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ACE A team’s best starting pitcher.
ALLEY The section of the outfield between the outfielders. Also called gap.
Around the Horn: The 5-4-3 double play — third to second to first. In the infield the numbers go: Pitcher #1, catcher #2, 1st base #3, 2nd base #4, shortstop #6, 3rd base #5.
ASSIST Help from a fielder in putting an offensive player out. A fielder is credited with an assist when he throws a baserunner or hitter out at a base.
AT BAT The offensive team’s turn to bat the ball and score. Each player takes a turn at bat until three outs are made. Each Batter’s opportunity at the plate is scored as an “at bat” for him
BACKDOOR SLIDER A pitch that appears to be out of the strike zone, but then breaks over the plate.
BACKSTOP Fence or wall behind home plate.
BAG A base.
Balk: An illegal movement by a pitcher. Balks are called for various reasons, typically if a pitcher, with runners on base, begins his motion towards home plate to throw a pitch and then stops before delivering the ball. A balk results in runners moving up one base.
BASE One of four stations to be reached in turn by the runner.
BASEBALL The baseball’s core is made of rubber and cork. Yarn is wound around the rubber and cork centre. Then 2 strips of white cowhide are sewn around the ball. Official baseballs must weigh 5 to 5 1/4 ounces and be 9 to 9 1/4 inches around.
BASE HIT A play in which the batter hits the ball in fair territory and reaches at least first base before being thrown out.
Base On Balls: Also commonly referred to as a “walk”. When a batter receives four pitches that are out of the strike zone, he is awarded first base.
BASE COACH A coach who stands by first or third base. The base coaches instruct the batter and base runners with a series of hand signals.
BASE LINE The white chalk lines that extend from home plate through first and third base to the outfield and up the foul poles, inside which a batted ball is in fair territory and outside of which it is in foul territory.
BASES EMPTY No runner on the bases.
Bases Loaded: Runners occupy first, second and third base.
BAT Instrument used by the hitter while batting. In the ABL bats made of aluminium or wood. The bat must be no longer than 42 inches and no wider then 2 3/4 inches. Players are allowed to cover the first 8 inches of the bat’s handle so they can grip it better.
BATTER An offensive player who takes his position in the batter’s box.
BATTER’S BOX An area marked by white chalk lines on the left and right side of home plate in which a player must stand while batting.
BATTERY Term referring to the pitcher and catcher combination.
Batting Average: The number of at-bats divided by the number of hits. A .300 batting average (ex. 180 hits in 600 at-bats) is a standard goal.
BATTING ORDER The offensive line-up of a team that lists the player will bat. The batting order is given to the umpire before each game.
Beanball: A pitch that is intentionally thrown at the batter, generally when the batter is “crowding the plate.” A power play by the pitcher.
BOX SCORE The progression of the game as written in a series of boxes indicating hits, runs, errors and player substitutions of each inning played.
BREAKING BALL An off-speed pitch that curves.
BRONX CHEER When the crowd boos.
BRUSHBACK A pitch that nearly hits the batter.
BULLPEN Area designated for pitchers to warm-up. Generally consists of two mounds and two home plates.
BUNT Short hit that is executed by letting the ball hit the bat (not swinging). Used to surprise the fielders or to advance a runner.
CALLED GAME A game suspended or ended by the umpire.
CAN OF CORN An easy catch by the fielder.
CAUGHT LOOKING When a batter is called out on strikes.
CATCHER Player positioned behind home plate and responsible for receiving the pitch from the pitcher.
CATCHER’S BOX Area behind home plate in which the catcher must stand until the pitcher delivers the ball.
CELLAR A team in last place.
CHANGE UP A slow-pitch thrown with the exact arm action as a fastball, designed to disrupt the timing of the hitter.
CHECKED SWING A partial swing. If the swing has gone more than halfway around, the umpire can rule it a full swing, or strike.
CHEESE A good fastball.
CHIN MUSIC A pitch that is high and inside.
CHOKE-UP Gripping the bat up on the handle away from the knob of the bat.
CIRCUS CATCH An outstanding catch by a fielder.
Clean-up hitter: The fourth player in the batting order.
CLOSER Relief pitcher who specialises in pitching the last few outs of a game. General used to hold a lead in the late innings of a game.
COMPLETE GAME Statistical credit to a starting pitcher for pitching the entire game.
Control Pitcher: Phrase used to describe a pitcher who records less base on balls than most other pitchers.
COUNT The number of called balls and strikes on a hitter.
CURVE Pitch that moves down, across, or down and across, depending upon the rotation of the ball.
CUTTER (CUT FASTBALL) A fastball with a late break on it.
CYCLE Whsn a batter hits a single, double, triple and homerun in the same game.
DESIGNATED HITTER Player who bats in the pitcher’s spot in the line-up. The DH does not have a fielding position.
DIAMOND The infield playing surface.
DINGER A homerun.
DONUT Circular shaped weight that slides over the bat. The weight is used when a player is loosening up in the one deck circle.
DOUBLE A hit that enables a batter to reach second base.
DOUBLEHEADER Two games played back to back by the same teams.
Double Play: A play in which two outs are recorded.
DUGOUT Enclosed seating facility reserved for players, substitutes, coaches and other uniformed team members.
Earned run: A run scored without the benefit of an error.
Earned Run Average: The number of earned runs (runs scored without the benefit of an error) that pitcher allows, multiplied by nine (the number of innings in a regulation game) and divided by the actual number of innings pitched. Ex. Pitcher allows 5 earned runs in 6 innings. ERA = 5 X 9 = 45 / 6 = 7.50 ERA.
ERROR Defensive mistake that allows a batter to stay at the plate or reach first base, or that advances a base runner.
FAST BALL A straight pitch thrown by the pitcher as hard as possible.
FAIR TERRITORY Part of the playing field within, and including the first base and third base lines, from home base to the bottom of the playing field fence and perpendicular upwards. All foul lines are in the fair territory.
Fielder’s Choice: A scoring decision where a batter reaches base safely but an out is recorded at another base. The at-bat is recorded as hitless.
FIREMAN A team’s closer.
FLY BALL Batted ball that goes high in the air in flights.
FORCE OUT An out created when a runner is forced to advance because there is another runner behind them, although they will be thrown or tagged out. The defensive player needs only to touch the base being approached by the runner with the ball in hand to record the out.
FORKBALL A pitch thrown by placing the ball between the first two fingers, usually resulting in a sinking ball.
FOUL BALL A ball that lands outside the first or third base foul lines.
FOUL LINE Lines extending from home plate through 1st and 3rd base to the outfield fence and perpendicularly upwards. These lines are considered in play.
FOUL TERRITORY Part of the playing field outside the first and third base lines extended to the fence and perpendicularly upwards.
Full Count: When a batter has three balls and two strikes against him.
FUNGO A ball hit to a fielder during practice.
FUNGO BAT Bat used to hit fungo. Usually longer and thinner than a regular back.
GAP The section of the outfield between the outfielders. Also called alley.
GOPHER A ball hit for a homerun.
Grand Slam: A home run hit with the bases loaded.
GREEN LIGHT Signal from the coach to hit the next good pitch, or a signal to a base runner that gives the runner the authority to decide when to attempt a steal.
GROUNDER A ground ball.
GROUND BALL A ball hit in the infield by the batter that bounces in the infield.
Ground-rule double: A ball hit in fair territory that bounces out of the field play. Play is stopped and the batter is given second base. Any runners on base at the time ball was hit are advanced two bases.
HEAT (HEATER) A good fastball.
HIT A play in which the batter safely reaches a base after hitting the ball, without aid from a fielding error or fielder’s choice.
HIT AND RUN Play-action situation in which the batter must swing at the pitch while the base runner attempts to steal the base.
HOME PLATE The fourth station to be reached by the runner. The offensive team is credited with one run every time a player safely crosses this base. A pitched ball must cross the plate when thrown by the pitchers to be credited as a strike on the batter.
HOME RUN A ball hit out of the playing field in fair territory. A home run scores the batter and any base runners.
HOT CORNER Third base.
Infield Fly Rule: With runners on first and second base, or the bases loaded and zero or one out, a ball hit in the air that does not go past the infield (or fifteen feet into the outfield). The batter is automatically declared out, thus preventing the fielders from purposely dropping the fly ball in an attempt to force out runners.
INFIELD Area 90’ square with the corners being the four bases.
INFIELDER Fielder who occupies a position in the infield. Most commonly refers to the first baseman, second baseman, third baseman, and shortstop.
INFIELDER Fielder who occupies a position in the infield. Most commonly refers to the first baseman, second baseman, third baseman, and shortstop.
INNING A period of play. There are 9 innings in a regulation game, each team bats in an inning until they record 3 outs. The visiting team always bats in the top half (beginning) of an inning. If the home team has a higher total after their opponents bat in the top half of the last schedule inning, the bottom half of the inning is not played and the score is final. A tie at the end of regulation play forces extra innings. The game continues until an inning is complete and the visitors have a higher score, or until the home team breaks the tie (then) they don’t complete the 3 outs.
INTENTIONAL WALK Four balls thrown on purpose to a batter advancing the hitter to first base. Generally, executed when 1st base is empty to set-up a force play.
In The Hole: The player who takes a turn at-bat second after the current batter.
KNUCKLE BALL A pitch thrown by gripping one of the seams on a ball with fingernails and/or knuckles of the forefinger and middle finger with the thumb another fingers underneath the ball. The ball is pushed out of the hand by the two fingers to keep the ball from rotating, causing the ball to move in an unpredictable manner.
LEFT ON BASE Runners stranded on base after three outs.
LINE DRIVE A ball hit in the air at a low projectory directly to a fielder or through the infield.
LINE-UP A team’s batting order and fielding positions
MENDOZA LINE A batting average of around .200. Named after Pirate shortstop Mario Mendoza.
MOUND Hill the pitcher stands on while pitching.
NO HITTER A game in which a pitcher does not allow the opposing team to reach a base via a safe hit.
On Deck: The player who takes a turn at-bat after the current batter.
On His Horse: Phrase commonly used to describe an outfielder running after a fly ball.
OUT IN ORDER Retiring the first 3 batters in an inning.
OUTFIELD Area between the back edge of the infield and home run fence.
OUTFIELDER A fielder who occupies a position in the outfield, which is the playing field most distance from home base.
Passed ball: A pitch that is not wild which is missed or dropped by the catcher allowing the runner to advance.
Perfect Game: A game where a pitcher allows no batter to reach base safely. There have been only fifteen perfect games pitched in the major leagues since 1900.
PICK OFF An attempt by the pitcher to get a base runner out by throwing to the base from the stretch position.
PINCH HITTER A hitter who substitutes in the line-up for a starting player. The original batter can’t return to the game, so the pinch hitter or a third person takes over the defensive position as well.
PINCH RUNNER A player entering the game to run for someone already on base.
PITCHOUT When a pitch is thrown wide of the strike zone on purpose. A catcher will signal for a pitchout if they think that a runner is trying to steal.
PITCHING ROTATION The order in which the starting pitchers take turns starting games, usually with three or four days rest between starts.
Plate Appearance: The aggregate of a player’s at-bats, walks, sacrifice hits (bunts and flies) and hit by pitches.
PULL HITTER A batter that generally hits to the same side of the field that he bats. (eg, righthanded pull hitter hits to the left side of the field).
PUTOUT In scoring, a fielder is credited with a putout if he receives the ball to put out a baserunner or a hitter.
RELIEF PITCHER The pitcher replacing the starting pitcher. The relief pitcher can win, lose, save, or not be involved in the game’s final score.
RUBBER A the pitching plate on the mound. The pitcher must have one foot connected to the plate while pitching to the batter. The rubber is located 60’ 6″ (19.5 meters) from home plate.
RUN Score obtained when a base runner safely crosses home plate.
RUN DOWN A played used by fielders to tag out a runner caught between bases.
RUN BATTER IN (RBI) Statistics which shows how often a player has made it possible for his/her team mates to score while at bat. A player who has 30 RBI’s has caused 30 runs to be score. A batter is not credited with an RBI if he hits into a double play or if the run is scored because of an error.
RUNNER An offensive player who is advancing toward, touching, or returning to any base.
Sacrifice Bunt: A bunt intended to advance runners at the expense of the batter being put out. The hitless plate appearance is not counted towards a player’s batting average.
SACRIFICE FLY Fly ball out that scores a runner from third base.
SAFE Declaration by the umpire that a runner is entitled to the bases for which he was trying.
Save: A statistical notation given to a pitcher who effectively maintains his team’s lead and finishes a game. A save is awarded when a pitcher; a) Works three innings or more in relief, maintains a lead and finishes the game; b) Enters the game with a lead of three runs or less and maintains the lead and finishes the game.
SCORING POSITION Runner on second or third base.
SHORTSTOP Defensive player positioned between second and third bases.
SHUT OUT A game in which one team doesn’t score any runs.
SIGNS 1. Player signals given from the third base coach to the hitter and runner. 2. Hand signals given by the catcher to the pitcher suggesting the type of pitch to be thrown.
SINKER A fast pitch that breaks downward as it reaches.
SLIDER A pitcher that appears to the batter as a fastball until it reaches the plate, then breaks sharply on a level plane. The ball is held similarly to the curveball, but the wrist is kept straight, like a fastball, and broken downward.
Snowcone: Common term for when a fielder catches a ball, and a portion of the ball protrudes the end of the glove, appearing like a snowcone.
Southpaw: A left-handed pitcher.
SPIT BALL Illegal pitch which a foreign substance (most commonly spit or grease) is applied to the ball causing it to react in an unpredictable manner.
Squeeze Play: A bunt with a runner on third base designed to advance the runner home. The runner on third waits to ensure that the batter has successfully laid down the bunt before advancing towards home.
STARTER The pitcher who beings the game and pitches until he wins the game or is replaced by a relief pitcher.
STEAL Attempting to advance a base between pitches without the batter hitting the ball or getting a base on balls.
STOLEN BASE Successfully advancing a base between pitches without the batter hitting the ball or getting a base on balls.
STRIKE A strike is called if a batter swings at a pitch and misses, or if the pitch simply passes through the strike zone. The first 2 foul balls that are not caught count as first and second strike. A foul ball that is not caught can never be counted as a third strike.
Strike Out: When a batter swings and misses three pitchers, receives three pitches within the strike zone without swinging, or a combination of the two. The batter is declared out. Foul balls are counted as strikes, except for the third strike, which either must be a swing-and-a-miss or looking.
STRIKE ZONE The area over home plate between the batter’s armpits and knees when the batter is positioned to swing. Any pitch that is delivered through this area is called a strike.
Suicide Squeeze: A hit-&-run bunt with a runner on third base. The runner breaks for home as the pitch is delivered and the batter attempts to lay down a bunt.
SWITCH-HITTER Player who is able to bat left-handed or right-handed. A switch-hitter will bat from the opposite side in which the pitchers throws.
TAG 1. An action runners must perform before they can advance on a fly ball. Runners must touch the base they occupy after the ball is caught before they can try to advance. Runners can leave their base before a ball it hit, but must return and touch the base if the ball is caught. 2. An action executed when a defensive player touches a runner with the ball in an attempt to get them out.
TATER A homerun.
TEXAS LEAGUER A bloop hit that drops between the infielder and outfielder.
TRIPLE A hit enabling the batter to safely reach third base.
TRIPLE PLAY A defensive play that records 3 outs.
TWO BASE HIT A hit enabling the batter to safely reach second base. Also called a double.
UNCLE CHARLIE A curve ball
Utility Man: A player who can play multiple defensive positions.
WALK An award given to the batter after the pitcher delivers 4 balls. If a hitter receives 4 balls during an at bat, they automatically advance to first base. Any forced base runners also advance. Also called base on balls.
WHEELHOUSE A hitters power zone.
WHIFF A strike out.
Wild Pitch: A pitch that eludes the catcher and allows base runners to advance. A scoring decision of a wild pitch puts responsibility for the action on the pitcher.
Workhorse: Phrase used to describe a pitcher who can pitch a lot of innings.
World Series: The championship series matching the winners of the American League and the National League. The series is preceded by Divisional and League Championship series in each league. The World Series is a best-of-seven affair that takes place in October and has been held annually since 1903 (except in 1904 and 1994).
YAKKER A curve ball.
Last 5 posts in Spring Training
- Approaching the Plate - November 19th, 2008
- Baseball Tips for Pitchers - Pitching Easy - November 18th, 2008
- Mechanics of a Fast Ball - August 4th, 2008
- Baseball By the Numbers - How To - June 30th, 2008
- Video: How to Pitch From the Wind-up - June 28th, 2008
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Baseball Glossary of Terms
June 29th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
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