum 3.1 X number of scheduled games) to qualify for the batting average championship. Plate appearances consist of standardat-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.
A batter shows "plate discipline" by not swinging at pitches that are out of the strike zone, nor at pitches that are in the strike zone but not where he knows he can hit it. Such a batter might be described as apatient hitter.
The practice of assigning two players to the same defensive position during a season, normally to complement abatter who hits well against left-handedpitchers 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.Casey Stengel brought some attention to the system by using it frequently during hisNew York Yankees' run of five consecutiveWorld Series champions during 1949–1953.
"Platooning" sometimes refers 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 aLOOGY 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.
Any small sequence of events during a game, never lasting long enough to contain more than one pitch, during which at least one offensive player couldadvance, or score arun, ortag up, etc., or could be putout. This includes, for example, apopfoul, during which it is possible for thebatter to be put out, but advancing is not possible and neither is scoring. This term, "play", is mentioned (appears) in the article about the definition of anerror.
Where the action is focused at a given time, in particular where a runner is about to reach a base or reach home, and the defense is attempting to get him out. An announcer might declare"There's a play at home", for example, if a runner is attempting to score and the catcher is about to receive a throw and attempt to tag the runner out.
A "player to be named later" (PTBNL) is a mystery player in a baseball trade. The teams agree on a future date to decide who the PTBNL will be. This can be a minor leaguer, a cash payment, or even someone already on the trading team's roster.
A manager who is close to his players and whom the players consider a peer and a friend. The knock on players' managers is that they tend to not be disciplinarians and find it hard to make a tough decision in theteam's best interest. Thus the term is not always complimentary, and many managers find they must maintain some aloofness in order to be effective.Joe Torre is often referred to as a player's manager; his approach can be effective with mature players who take their responsibilities seriously.Casey Stengel used to say the secret to managing was "to keep the guys who are neutral about you away from the guys that hate your guts."
When the infield is shallower than normal in order to attempt to throw out a runner on third-base on a ground ball. This does not allow the infielders to cover as much ground however, and can turn a routine ground ball into a base hit.
Any short set or series of games played after the regular season to determine a division or league champion. Also called the "post-season". Technically speaking, if a one-game playoff is required to determine who wins the regular season or thewild card (and thereby qualifies for the post-season) is counted as part of the regular season.
The plus sign (+) is an indicator that a starting pitcher began an inning and faced at least one hitter without recording an out. In thebox score, the pitcher is said to have pitchedx+ innings, wherex is the number of innings completed in the game. For example, if the starter gives up two walks to lead off the sixth inning and is pulled for a reliever, "5+" innings is recorded in the box score.
Ahit. Referring to an extra-base hit or home run, a fan or announcer might exclaim, "That was quite a poke." A reporter might record aline drive as "Cameron pokes a shot into left field."[247]
A batter with "pop" has exceptional bat speed and power. "Reggie popped one" implies that Reggie hit a home run. Example in baseball writing: "Ian Kinsler Proves He Has Pop to Center".[248]
Apop-up is abatted ball that is hit very high and stays in theinfield. Called apop-foul when it falls or iscaught infoul territory. Example: "Rondini popped it foul out of play" implies that Rondini hit apop-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 inThe 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".[249]
One of the ninedefensive positions on a baseball team, consisting of (in scorekeepers' numerical order): (1) pitcher, (2) catcher, (3) first baseman, (4) second baseman, (5) third baseman, (6) shortstop, (7) left fielder, (8) center fielder, (9) right fielder. Positions3 through6 are calledinfield positions. Positions 7, 8, and9 areoutfield positions. The pitcher and catcher are thebattery. For purposes of theinfield fly rule the pitcher and catcher are counted as infielders, and such a broader definition of infielders is commonly used, if only to differentiate them from outfielders. Players in positions2 through9—all positions except the pitcher—areposition players.
A defensive player alsopositions himself differently—sets up in a different location on the field while playing his position—depending on who is pitching, who is at bat, whether runners are on base, the number of outs, and the score of the game.
Either of the two areas in the outfield between the outfielders, i.e. left-center field and right-center field. The furthest dimensions may not be marked on the wall.
Used to refer toboth major and minor leagues, especially on trading cards. For example, "Complete Professional Record" would include majorand minor league seasons while "Complete Major League Record" would not. (Minor league players consider it an insult if asked when they'll "get to the pros".)
When a batter makes an out butadvances one or more runners in the process, he has made a productive out. In contrast, a strikeout or other out in which no runners advance is unproductive.
A manager may protest a game if he believes an umpire's decision is in violation of the official rules. An umpire's judgment call (i.e., balls and strikes, safe or out, fair or foul) may not be protested.
Topull the ball is to hit it toward the side of the field usually associated with a full swing: a right-handed hitter pulls it left and a left-handed hitter pulls it right.
Astrikeout. Named such because the umpire will typically make a punching-like signal on the third strike, especially if the batter does not swing at the pitch.
Abrushback, intended to make the batter move away from home plate. A batter targeted by such a pitch is sometimes said to get aclose shave. 1950s pitcherSal 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".
A right-handed batter who hits the ball toward right field,ditto left, has "pushed" it.
The best situation for a "push bunt" is runners at first and third with one out (or no outs); if successful, the result will be a run scored, a runner on second, and two outs (or one).
A fielder who catches a fly ball, or who tags a runner may be said to "put away" his opponent. Similarly, a pitcher may "put away" a batter by striking him out.
A team may "put away" its opponent by making a decisive play or out, or bybreaking open the game and gaining a substantial lead.
An at bat in which the batter is productive, whether that involves advancing a runner with a sacrifice bunt (or even a ground ball out), getting on base, or just making the pitcher throw a lot. Thus a quality at bat is not measured simply by the standard batting statistics such as batting average, on-base percentage, or slugging average.Minnesota Twins catcherJoe Mauer: "Seeing a lot of pitches, fighting bad pitches off – basically, just waiting for a pitch you can handle. Whether you're a power guy, or more of a slap hitter guy, if you find a pitch you're comfortable in handling, that's a quality at-bat. If you get on base or drive a ball up the gap, you pretty much know you had a good plate appearance. But it's mostly about making sure you get your pitch."[252]
When astarter pitches at least six completeinnings and allows three or fewerearned runs – even in a loss. A pitcher can perform well yet not be involved in the win–loss"decision". This statistic was 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.[253] It is catching on among baseball players and management, but also has some skeptics. FormerHouston Astros managerJimy Williams was said to hate this statistic. "Quality start?" he would harumph. "Quality means you win."[254]
Anillegal pitch where the ball is thrown before thebatter is reasonably set in thebatter's box. (Official Rules of Baseball, Rule 6.02(a)(5))[255] If there is no one on base, the pitch is called a ball, but if there are any number of runners on base, it is ruled abalk. The ruling of a quick pitch is a judgement call by the umpire(s).
When a pitcher prevents the opposing hitters from getting a lot of hits, or big hits, he's said to have "quieted some bats". "Iowa's starting pitcher, Jarred Hippen, was able to quiet the Spartans' bats the rest of the way to seal the victory."[256] Headline: "Miscues, Quiet Bats, Cost D-Backs".[257]
A batter who holds his head, hands, and bat very still while awaiting the pitch may be said to have a quiet swing. "Hideki Matsui's quiet swing and stance are a big part of the reason why he is able to hit for both power and average."[258]
Indicates a participant in the game who hears things perhaps too well for their own good. A player who becomes nervous or chokes when opposing players or fans yell at or razz them is said to have rabbit ears. Also, an umpire who picks up on every complaint hurled at them from thedugouts is described this way.
To run into and knock over the catcher when running home from third base, or to run into a first-baseman when running from home to first. In either case, neither the catcher nor the first baseman may be able to duck out of the way because he must play the ball and stay in position in order to make an out.[259]
Raindelay refers to situations when a game starts late due to rain or is temporarily suspended due to rain. A game that is suspended after it has begun may be resumed either the same day or at a later date. A game that never begins, or that is canceled after it begins, due to rain is arainout and in most cases will be rescheduled for a later date – amake-up date. In the event of a non-tie game past the 5th inning with heavy inclement weather, the game may be called with the winner being the team that was ahead at the end of the last completed inning (except during theMLB postseason).
A rainout refers to a game that is canceled or stopped in progress due to rain. Generally, Major League Baseball teams will continue play in light to moderate rain but will suspend play if it is raining heavily or if there is standing water on the field. Games can also be delayed or canceled for other forms of inclement weather, or if the field is found to be unfit for play. If a game is rained out before play begins, amake-up game is rescheduled for a later date. If a game is called after play begins but before 4½ innings have been completed (if the home team is ahead) or five innings have been completed (if the visitors are ahead or the game is tied), the game is not an official game. The umpire declares "No Game", the game is played in its entirety at a later date, and statistics compiled during the game are not counted. Games that are stopped after they become official games count in the standings (unless the game is tied, in which case it is replayed from the beginning), and statistics compiled during the game are counted. In the MLB postseason, however, games that are called before4+1⁄2 innings have been completed are treated as suspended games, and fans are usually given arain check to attend another game.
To hit the ball really hard, and all over the park. When you're raking, you're hitting very well. "Mike Gosling allowed one run on five hits over6+1⁄3 innings and Alex Terry raked Pawtucket pitching for 14 hits as theBats defeated theRed Sox, 7–1, in anInternational League game Wednesday."[260]
Acap worn backwards, sideways, or inside-out by fans or players to bring arally. Said to have originated by fans of theNew York Mets during the 1985 baseball season, when the Mets captured several dramatic come-from-behind victories, and spread to the players themselves some time during the 1986 season. It rose to national awareness during the1986 World Series. The Mets were down three games to two and losing the deciding game to theRed Sox, when in the seventh inning, television cameras showed some of theNew York Mets players in thedugout wearing their caps inside-out. The team rallied to win the game and the series.
An RBI or "run batted in" is arun scored as a result of ahit; a bases-filledwalk or hit-by-pitch or awarding of first base due to interference; a sacrifice; or a single-out fielder's choice (not a double play).
The 162-game schedule that allMajor League Baseball teams usually complete. However, if a special one-game playoff is required to determine which team goes to the league division championship series (theALDS or theNLDS), this 163rd game is also counted as part of the regular season. All team and player statistics from this game are also counted as regular season statistics. For example, if a pitcher wins his 20th game in the 163rd game played in the one-game playoff, he would be a "20 game winner" for the season. Similarly, a batter's performance in that extra game might determine whether he wins the title for best batting average or most home runs in the season.
On occasion, teams do not complete every game of the regular season, as when playing amake-up game and the outcome of that game could not possibly help either team reach the playoffs.
A standardbaseball game lasts nineinnings, 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 toucheshome plate; however, if the last batter hits ahome 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 ofextra innings.[261] 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 seeLongest professional baseball game).
When a Major League player recovering from injury or illness plays a short stint with one of the team's minor-league affiliates before coming off the disabled list. The particular affiliate may be chosen based on its proximity to the club's home town rather than the level of play. A rehab assignment does not carry the same stigma as beingsent down to the minors for poor performance.
A defensive technique where the ball is thrown by anoutfielder to aninfielder 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. Alsocut-off. Also the second throw during adouble play. As in "They were only able to get the lead runner because the relay was not in time."
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, ejection from the game or fatigue.
A player of common skills available for minimum cost to a Major League Baseball team. A team of replacement-level players would be expected to win a baseline minimum number of games, typically 40–50, per 162-game season.
A roster designation for players who are not available, either because of a player's own action (such as declining to play or getting arrested)[262] or when "unusual circumstances exist."[263] Placing a player on the restricted list allows a team to remove the player from both their roster and their payroll indefinitely, while retaining their rights to the player.[263]
A baseball bat is symmetrical, thus there is no such thing as a right-handed or left-handed one. Aplayer who bats right-handed may be referred to as a "right-handed bat" or "right-hand bat". Headline: "Can That Right Handed Bat Play Third Base?"[264]
Astrikeout. The phrase is drawn by analogy from cashiers, and from the "cha-ching" motion of a plate umpire. "Outside corner, ring him up, strike three called!"
Acronym forRunnersLeft inScoringPosition, typically seen in thebox score of a game. This is the sum of the number of runners left occupying second and third bases (scoring position) when the batting side has been retired.
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.
A series of road games oraway games occurs on a road trip, a term derived from the days when teams indeed traveled from one town to another by roadway or railroad.
When a fielder makes a spectacular play that denies a hit or a home run, the batter may be said to have "been robbed" by him. Headline: "A-Rod robbed of HR,Joba will join rotation".[265]
If an umpire has made a questionable call, the losing team or fans may complain they "were robbed". "Braves Robbed of a Win... wasBeltran Out at 3rd in the 9th?"[266]
The position occupied by the third base umpire, likely because the third base umpire does not generally have to make as many calls as the other umpires. For example, "Jim Joyce is in the rocking chair at third base."[citation needed]
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 theRookie of the Year award in each league. To be eligible, a player must have accumulated:
The official list of players who are eligible to play in a given game and to be included on thelineup card for that game.Major League Baseball limits the regular-seasonactive roster to 25 players during most of the season, but additional players may be on thedisabled list, and the roster can beexpanded to as many as 40 active players after August 31st by bringing up players on the40-man roster.
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, are known as "the rotation" or "starting rotation". In modern baseball, a five-man rotation is most common.
Often a manager identifies pitchers by their order in the rotation, "number 1", "number 2", etc. "Discussions over whetherJason Schmidt orBrad Penny is more deserving to occupy the No.2 spot in the starting rotation behindDerek Lowe can cease, as least temporarily."[268]
An offense has "roughed up" the opposing pitcher when it hits his pitches hard and scores several runs. Headline: "Hill Roughed Up in Loss toPirates."[269]
Acurveball that instead of breaking sharply makes a more gradual loop. "One Boston writer in the late-'40s summed upJoe Dobson's roundhouse curveball this way: 'It started out somewhere around the dugout and would end up clipping the outside corner of the plate. There are curveballs, and there are curveballs.'"[270]
The rubber, formally thepitching plate, is a white rubber strip the front of which is exactly sixty feet six inches (18.4 m) from the rear point ofhome plate. Apitcher will push off the rubber with his foot in order to gain velocity toward home plate when pitching.
A pitcher is said to have a "rubber arm" if he can throw many pitches without tiring. Relief pitchers who have the ability to pitch consecutive days with the same effectiveness tend to be known as "rubber arms". Examples of these includeJustin Verlander andAroldis Chapman.
Also referred to as a "rubber match", a term used for the last game of a series or match when the two teams have evenly split the previous games. See alsorubber bridge /best-of-three playoff.
A player who advances around all the bases to score is credited with a run; the team with the most runs wins the game.
A manager "runs his players" when he calls on them tosteal bases and to be generally aggressive in trying to advance extra bases when the ball is in play.
A player or coach may be "run" by an umpire by beingejected from a game.
Also known as a mercy rule or run-ahead rule, a run rule is a rule used in some leagues that automatically concludes a game in which one team is ahead by a certain number of runs after a certain number of innings.
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. Also called ahotbox or apickle. Sometimes used as a baserunning strategy by a trailing runner, to distract the fielders and allow a leading runner to advance.
Runners on 2nd or 3rd base are said to be in scoring position, i.e., a typicalbase hit should allow them to reach home.Batting average with runners in scoring position (RISP) is used as an approximation ofclutch 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 player who plays a particular base might be called asacker. Most often this is the second sacker (second baseman). Together the second sacker and the short-stop may be referred to assackmates because they often coordinate or share the coverage or play at second base. Seedouble play.
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 an 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 is credited with an RBI and is not charged with an at bat. Also referred to as "sac fly", abbreviated as SF.
Asqueeze play in which the runner on third waits for the batter to lay down a successfulbunt before breaking for home. Contrast this with thesuicide squeeze.
A round of drafts that occurs between the first and second rounds, and again between the second and the third, comprising solely compensatory drafts granted to teams that failed to sign their first or second round draft picks of the year before.
Inbaseball statistics, save (abbreviated SV, or sometimes, S) is the successful maintenance of a lead by arelief pitcher, usually thecloser, until the end of the game. A save is credited to a pitcher who fulfills the following three conditions:
The pitcher is thelast pitcher in a game won by his team;
The pitcher isnot thewinning 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.
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 three 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 the criteria for a save, except he does not finish the game, he will often be credited with ahold.
The third rule can be contentious, as it is subject to the judgment of theofficial scorer.
The last criterion in that rule can lead to ludicrous results. On August 22, 2007, theTexas Rangers beat theBaltimore Orioles by a score of 30 to 3. The winning pitcher,Kason Gabbard, pitched six innings, and left the game with a 14–3 lead. The Rangers' relief pitcher,Wes Littleton, pitched three scoreless innings, while his team went on to score another 16 runs, including six runs in the 9th inning. In return for protecting his team's lead for the last three innings, Littleton was awarded a "save".[271]
Generally, a save situation is when a pitcher enters the game in the seventh inning or later with a lead of three runs or fewer, or with the potential tying run in the on-deck circle. Most of the time, the saving pitcher pitches one or more innings. Also called a save opportunity.
When a pitcher gets a batter to hit the ball on the handle, and the batter hits the ball weakly or even breaks his bat, the pitcher may be said to havesawed off the bat. "If the bat handles are getting "sawed off" in players' hands or shattering into splinters, it's because players are ordering bats too thin to withstand the impact of a 90 mile-per-hour fast ball."[272]
Alsoa screamer. Aline drive that is hit extremely hard, perhaps hard enough to knock the glove out of the hand of a fielder or to be so hard that the pitcher cannot get out of the way before he is hit by the ball. "I distinctly remember watching the game whereJon Matlack was hit in the head by a screaming line drive off the bat ofMarty Perez and it bounced off his head. I also remember watching the nightCal Ripken hit a screamer right intoAndy Pettitte's mouth. Both were a nauseating sight but this one must have been much worse. Baseball can be a dangerous game for the players and also the spectators."[273]
A pitch that curves to the same side as the side from which it was thrown. For a right-hand pitcher, the ball would break to the pitcher's right—it would break "in" to a right-hand hitter. SYNONYMS: reverse curve, fadeaway, fader, screwgie, scroogie, reverse curveball.
To finish off the opposing team and end the game. "Red Sox closerJonathan Papelbon nearly blew the game with a walk and an error, so he had plenty to celebrate when he then whiffed the dangerous Tampa Bay trio ofCarlos Peña,B. J. Upton andCarl Crawford to seal the win".[274] See alsonailed andshuts the door.
The period from the first to the last scheduled game of a year. Typically, the major league baseball season runs from about April1 until the end of October, including the "regular season" 162 games that each team plays and the play-offs, including the World Series. Baseball team and player records are also kept on a "seasonal" basis. "Sandy Koufax ended his career with four of the best seasons in history".[275]
The post-season, including divisional and league series plus the World Series, is sometimes called the "Second Season."
The time-period when a struggling major-league player is temporarily sent down to the minors (most likely AAA) in the hope that the player can improve his skills enough to return to the major-league club. This can also refer more broadly to the time that a team keeps a young up-and-coming player in the minor-leagues, so as to give the player time to continue to develop their skills, before they are brought up to the major leagues.
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. Sometimes called aseeing-eye single. Seeground ball with eyes.
If a coach signals for a runner to attempt to steal a base, he is "sending" a runner. Similarly, a third-base coach who signals to a runner who is approaching third base that he should turn toward home plate and attempt to score, the coach is "sending" the runner home.[276]
TheNational League, so-called because it is the older of the two major leagues, founded in 1876. As opposed to theJunior Circuit, theAmerican League, which was founded in 1901.
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 usuallycalled up or promoted from the minor leagues or placed on the active roster after being removed from thedisabled list.
When a pitcher is removed from the lineup, he is sometimes said to be "sent to the showers" because his work for the day is done. Theoretically it is possible for him to be removed as pitcher and kept in the lineup as adesignated hitter or even as aposition player. But this is a very rare occurrence in the professional game, and is more frequent in the amateur game, especially inNCAA competition.
A set of games between two teams. During the regular season, teams typically play 3- or 4-game series against one another, with all the games in each series played in the same park. The set of all games played between two teams during the regular season is referred to as theseasonseries. 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. Its purpose is to minimize travel costs and disruptions in the very long major league baseball season.
In the playoffs, series involve games played in the home stadiums of both teams. Teams hope to gain from having ahome field advantage by playing the first game(s) in their own ballpark.
The posture a pitcher takes immediately before pitching. His hands are together in front of him and he is holding the ball in his pitching hand. His rear foot is on therubber.
The period between the top and bottom of the seventhinning, 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 withChicago broadcasterHarry Caray. Since theSeptember 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 theNew York Yankees andNew York Mets. This occurs on Opening Day,Memorial Day,July 4,Labor Day,September 11th, Sundays and during the All-Star Game, and post-season including theWorld Series. In Milwaukee, fans often sing "Roll Out the Barrel" after the traditional song, while Boston fans sing "Sweet Caroline" and Baltimore fans sing along to "Thank God I'm a Country Boy". At Kaufmann Stadium, Royals fans sing "Friends in Low Places". "OK Blue Jays" is sung at Toronto Blue Jays home games.
A player (usually an outfielder) who positions himself slightly away from his normal spot in the field based on a prediction of where the batter might hit the ball he is said to "shade" toward right or left.
Catching fly balls in the outfield when not involved in actual baseball games. "While the other pitchers looked bored just shagging flies, he was busting a few dance moves to the music coming over the loudspeakers."[277]
A player, typically a pitcher, who has a bad game or series, may be said to be trying toshake off the experience and regain his usual performance level.Detroit News headline: "Miner Tries to Shake Off Poor Start".
A pitcher who disagrees with the catcher's call for the next pitch mayshake off the sign by shaking his head "no", thereby telling the catcher to call for a different pitch. If the pitcher shakes off several signs in a row, the catcher may call time out and walk to the mound to talk to the pitcher.
Where all infielders and/or outfielders 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. Alsoshade. In the case of some batters, especially with left-handed batters and the bases empty, managers have been known to shift fielders from the left side to the right side of the diamond. The most extreme case was the famous "Ted Williams shift" (also once called the "Lou Boudreau shift").Cleveland Indians manager Boudreau moved six of seven 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.
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. Balls may be short-hopped to turn a double play, but it may backfire sometimes. For example, Carlos Guillén had a ground ball that bounced to him, and he short hopped it; however, it went off his glove and went high in the air.
When one of the outfield walls is closer to home plate than normal, the stadium may be said to have a short porch. For example,Yankee Stadium has long had a short porch in right field.
When a pitcher starts games with just a three- or four-day break, instead of the typical five between starts, he is said to have had a short rest. "The big story Tuesday night, by a long shot, wasDallas Keuchel pitching six shutout innings. In the Bronx. On short rest".[278]
A team that has a strong staff of relief pitchers is sometimes said to have the ability to shorten games: "The Tigers will be fearsome postseason opponents because of their bullpen's ability to shorten games."[279] If the team gets ahead in the first six innings, its bullpen can be counted on to hold the lead; thus the opponent needs to grab an early lead to still have a chance in the last few innings to win the game.
When a batter changes his stance so that he appears ready to bunt the ball, he's said to "show bunt". Sometimes this move is intended to make the infielders creep in toward home plate, but the hitter swings away instead. And sometimes it's intended to cause the pitcher to change his pitch. See alsobutcher boy.
An easy-to-hit ball thrown by a pitcher to a batter who has fouled off many balls in that particular at-bat, so risking an excessive pitch count. While the likelihood of an extra-base hit is high, there is also a chance that the batter will strike out or put the ball in play where it can be fielded. Either way, a show-me pitch usually finishes the at-bat quickly.
Also used to describe a specific pitch in a pitcher's repertoire that is weaker than their other offerings, particularly one that is rarely thrown. "Mahle's slider has always been more show-me pitch than put-away weapon."[280]
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 filmThe 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 acomplete-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.
When a pitcher, generally the closer, finishes the ballgame with a save or makes the last out (or fails to do so): "No one from the Brandeis bullpen was able to shut the door in the top of the ninth in Tuesday's game." Also used more generally to refer to a victory: "Thomas, Halladay slam door shut on Dodgers."[281]
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".
Non-verbal gestures used by catchers and coaches to communicate team strategy:
A catcher is said tocall the game by sending signs to the pitcher calling for a particular pitch. After he moves into his crouch, the catcher gives the sign by placing his non-glove hand between his legs and using his fist, fingers, wags, or taps against his inner thigh to tell the pitcher what type of pitch to throw (fastball, curve, etc.) as well as the location. A pitcher mayshake off (shake his head "no" to) the initial sign or nod in agreement when he receives the sign that he wants before going into his windup. If there is a runner on second base, a catcher may change the location of his glove (from his knee to the ground, for example) to signal the pitcher that he is using an alternate set of signs so that the runner won't be able tosteal the sign.
A coach sends signs to players on the field, typically using a sequence of hand movements. He may send signs to offensive players, including batters and runners, about what to do on the next pitch—for example, tosacrifice bunt, to take or to swing away at the next pitch; to steal a base; or to execute ahit-and-run. He may send signs to the catcher to call for apitchout or tointentionally walk the batter.
A batter who is waiting for a particular type of pitch before swinging at it. He may be sitting in wait for, say, a curveball or a change-up, or a pitch thrown in a certain location, and he won't swing at anything else even if it's down the middle of the plate. Sometimes hitters who know a pitcher's pattern of pitches, or what type of pitch he likes to throw in a given count, sit on that particular pitch. This approach stems from the adviceRogers Hornsby gave toTed Williams, telling him that the secret to hitting was simply to "wait for a good pitch to hit".
When a batter changes his strategy depending on the game situation: the inning, number of outs, number of men on base, or the score. He may notswing for the fences or even try to get a base hit, but instead make asacrifice bunt or try to get asacrifice fly or make contact with the ball in some other way.
A team thatis on the skids is having a losing streak, perhaps a severe one that threatens to ruin their chances at the playoffs or to drop them into thecellar. Headline: "Yankees Remain on the Skids".[282] Also used in the singular,skid, for a losing streak or hitless streak: "Peralta's single in the fourth ended an 0-for-26 skid."[283]
A representation of multiple baseball statistics separated by theslash, for example .330/.420/.505. The typical data represented arebatting average (AVG) /on-base percentage (OBP) /slugging percentage (SLG).[284] Also known as atriple slash.Slash is used as a verb meaning to effect a given slash line. Less commonly, a slash line may contain four statistics ("quad slash line"); the first three being as noted and the fourth beingon-base plus slugging (OPS).[285]
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 (i.e.: it curves to the right for a right-handed batter and to the left for a left-handed batter).
When a runner drops to the ground when running toward a base to avoid a tag. Players also sometimes slide head-first into first base. If formerSt. Louis Cardinals pitcher and Hall of FamerDizzy Dean had seen something like that, he'd probably have said the player never should have "slud into first".
A team having a losing streak isin a slide oron the skids.
Aslugger maintains a high slugging average. Just as a "perfect" batting average would be 1.000 (a thousand), a "perfect" slugging average would be 4.000 (four thousand).
A slugfest is an exceptionally high scoring game, perhaps with double digits for both teams; the opposite of a slugfest is apitchers' duel.
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 runs; close kin toinside baseball. "It's important for us to thinksmall ball and hit behind runners, and also score with base hits, doubles, sacrifices—there are many ways to score",Alex Rodriguez said. "Later on, when it counts the most, it's hard only to score by home runs".[286]
A type of foul ball in which the batter grazes ("snicks") the ball with the bat. The ball continues toward the catcher, with a slightly modified trajectory, making it a difficult catch.[citation needed]
A fielder's ability to cradle the ball well in his glove. Contrasthard hands. "I was teaching the players to field the ball out front and 'give in' with the ball and bring it up to a throwing position. The analogy I used was to pretend the ball is an egg and give in with it. I consider this to be 'soft' hands."[287]
A pitcher who doesn't have a really fast fastball. "Jones, a soft tosser when compared to the Tigers' other hard throwers, struck outPosada, retiredCano on a soft fly, and gotDamon to fly out."[288]
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 areJoe Charboneau andMark Fidrych. Thestatistical 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".
Afireplug. A player known for his aggressive, never-say-die attitude (though perhaps modest ability) who may help to spark his team into a rally or a win. "Versalles was the sparkplug that led the 1965 Twins to their first World Series."[290]
A sticky paste product designed for strongman competitions that has been illegally used by some pitchers to enhance their grip on the ball. Illegal grip enhancers have been used byspitball pitchers before, but Spider Tack specifically made headlines during the2021 pitch doctoring controversy.[291]
Afastball that breaks sharply toward the ground just before reaching the plate due to the pitcher's grip; his first two fingers are spread apart to put a downward spin on the ball. Also called aforkball,splitter orMr. Splitee.
A player's splits are his performance statistics broken down or split into categories such as batting average against right-handed vs. left-handed pitchers, in home games vs. away games, or in day games vs. night games. When statistics are split in such a way they may reveal patterns that allow a manager to use (perhaps to platoon) a player strategically where he can be most effective. Sabermetricians may use such splits to investigate patterns that explain overall performance, including topics such as whether a pitcher may have doctored the ball during home games.[292]
When a pitcher throws a strike over the plate that at first seems good enough to strike the batter out but the batter fouls it off, the batter may be said to "spoil the pitch". The usage is similar to that of "fighting off a pitch".
A pitcher who starts an occasional game (perhaps only one game) who is not a regularstarter in therotation. This is a pitcher who is already on a team's roster and usually works as arelief pitcher. In contrast to a spot starter, who is already on the roster, anemergency starter is typically a player who is brought up from the minor leagues on very short notice because a regular starter is injured. Sometimes, however, even a player who is already on the roster may be referred to as an emergency starter if his starting role arises because the regularly scheduled starter has been injured.
In recent years, the term "spot starter" has more commonly been used to describe a pitcher called up from the minors specifically to make one start before being optioned back down to the minors immediately following the game, particularly when the pitcher in question is the extra player added to the active roster for a scheduled doubleheader.
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.
When a batter turns his stance from being sideways to the pitcher's mound to facing the pitcher's mound. This is typically done when a batter prepares tobunt a ball, in particular when he intends to do asacrifice bunt. "Whether you square around or pivot, you want to make sure you are in a comfortable and athletic position to bunt the ball. Your knees should be bent and your bat should be held out in front of your body. The barrel of the bat should be at the same height as your eyes and at the top of the strike zone".[293]
To get a good swing at the ball and hit it hard near the center of the ball. "It makes a big difference because you work hard to square a ball up, but they catch it or make a good play",Pierre said. "It takes the wind out of you a little bit and it makes him (Verlander) probably feel better, too".[294]
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. In asuicide squeeze, the runner takes off towards home plate as soon as the pitcher begins his throw toward home plate. In asafety squeeze, the runner waits until the batter makes contact with the ball before committing himself to try to reach home.
Anubber. A batted ball that is either off the end of the bat or from a very late swing, which puts side spin on it as it rolls (typically toward the first or third baseman).
An extra-base hit in which the runner reaches base easily without needing to slide, i.e. remains standing up as he touches the bag. Also referred to simply as "standing" i.e. "the runner from 3rd base scores standing (up)."
When a hitter steps into the batter's box, he typically stands a few inches from home plate with one shoulder facing the pitcher's mound. His particular manner of bending his knees or holding his bat is referred to as thebatter's stance orhitting stance.[295]
A catcher typically crouches orsquats behind home plate, holding his glove up as a target for the pitcher. This is referred to as acatcher's stance.[296]
Apitcher's stance orpitching position involves how and where he stands on the mound, how his back foot toes the rubber, his windup, and his delivery.
Oddly enough, this term can mean completely different things. It can be referred to as a close relative ofinside 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 maximise the number of runs scored on a homer.
Statheads usestatistical methods to analyze baseball game strategy as well as player and team performance. They use the tools ofsabermetrics to analyze baseball.
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 mathematicalstatistics, but the term is in common usage.
When a batter who already has two strikes swings at but fouls off a pitch, he may be said to have "stayed alive". He (or his at bat) will live to see another pitch. Similarly, when a team that is facing elimination from the playoffs wins a game, it may be said to have "stayed alive" to play another game.[298]
When a batter shows that it is easier to get him out with a certain type of pitch, he may receive a "steady diet" of that type of pitch thrown. Headline: "Phillies'Howard Gets a Steady Diet of Curveballs".[299]
When a team that is at bat tries to see thesign 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 peeking 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.
A phrase for an "open" batting stance, in which the hitter's leading foot is aligned away from the plate (toward left field for a right-handed batter). The stance reduces power in the swing and slows the hitter's exit toward first base; however, many players believe it allows them to see the pitch better, and more naturally drive the ball to the opposite field.
"Stick it in his ear!" is a cry 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, toLeo Durocher.
Said of an infielder who secures a batted or thrown ball, but chooses to hold the ball rather than throwing to try for an out. For example, a shortstop might rangein the hole to field a ground ball, but then elect to "stick it in his pocket" rather than attempting to throw to first base to put out the batter-runner, whether to avoid the possibility of a throwing error or to prevent another runner on base from advancing on the throw. Often happens on a ball hit so slowly that, by the time it's fielded, the runner(s) have already advanced so far that a throw and catch for a force out is unlikely or impossible.
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 seeuncontested steal.
A series of consecutive wins (awinning streak) or losses (alosing streak). Also, astring, especially if referring to a series of wins.
A series of games in which a batter gets a hit (hitting streak) or fails to get a hit (hitless streak), or accomplishes some other feat of interest (e.g., gets a stolen base or hits a home run).
A stretch in baseball pitching means starting sideways, raising your arms high, then throwing the ball. Pitchers often do this with runners on base to keep an eye on them.
Tostretch the lineup is to have strong hitters after the 3rd, 4th, and 5th places in the batting order, which are normally where thepower hitters are found. "Victor goes out there every day and shows you why he is a professional hitter – he's never afraid to just take a base hit when that's what there for him",Leyland said. "Carlos lets us stretch our lineup with another professional hitter, and also aswitch-hitter".[302]
The last part of the regular baseball season when teams are competing to reach the playoffs or championship. Perhaps derived from the term "home stretch" in horse racing or car racing when the horse (or car) comes out of the final turn and is racing toward the finish line. Headline: "Tigers eyeing help for stretch run"[303] (The Tigers are seeking additional players as they approach the end of the season).
The termstrike is used in several ways, both to describe the act of swinging at a pitch, the ruling of a legal pitch, and in the currentcount on the batter.
A strike as part of the playing action is defined as:
A pitch which the batterstrikes at a pitch and misses.
A pitch which the batter does not strike at, and any part of the ball passes through any part of the strike zone.
Is a foul ball by the batter with fewer than two strikes.
When used to describe the current count, it will be the second number listed. E.g, 1-2 means the count is one ball and two strikes; 2-0 means the count is two balls and no strikes.
As a slang term, a particularly hard, accurate throw by a fielder to put out a baserunner is sometimes referred to asthrowing a strike. Ex., "Rick Ankiel just threw a strike to third base from 250 feet away."[304]
Of a pitcher, the throwing of three strikes in one plate appearance. This normally retires the batter, and counts as one out. However, it is possible for the hitter to strike out and still reach base, if the catcher drops thestrikeout pitch.
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.
The type of pitch (specific to each pitcher) that he or she prefers to use as the last pitch of a strikeout. 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.[305]
Adouble play in which a batter strikes out and the catcher then immediately throws out a baserunner trying to steal. Sometimes this is called strikeout/double-play. Usually scored 2-6 or 2-4 for an out at second.
A pitcher is said to have "struck out the side" when he retires all three batters in one inning by striking them out.
"All three" may mean that only three batters came to the plate (and struck out), but the phrase could refer to the three batters who made outs (regardless what happened to the others).
An area above home plate with these constraints:[306]
The upper limit: A line drawn halfway between the top of the batter's shoulders to the top of the batter's uniform pants.
The lower limit: A line drawn at the hollow beneath the kneecap.
InOfficial Baseball Rules, NCAA,[307] and other derivatives, the strike zone is established when the batter is prepared to strike at the ball. In NFHS rules, the strike zone is established when the batter takes a "normal batting stance."[308]
"Struck out looking" means the batter didn't swing at a pitch the umpire judged a strike, resulting in an out. Some scorecards show it with a backwards "K". Sports commentators have also been known to use the slang term "just browsing" when showing a batter that's "struck out looking" onSportsCenter or other related shows.
A batter called out on strikes when swinging at the third strike is said to have "struck out swinging". Usually labeled with the traditional forward "K" on scorecards.
A pitcher's "stuff" is how hard their pitches are to hit, combining movement (breaking balls) or speed (fastballs). This is separate fromlocation, another key aspect of pitching.
A pitcher who throws with such a severesidearm motion that the pitch comes from below his waist, sometimes near the ground. (A submariner does not throw underhanded, as in fastpitchsoftball.) Seesubmarine.
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; aCubs vs.White Sox series would be an "L" series; and a series between theOakland A's and theSan Francisco Giants would be (and was) the "BART" series. However, a series between theLos Angeles Dodgers and theLos Angeles Angels would not be a subway series, because there is no subway or other rail service betweenDodger Stadium andAngel Stadium of Anaheim (not even the fabled but fanciful line between "Anaheim, Azusa and Cuc... amonga").[309] Instead such a series is referred to as afreeway series.
After winning a weekend series in college baseball, the team will party Sunday night. This is because college teams play five nights a week and have no free time to party except on Sundays, because they can rest on their required Monday off day.
Asqueeze play in which the runner on third breaks for home on the pitch, so that, if the batter does not lay down abunt, then the runner is an easy out (unless he steals home). Contrast this with thesafety squeeze.
TheMajor League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the Midsummer Classic. These annual games, typically played in July, pit the all-stars of the National League against the all-stars of the American League, a concept designed to acknowledge and showcase the achievements of the best players in each league.
To win 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. ("Sweep" was also used to mean winning both games of a doubleheader. Sweeps are also used for a college baseball team who wins all three games of a weekend series.)
Themeat of the bat.[310] "Batters know from experience that there is a sweet spot on the bat, about 17 centimetres (6.7 in) from the end of the barrel, where the shock of the impact, felt by the hands, is reduced to such an extent that the batter is almost unaware of the collision. At other impact points, the impact is usually felt as a sting or jarring of the hands and forearm, particularly if the impact occurs at a point well removed from the sweet spot".[311][312] " 'I was ready for a fastball early in the count, because I knew he would go to his other stuff later",Santiago said. "I got one, and I just wanted to hit it on the sweet spot' ".[313]
A half-hearted partial swing at a pitch that catches the batter by surprise, which he is unable to successfully check. Typically this will be a breaking ball with a lot of horizontal movement out of the strike zone when the batter is looking for a fastball.
a player placed high in the batting order for his tendency to hit for average and steal bases is said to "set the table" for the power hitters behind him in the lineup.
an unexpected event early in a ball game, such as a defensive error or a hit batsmen, can be called a "tablesetter" for the outcome of the game.
When a batter hits a ball that is caught before touching the ground (he is out) every runner must retreat back to the base he just left. Once he has touched that base (tagged up), he may legally advance again. If he fails to tag up he can be called out onappeal.
A catcher's butt. In the phrase "he didn't keep his tailgate down" an announcer means a pitched ball was very low or even hit the dirt and went between the catcher's legs.
The signal from a coach for the batter to not swing at the next pitch—to "take" it. Sometimes when a new pitcher or a reliever comes in, batters are given a general instruction to take the first pitch. Most often, they are told to take a pitch when thecount is 3–0.
To issue anintentional walk. By doing so, a pitcher reduces the potential damage from allowing the batter to swing at and hit a pitch. "Buck Showalter took the bat out ofBarry Bonds' hands with an unheard-of strategy – a bases-loaded intentional walk. Amazingly, theArizona Diamondbacks manager got away with it."[315]
Aslide 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 ofTy Cobb—"The Tiger Wore Spikes"—says something about how he ran the basepaths.[316]
Before the 2015 season, "runners were given a good deal of leeway when sliding into a base in an attempt to break up a double play." After some infielders were injured on rough plays during that season, notably whenChase Utley slid intoRuben Tejada during the National League Divisional playoffs and broke his leg, Major League Baseball instituted the "bona-fide slide" rule.[317] The runner must make contact with the ground before reaching the base, he must be able to reach the base with a hand or foot, he must be able to remain on the base at the completion of the slide (except at home plate) and he must not change his path for the purpose of initiating contact with a fielder.
An especially longhome run. The term originated from a 1953 game in whichMickey Mantle hit a ball out ofGriffith Stadium in Washington, D.C. The distance the ball flew was measured and the next day a picture of Mantle with atape measure was published in the newspaper. A play-by-play announcer may also call a long home runa tape measure job. Although fans have always been interested in how far home runs may travel and in comparing the great home runs of the great and not-so-great home run hitters, the science of measuring home runs remains inexact.[318][319]
Ahome 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.)
Easily hittable pitches are likened to stationary baseballs sitting onbatting tees (or possiblygolf tees, since this term is also part of the lexicon of golf), and therefore batters hitting such pitches are said to be 'teeing off'.
A Texas Leaguer (orTexas League single) is a weakly hit fly ball that drops in for a single between aninfielder and anoutfielder. This is now more commonly referred to as a flare, blooper, or "bloop single". It is most colorfully called a 'gork shot' or a 'duck snort.' Seeblooper.
OutfielderOllie Pickering is credited with giving baseball the term "Texas Leaguer," a pejorative slang for a weak pop fly that lands unimpressively between an infielder and an outfielder for a base hit. According to the April 21, 1906, edition of The Sporting Life,[320] John McCloskey, founder of theTexas League and then-manager of the Houston Mudcats – who would later go onto manage the St. Louis Cardinals – signed 22-year-old Pickering to play center field on the morning of May 21, 1892. That afternoon, Pickering turned in one of the most remarkable performances in the history of the Texas League, stringing together seven consecutive singles in one game, each a soft, looping fly ball that fell in no-man's land between either the first baseman and right fielder or the third baseman and left fielder. News of Pickering's feat spread quickly throughout the nation and the term "Texas Leaguer" became ingrained in the baseball lexicon. Pickering's seven consecutive singles in a game still stands as a Texas League record.[321] Pickering would go on to play and manage for 30 years, with major league stops as an outfielder for the Louisville Colonels, Philadelphia A's, Cleveland Blues (now Guardians), St. Louis Browns and Washington Senators.
A concept instatistics to account for when a pitcher retires only one or two of the [at least] three batters in a full inning, e.g. 3.1 and 5.2 (for convenience in print; those represent3+1⁄3 and5+2⁄3 respectively).
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 toRob Deer, who excelled at producing all three outcomes. The statistical result of the three true outcomes on a player's slash line is a low batting average, as well as an unusually high on-base percentage relative to the batting average. Traditionally, players with a high percentage of their plate appearances ending in one of the three true outcomes are underrated,[citation needed] as general managers often overestimate the harm in striking out, and underestimate the value of a walk.
To face just three batters in an inning. Having a "three up, three down inning" is the goal of any pitcher. Unlike in a 1-2-3 inning, batters are permitted to reach base so long as only three batters are faced by the pitcher. For instance, a single, then a strikeout, then a double play is a three up three down inning, but not a 1-2-3 inning. See also:side retired,1-2-3 inning.
When a batted ball passes through the legs of a player on the field (most commonly an infielder) it's often said, "That one went right through the wickets." The term refers to the metal arches (called wickets) used in the game ofcroquet through which balls are hit. Letting the ball through his legs makes a baseball player look (and feel) inept, and the official scorekeeper typically records the play as anerror.
When a fielder throws the ball so hard it appears to hardly arc at all, he has "thrown a clothesline". Akin to a line drive being described as arope or frozen rope.
A pitcher who throws the ball hard in the direction of home plate but without much accuracy orcommand. Distinguished from a "pitcher", who may or may not throw the ball as hard but who has command and is likely to be more successful in getting batters out.
A run can be scored on the same play as the third out, but only if the third out is not aforce out, and is not made by the batter before reaching first base. In order for the run to count, the runner must reach home platebefore the third out is made elsewhere on the field, so the play is known as a "time play".[323]
A poor fielding (defensive) player is often said to have a "tin glove", as if his baseball mitt was made of inflexible metal. This is a sarcastic reference to thegold glove awarded for defensive excellence.[citation needed]
When a pitcher inadvertently signals what type pitch is next, he is said to be "tipping" or "telegraphing" them. 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. Akin to what is called atell in poker: a habit, behavior, or physical reaction that gives other players more information about your hand.
Coaches 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. 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.
Pitchers will try to hide their grip even while delivering the ball.Rick Sutcliffe used to wind up in such a way that his body concealed the ball from the batter almost until the moment of release. In contrast, relief aceDennis Eckersley, playing a psychological game, would hold the ball up in such a way that he purposely showed off the type of grip he had on it, essentially "daring" the batter to hit it.
When a batter swings a bit late, perhaps hitting the ball to the opposite field, a broadcaster may say he "took the ball out of the catcher's glove" (just before the catcher was able to catch it).
To hit a high pitch, perhaps one that's out of the strike zone, so that the batter may appear to be swinging downwards as if his bat is atomahawk. "Things started well for theBlue Jays in their first at-bat whenStairs tomahawked aMatsuzaka pitch on one bounce into the stands behindFenway Park's famedPesky's Pole for aground-rule double."[324]
Kirby Puckett when asked by broadcasterJim Kaat about his walk-off home run which won Game Six of the1991 World Series, "I just tomahawked that ball, Kitty!"
A type of reconstructive elbow surgery with estimated recovery time 14-18 months. PitcherTommy John was the first professional athlete to successfully undergo it.
A tongue-in-cheek term for when a baserunner commits a blunder that leads to him being tagged or forced out. It stands for "Thrown Out On The Basepaths Like A Nincompoop".[325] It was created as part of an effort to determine what impact on-base outs had on a batter's on-base percentage.[326]
A batter who has speed and a propensity to get on base, and who thus may be suited to be the lead-off or second hitter in the line-up. "I think Brett Jackson looks a lot more like a top of the order guy right now than a middle of the order guy, and he seems like a viable leadoff hitter based on his performance as a professional."[citation needed]
When a pitcher has reached a point where he's at risk of being pulled and replaced by another pitcher, the manager may be standing at the "top step" of the dugout, ready to go immediately to the mound after the next pitch.
When a player or manager is ordered by anumpire to leave a game, that player or manager is said to have been "tossed". Usually, this is the result of arguing with an umpire. Similar to being "red carded" in soccer. Seeejected.
The sum of the number of bases advanced by a batter/runner on his own safe hits over a specified period of time, where a single =1, a double =2, a triple =3, and a home run =4. The quotient of total bases divided by at-bats is slugging average, a measure of hitting power. (It can be argued thattotal bases would include walks and steals.)
To "touch all the bases" or "touch 'em all" is to hit ahome run. (If a playerfails to literally "touch 'em all" – if he misses a base during his home run trot – he can be called out onappeal).
A seven-run difference, derived from six points for a touchdown plus the extra point inAmerican football. For example, a team ahead 10–3 is said to be "up by a touchdown".
To field a ball, typically a ground ball that a fielder has to travel some distance to stop or a fly ball that an outfielder has to run far to catch. "Mike Cameron,Milwaukee Brewers, can track down flies with the best centerfielders in baseball today."[328]
When a fielder attempts to catch a batted baseball in the air but the ball hits the ground just before it enters the fielder's glove, the fielder is said to have "trapped the ball". Sometimes it is difficult for the umpire to tell whether the ball was caught for an out or instead trapped. "Any outfielder worth his salt always makes the catch of the sinking line drive by rolling over and raising his glove triumphantly. It does not matter if he trapped the ball. It does not matter that the replay shows he trapped the ball. What is important is the success of the deception at that moment so that the umpire calls the batter out."[329]
When three outs are made on one play. This is rare. While a typical game may have severaldouble plays, a typicalseason has only a few triple plays. This is primarily because the circumstances are rather specific—that there be at least two runners, and no outs, and that typically one of these circumstances occurs: (1) the batter hits a sharp grounder to the third baseman, who touches the base, throws to second base to get the second out, and the second baseman or shortstop relays the ball to first quickly enough to get the batter-runner for the third out (also called a 5-4-3 or 5-6-3 triple play, respectively); OR (2) the runners are off on the pitch, in ahit-and-run play, but an infielder catches the ball on aline-drive out, andrelays to the appropriate bases in time to get two other runners before they can retreat to their bases. The latter situation can also yield an extremely rareunassisted triple play, of which 14 have occurred in the entire history of major league baseball. A second baseman or shortstop will catch the ball, his momentum will carry him to second base to make the second out, and he will run and touch the runner from first before the runner can fully regain his momentum and turn around back to first.
An old fashioned term for apitcher. 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.
Afastball held in such a way that it breaks slightly downward, and most often away from the pitcher's arm, as it crosses the plate. Asinker. Atwo-seamer. Due to the grip, generally with or along the two straight seams, as opposed to a four seamer, which is gripped across the horseshoe, the batter sees only one pair of seams spinning instead of two.
Many college athletes 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 beenJim Thorpe,Brian Jordan,Gene Conley,Bo Jackson,Danny Ainge,Ron Reed,Deion Sanders andMark Hendrickson. AlthoughMichael Jordan tried to become a major league baseball player after his first retirement from theNational Basketball Association, he didn't make the big leagues and did not try to playboth baseball and basketball at the same time.
A term borrowed fromAmerican football to describe either a player who can pitch and hit well, or a player who can pitch and play another defensive position well. The most famous Major League ballplayer who was truly a two-way player wasBabe Ruth. He started his career as an outstanding pitcher and later played in the outfield—and was one of the greatest home run hitters of all time.
The term is sometimes used to describe a player who is good at both offense and defense: "ManagerJim Leyland said during the season that he believesInge has the potential to become one of the league's best two-way players."
Spectator seating offering a very poor view of the playing field, usually located in a stadium's upper decks. Named for longtime Milwaukee Brewers announcer Bob Uecker, in reference to one of hisMiller Lite TV ads from the 1980s in which he is removed from the box seats and, after musing that he "must be in the front row," learns that his tickets actually put him in the back row of the right field upper deck.
Agrand slam by a member of the home team when they are exactly three runs behind in the bottom of the final inning, thus overcoming a 3-run deficitand winning the game with one swing. See alsowalk-off home run.
When a fielder single-handedly executes a play which 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. Unassisted double plays are rare, andunassisted triple plays areextremely rare.
If a base runner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home platebut the catcher does not attempt to throw him out, then the steal may be scored as an uncontested or undefended steal. In the game's statistics, the runner wouldnot be credited with a stolen base. Also calleddefensive indifference. See alsostolen base,fielder's choice.
A pitch to the upper part of the strike zone. "WhenMiller throws his fastballup in the zone, opponents are hitting .079 (6-for-76) and have missed on 36 percent of swings (league average is .232). When his fastball is down or in the middle of the strike zone, opponents hit .270 with a miss rate of 15 percent."[331]
When a batter's swing moves upward as the bat moves forward. "The looping or uppercut swing is most common when the hitter 'loads up his swing' in order to hit with more power."[332]
The area near an imaginary line from home plate through the pitcher's mound and second base into center field. General managers typically build teams "up the middle", i.e. strength atcatcher,second base,shortstop, andcenter field.
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.[333]
When a pitcher gets ahead in the count he may deliberately throw the ball outside thestrike zone, hoping the batter willchase it. "Waste a pitch", the opposite ofattack the strike zone, is the counterpart to a batter's "taking" a 3-0 pitch.
The phrase is sometimes applied also to hitters who deliberatelyfoul off a strike toget good wood.
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, hewaves 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 towave the runner home.
A hitter's power zone. Usually a pitch waist-high and over the heart of the plate. "Clem threw that one right into Ruben's wheelhouse. End of story."[335][336]
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. "Lohse's bunt was a bad one, in the air over the head ofBeltré, but it requiredAndrus to make an outstandingpick, stopping in his tracks as he was headed to cover third on the wheel play and then throwing to first."[337]
A pitcher who throws strikes but without sufficient control over their location is "wild in the strike zone". Headline: "Zambrano Is Too Wild in Strike Zone".[338]
A wild pitch (abbreviatedWP) is charged to a pitcher when, in the opinion of theofficial scorer, a pitch is too high, too low, or too wide of homeplate for the catcher to catch the ball with ordinary effort, and which allows one or more runners to advance; or allows the batter to advance to first base, if it is a third strike with first base unoccupied. Neither a passed ball nor a wild pitch is charged as anerror. It is a separate statistic.
In baseball, there are two legal pitching positions: the windup, and the set. The choice of pitching position may be tactical, as the windup has a generally slower execution than the set and is thus at greater risk of allowing a stolen base. However, some pitchers, particularly relief pitchers, are more comfortable pitching from the set position, and thus use it regardless of the situation.
A phrase borrowed from horse racing. It refers to a team's leading a game from the first inning to the end of the game, or leading their division (or league) from the first two or three weeks of the season to the end of the season. Also sometimes used to refer to a pitcher's throwing a complete game, especially a shut-out.
When a batter ispatient and tries to getahead in the count, or to get a pitch that he can hit hard, he's said to "work thecount" or to "work the pitcher".Tigers ManagerJim Leyland: "We tell our hitters to be aggressive all the time, and at the same time we tell them, 'Work the pitcher.'"
When a batted ball that goes for a home run passes just inside the foul pole while curving toward foul territory, it is sometimes described as having "wrapped around" the pole. (The ball may actually land in foul territory, but if it passed inside the pole it is still fair. This howeverwas not the case before1931.)
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 formerNew York Yankees broadcasterPhil Rizzuto.
A big home run, usually hit by a hoss player. The term was made colloquially popular in the mid-2010s by electric sports personality, Dan Katz aka "Barstool Bigcat", host of the popular "Pardon My Take" podcast.
Topull a fair ball down thefoul line. "Damian Miller then yanked a double just inside the third-base bag and down the line, scoring both runners."[339]
The baseball field. A home run has "left the yard", and whoever hit itwent yard. "Doing yardwork" is hitting many home runs or otherwise exhibiting power.
A condition in which a player, usually a pitcher, loses control over the direction of his throws. "Rick Ankiel was transitioned to a position player due to developing a case of the yips on the mound."
Ano-hitter orperfect game, so called because theline score shown on the scoreboard is 0–0–0, though it is subjective when referring to a no-hitter and perfect games, because the opposing team can make errors. However, it will normally show as 0–0–0 (no runs, no hits, no errors) on the scoreboard.
A pitcher is said to be "in the zone" not only by throwing strikes but by maintaining his focus and throwing pitches that get batters out. "You hear about pitchers being in the zone and stuff like that, and that's what I was doing. I was zoned in. I was throwing the right pitch every time, and until the kid got the hit, I honestly didn't even realize."[340]
^Clay Davenport, "Is There Such a Thing as a Quadruple-A Player?" inJonah Keri, Ed.,Baseball Between the Numbers (New York: Basic Books, 2006): 242-252.
^James Click, "What if Ricky Henderson Had Pete Incaviglia's Legs", inJonah Keri, Ed.,Baseball Between the Numbers (New York: Basic Books, 2006), p. 117.
^Robert K. Adair,The Physics of Baseball (New York: HarperCollins, 2002), pp.136-139.
^At the time of the Sosa incident, a list of well-known cases of doctoring the bat was published by ESPN.com[1]Archived 2023-02-13 at theWayback Machine.
^Daniel Engber, "How To Throw the Goopball: The physics of baseball's most popular illegal pitches",Slate (October 23, 2006).[3]Archived 2011-09-08 at theWayback Machine
^SeeJeff Passan, "Searching for Baseball's Bigfoot", Yahoo Sports (March 13, 2006)[6]Archived 2017-02-12 at theWayback Machine; Lucas Hanft, "In Search of the Magical Mystery Pitch",Boston Globe (August 27, 2006)[7]Archived 2016-03-03 at theWayback Machine; and David Scheinin, "Thrown for a Loop:Matsuzaka's Mystery Pitch, the Gyroball, Is an Enigma Wrapped in Horsehide",Washington Post (December 23, 2006).[8]
^Steve Kornacki, "Tigers manager Jim Leyland says Magglio Ordonez could hit on Christmas Day",MLive, June 16, 2010Archived June 16, 2016, at theWayback Machine. [retrieved 17 June 2010]
^Anthopoulos, Alex; Antonetti, Chris; Daniels, Jon; Dipoto, Jerry; Finley, Joe; Gorman, Brian; Hill, Michael; Mozeliak, John; Stearns, David; Gaski, Mike; Mifsud, Paul V. (2021).Official Baseball Rules: 2021 Edition(PDF) (2021 ed.). Triumph Books. p. 149.ISBN9781629378930.Archived(PDF) from the original on 27 September 2022. Retrieved12 October 2022.
^Jack Stallings and Bob Bennett, Eds.,Baseball Strategies: Your Guide to the Game within the Game, American Baseball Coaches Association, 2003, p. 125.
^According toBill James, this term came into the language of baseball in the mid-1970s. James has tried to formalize its meaning for statistical analysis: a run is "a manufactured run if it is at least one-half created by the offense doing something other than playing station-to-station baseball." SeeThe Bill James Handbook 2007 (Skokie, IL: ACTA Sports, 2006), p. 315.
^Before 1980 this person was typically a local sportswriter; beginning in 1980 the League hired "independent contractors" for the job. For an informative article, see David Vincent, "The Official Scorer",The Baseball AnalystsArchived 2006-10-31 at theWayback Machine, Aug. 18, 2005. On more recent changes see also David Laurila, "Scoring the Hits and Errors – Official Scorers in the Post-Season",BaseballProspectus.comArchived 2007-10-11 at theWayback Machine, October 10, 2007.
^Richard Adler,Mack, McGraw and the 1913 Baseball Season (2008), p. 258.
^A recent example is in the analysis of Detroit Tigers pitcherKenny Rogers' home- and away-game stats to see whether they are consistent with the suspicion that he may be doctoring the ball in home games. SeeNate Silver, "Comforts of home; Rogers better at Comerica, but is the success legit?"SportsIllustrated.com (October 23, 2006)[11]Archived 2012-10-20 at theWayback Machine.
^For accessible summaries, seeRob Neyer, "The World According to VORP",ESPN.com (February 2, 2007) and Derek Jacques, "Prospectus Toolbox: Value Over Replacement Player",BaseballProspectus.com (May 15, 2007).
^"Dunn's 10 wins an unexpected boost for Marlins".ESPN.Associated Press. August 15, 2014. RetrievedAugust 18, 2014.Mike Dunn's formula is simple. Come in, pitch well, and hope the Miami Marlins offense finds a way to win games late. It's working. Miami's leader in wins this season isn't one of their highly touted young starters, but rather a left-handed reliever who has never made a Major League start in his six-year career. Dunn picked up his 10th win of the season Thursday night, throwing two perfect innings as Miami rallied to top Arizona 5-4 to enhance its chances in the National League wild-card chase. His bullpen cohorts say he "vultures" wins. Nobody is complaining.
^Dickson, Paul (1873).The new Dickson Baseball Dictionary. New York: D. Appleton and Company. p. 533. Cited first 1959 by Bill Rigney; Etymology attributed toPeter Tamony who suggested that batters "wheel" at the ball ("take good, level 'roundhouse' swings")
^Rigney, Bill –Orlando Cepeda's slump. San Francisco Chronicle, May 11, 1959
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