Baseball Lingo

[NetShrine]

Stole this off the MLB.com site. Any that you would add to it?

Baseball Lingo

A fan's guide to commonly-used terms and phrases.

ace -- A team's best starting pitcher.
alley-- The section of the outfield between the outfielders. Also "gap."
around the horn -- A double play going from third base to second to first.
backdoor slider -- A pitch that appears to be out of the strike zone, but then breaks back over the plate.
bag -- A base.
Baltimore chop -- A ground ball that hits in front of home plate (or off of it) and takes a large hop over the infielder's head.
bandbox -- A small ballpark that favors hitters.
bang-bang play -- A play in which the baserunner hits the bag a split-second before the ball arrives or vice versa.
basket catch -- When a fielder catches a ball with his glove near belt level.
Bronx cheer -- When the crowd boos.
brushback -- A pitch that nearly hits a batter.
bush -- Also "bush league." An amateur play or behavior.
can of corn -- An easy catch by a fielder.
caught looking -- When a batter is called out on strikes.
cellar -- Last place. Also "basement."
cheese -- Also "good cheese." Refers to a good fastball.
chin music -- A pitch that is high and inside.
circus catch -- An outstanding catch by a fielder.
closer -- A team's relief pitcher who finishes the game.
cutter -- A cut fastball (one with a late break to it).
cycle -- When a batter hits a single, double, triple and home run in the same game.
dinger -- A home run.
dish -- Home plate.
fireman -- A team's closer or late-inning relief pitcher.
fungo -- A ball hit to a fielder during practice. It's usually hit by a coach using a "fungo bat," which is longer and thinner than a normal bat.
gap -- See "alley." A ball hit here is a "gapper."
gopher ball -- A pitch hit for a home run, as in "go for."
heat -- A good fastball. Also "heater."
high and tight -- Referring to a pitch that's up in the strike zone and inside on a hitter. Also known as "up and in."
hill -- Pitcher's mound.
homer -- A home run. Other terms include: blast, dinger, dong, four-bagger, four-base knock, moon shot, tape-measure blast and tater.
hot corner -- Third base.
in the hole -- The batter after the on-deck hitter.
jam -- When a hitter gets a pitch near his hands, he is "jammed." Also when a pitcher gets himself in trouble, he is in a "jam."
leather -- Refers to how good a player plays defensively or handles the glove. Ex: "He flashed some leather on that play."
meatball -- An easy pitch to hit, usually right down the middle of the plate.
Mendoza line -- A batting average of around .200.
moon shot -- A very long, high home run.
nail down -- As in "nail down a victory." Refers to a relief pitcher finishing off the game.
on the screws -- When a batter hits the ball hard. Also "on the button."
painting the black -- When a pitcher throws the ball over the edge of the plate.
pea -- A ball traveling at high speed, either batted or thrown.
pepper -- Pepper is a common pre-game exercise where one player bunts brisk grounders and line drives to a group of fielders who are standing about 20 feet away. The fielders try to throw it back as quickly as possible. The batter hits the return throw. (Some ballparks ban pepper games because wild pitches could land in the stands and injure spectators).
pick -- A good defensive play by an infielder on a ground ball. Also a shortened version of "pick-off."
pickle -- A rundown.
punchout -- A strikeout.
rhubarb -- A fight or scuffle.
ribbie -- Another way of saying RBI. Also "ribeye."
rope -- A hard line drive hit by a batter. Also "frozen rope."
rubber game -- The deciding game of a series.
run-down -- When a baserunner gets caught between bases by the fielders.
Ruthian -- With great power.
seeing-eye single -- A soft ground ball that finds its way between infielders for a base hit.
set-up man -- A relief pitcher who usually enters the game in the 7th or 8th inning.
shoestring catch -- A running catch made just above the fielder's shoetops.
southpaw -- A left-handed pitcher.
sweet spot -- The part of the bat just a few inches from the barrel.
table setter -- Batter whose job is to get on base for other hitters to drive him in. Usually a leadoff or No. 2 hitter.
tape-measure blast -- An extremely long home run.
tater -- A home run.
Texas Leaguer -- A bloop hit that drops between an infielder and outfielder.
tools of ignorance -- Catcher's equipment.
touch 'em all -- Hitting a home run (touching all the bases).
twin killing -- A double play.
Uncle Charlie -- Curve ball.
utility player -- A player who fills in at many positions.
wheelhouse -- A hitter's power zone. Usually a pitch waist-high and over the heart of the plate.
wheels -- A ballplayer's legs.
whiff -- Strikeout.
yakker -- Curve ball.

Prepared by the Publishing Department of Major League Baseball Properties.

Here’s what I can add, some are different definitions of what were already on Net’s list.

I’ve recently alpha sorted the various definitions I’d had strewn about. Please look for this post as new definitions are added, since I intend to continue editing this post without notice, rather than adding new posts to the thread.

“1-2-3”:
top or bottom half of an inning in which three batters make an out in successive order.

“12 to 6”:
A curveball which drops from very high to very low (from 12 o'clock to 6 o'clock position). Same as the bottom falling out.

“AAA or AA”:
a very underperforming MLB team like Tampa Bay or Expos.

“advance(ing) the runner(s)”:
when a hitter tries to get his team's baserunner(s) to a higher base(s), such as with a base hit or with a sacrifice play (see definition below).

“Basement Bertha”:
a last place team, named after the character of the same name, as seen in the NY Daily News.

“beanball”:
headhunt, or a pitch thrown at the head of the hitter.

“blooper or cheap shot”:
a ball not hit properly which barely drops past the IF for a basehit .

“bottom fell/dropped out”:
a description of a pitch which sinks rapidly right before it approaches the batter (“the bottom fell out of that one pretty quickly”).

“Bronx cheer”:
noise made when stuck out tongue flaps between lips (different definition from Net’s list)

“brushback”:
when a pitcher throws inside to prevent the batter from staying too far inside the home plate area (slight variation of same from Net’s definition).

“cleanup”:
the 4th hitter in a lineup, usually a power hitter, since he drives in runners from the top of the lineup.

“crowd(ing) the plate”:
when a hitter stands very close over home plate.

“deal”:
(as said by NYY announcer, John Sterling) -- when a pitcher pitches (“And he deals...”).

“dirtball”:
pitched ball which touches the ground before making contact with catcher’s glove

“give/gave it a ride”:
a ball hit to the warning track, generally in a non-sacrifice situation.

“go(ing) yard”:
home run.

“good morning, good afternoon, good night”:
a 1-2-3 inning.

“grand slam” or “slam”:
a bases-loaded 4-run homerun.

“homer”:
someone who spends more time observing and criticizing another’s team than their own, ignoring their own team’s failures (different definition from Net’s list) .

“jack”:
home run.

“K”:
strikeout.

“laser”:
a line drive hit at a rapid rate of projection.

“leadoff” or “leadoff hitter”:
the first hitter in the lineup, usually someone with a good OBP and who can steal bases well.

“line drive”:
a hard hit ball which is hit at a very straight angle with little or no arch in its carry.

“lock”:
a game that’s believed beforehand to be a no contest.

“longball”:
home run.

“Lord Charles”:
an outstanding, sharp-breaking, just-plain-nasty, and basically unhittable curve ball (per this site).

“lumber”:
a baseball bat or a power hitter.

“Main Street”:
zone for a pitched ball which should be easy to hit hard (as in a fat one down Main St.[/i]” or the same as “meatball[/i]” in Net’s list).

“movement”:
any deviation of a pitch other than its presumed direction, such as one which tails up, down, left or right before it reaches the batter, so as to fool him to swing at that pitch.

“oh for”:
slang, meaning a hitter hasn’t gotten a hit in a game or a series of games (0 for __ at bats).

“painting the corners”:
pitching on the edges of the plate.

“perfect game” or “perfecto”:
a 9-inning ball game in which one pitcher faces 27 batters, none of whom make it to 1B. Instances such as HBP, BB, IBB, balk would all disqualify this from being a perfect game.

“pull”:
when a manager takes the ball, bringing in a(nother) reliever.

“push”:
a game that could go either way.

“rainbow”:
a hit ball, usually a home run, which has a high arch in its path.

“RISP”:
runner(s) in scoring position, or at least one runner on 2B and/or 3B.

“roundtripper”:
a homerun.

“sacrifice”:
usually a fly ball (sac fly) or bunt (sac bunt), done for the express purpose of advancing a runner(s) already on base, but also resulting in the hitter either having their ball caught on a fly (sac fly) or being thrown out at 1B (sac bunt).

If a sac fly, the baserunner(s) must be tagged up on the base that’s legally theirs before advancing to steal the next base (including home base for a 3B runner), or he may not legally attempt to claim the next base.

“snow cone”:
a caught ball which has part of the ball sticking out of the glove so as to resemble an ice cream cone.

“spitball”:
from the ‘80s, an illegally altered baseball, usually a razor, hair grease, sweat.

“table setter”:
leadoff hitter, or the first hitter in the lineup.

“top of the lineup”:
the #1, #2 and #3 hitters.

“Uncle Charlie”:
curveball.

“walk-off (walkoff) home run”:
a game-winning HR, meaning it was done in the bottom of the 9th or later innings. Dennis Eckersley has been credited with inventing the term. After he gave up the HR to Kirk Gibson at the end of Game 1 of the 1988 World Series, in the postgame interview, he spoke about the pain of having to walk off the field after giving up the HR.

[BuzzBuzzard]

Originally posted by Yogi#8Fan
spitball -- from the '80s, an illegally altered baseball, usually a razor, hair grease, sweat

I have never heard of a spitball being anything other than that. I didn't think an altered (razor, sandpaper) qualified.

[NetShrine]

Good additions Yog.

I agree with Buz on the spitball thing.

I would sub "Doctored Ball" meaning that anything could have been done to it.

I've never heard of a dirtball being anything that didn't hit the ground either. I wasn't saying it had another non-baseball meaning, just saying it was a baseball term. I also included Bronx Cheer since baseball fans will do what they wish to do.

Who was that pitcher or pitchers in the mid 80s who was famous for doctoring the balls? I remember the cameras would catch him using hair grease or vaseline to make the ball behave erratically. That time was very crazy since you'd have people bringing tiny bits of sandpaper to scuff up the baseballs.

From Dickson's Baseball Dictionary, I got the following additions (duplicates of both term and definitions have been deleted):

At 'em ball -- A ball hit right at a defensive player.
Bases drunk -- Bases loaded.
Bazooka -- Strong throwing arm. "He's got a bazooka.''
Big show -- The major leagues.
Bush league -- Lesser minor-league teams in small cities or towns.
Catch napping -- To surprise a less than alert runner with the result that he is picked off or suddenly caught between bases.
Circus catch -- A spectacular catch, suggesting the moves of a circus acrobat. (this elaborated slightly more on Net's list)
Crackerjack -- Term used to describe a first-rate or spectacular player or team.
Curtain call -- The practice of a player coming out of the dugout to acknowledge the call of the fans, usually after a home run.
Deuce -- The curveball, usually signaled from a catcher to a pitcher by holding down two fingers.
Dying quail -- A batted ball that drops suddenly and unexpectedly, like a bird that has been shot on the wing.
Fence buster -- A heavy hitter.
Free pass -- Base on balls.
Friendly confines -- Descriptive of many home ballparks, but most often used to describe Wrigley Field.
Glass arm -- A sore throwing or pitching arm.
Goose egg -- A zero on the scoreboard.
Gopher ball -- A pitch destined to be hit for a home run; one that will "go for'' a run.
Guess hitter -- Batter who tries to anticipate or out-guess the pitcher based on the situation at hand.
"Hit 'em where they ain't'' -- Rallying cry for batters through the decades since 1897, when Wee Willie Keeler hit .432. Asked how a man of his size could put together such an average, Keeler responded: "Simple. I keep my eyes clear and I hit 'em where they ain't.''
Hot stove league -- Term for the gab, gossip and debate that takes place during the winter months when baseball is idle.
Iron glove -- Sloppy fielding; prone to errors.
Lollipop -- A soft pitch or weak throw.
Mendoza line -- Figurative boundary in the batting averages between those batters hitting above and below .215, Mario Mendoza's career average. (further elaboration on Net's list)
Picasso -- A control pitcher; one who paints the black.
Platter -- Home plate.
Play by the book -- To play in accord with the conventional wisdom of the game.
Pow wow -- A meeting on the playing field, usually involving several players and a coach who has come on to the field to talk strategy.
Punch-and-Judy -- Said of a hitter who tends to hit well-placed but weakly-hit balls for singles. The first reference was made by former Los Angeles Dodgers manager Walter Alston when asked about a home run by Willie McCovey of the San Francisco Giants. "When he belts a home run, he does it with such authority it seems like an act of God. You can't cry about it. He's not a Punch and Judy belter.''
Rhubarb -- A ruckus with the umpires; confusion; a fight between players. (further elaboration of Net's list)
Right down Broadway -- A pitch that is delivered in the middle of the strike zone. (same as "Main St." on my list)
Room service -- Term describing a pitch or batted ball that comes right to a defensive player.
Shoestring catch -- A catch made by a running fielder just before the ball hits the ground.
Texas Leaguer -- A poorly hit ball that loops meekly over the infield and lands for a hit.
Warning track power -- The ability of a batter with enough strength to hit a ball to the warning track, but not enough to hit a home run.
Whitewash -- To shut out a team.
Worm burner -- Batted ball that moves across the ground hard and fast.

[NetShrine]

Yog - - four big for the new additions to this list! Thanks.

I think you're thinking of Joe Niekro or Rick Honeycutt from the 1980's.

Net, thanks lots. When you hit the search engines, there's no telling what you can find. I just happened to luck out on that one.

I was actually hoping you hadn't named the basket catch, since that was the favorite of the Say Hey Kid. I actually remember his cartoon from the 70s, "Willie Mays and the Say Hey Kid" before I even knew who he was. After this, I remember he finished his career in '73 with the Metsies. He'd retired just before the season ended, since he didn't want to hurt their playoff chances at the end of his illustrious career, and didn't want to put they in a PR predicament. I always loved that long stride and turning around making that basket catch. I think that was his procedure, but he was class all the way.

As far as Joe Niekro, was it himself, his brother Phil or both who were knuckleballers? Joe pitched until he was 43 and Phil until he was 48, with a little help from www.baseball-reference.com. That's a lot of pitching.

[NetShrine]

Originally posted by Yogi#8Fan
I actually remember his cartoon from the 70s, "Willie Mays and the Say Hey Kid" before I even knew who he was.

As far as Joe Niekro, was it himself, his brother Phil or both who were knuckleballers?

I remember the cartoon as well. Think it was Saturday AM on ABC?

Both Niekro's threw a knuckleball. Phil mostly threw it all the time. Joe had more of a mix of pitches.

[hmrsf]

"Annie Oakley-old timers recall this term as another word for walk, which is a free base on balls. American League president Ban Johnson saw Annie Oakley perform as a crack rifel shot in The Wild West Show, and compared the punch holes in complimentry baseball tickets to annie Oakley's bullet holes. Ball players eventually extended the name to cover anything free."

[NetShrine]

Never heard that one. I'm always learnin'.............

[nyy26wc]

Originally posted by Yogi#8Fan
Who was that pitcher or pitchers in the mid 80s who was famous for doctoring the balls? I remember the cameras would catch him using hair grease or vaseline to make the ball behave erratically. That time was very crazy since you'd have people bringing tiny bits of sandpaper to scuff up the baseballs.

The most famous one was Gaylord Perry.

A few good stories/quotes--

Gaylord Perry denied ever putting any foreign substances on the ball, since he said everything he ever put on the ball was made in America.

Don Sutton was pitching against the Yankees when the TV cameras repeatedly caught him scuffing the ball. Steinbrenner saw this and phoned the dugout to yell at Lou Piniella, telling him to bring this to the umpire's attention. Piniella responded by saying that wouldn't do the Yankees any good, since the Angels would then retaliate by exposing that Tommy John was doing the exact same thing in that game.

Joe Niekro was caught with an emery board in his pants pocket.

My favorite--Rick Honeycutt was ejected from a game after the umpires found a thumbtack in his glove. When he was walking back to the dugout, Honeycutt decided to use his glove to try to wipe sweat off his forehead, but forgot about the tack and cut himself.

[NetShrine]

Legend has it that Ellie Howard use to sharpen the buckles on his shin guard straps and slice a grove into the ball before returning it to the mound. There's all kinds of tricks.

Jay Howell got busted for using pinetar in a NLCS game - - to improve the grip on his curve.

Originally posted by NetShrine
I remember the cartoon as well. Think it was Saturday AM on ABC?

Both Niekro's threw a knuckleball. Phil mostly threw it all the time. Joe had more of a mix of pitches.

It was one of those Saturday AM toons when they actually were toons. Afterward, I started seeing the basket catch and lots more. Someone said he'd worn his cap two sizes too small so they'd fall off his head to demonstrate he was hustling down for the base, but that's just what I'd heard.

NYY, funny stories. You mean Tommy John also cheated? I'm just glad you'd never mentioned Gator since that would've made my heart drop a bit.