Glossary of baseball terms

This is an alphabetical list of selected unofficial and specialized terms, phrases, and other jargon used in baseball, along with their definitions, including illustrative examples for many entries.

0–9[edit]

0[edit]

"Oh and ..." See count.

1[edit]

• Official scorekeepers assign a number from 1 to 9 to each position on the field in order to record the outcome of each play in their own shorthand. The number 1 corresponds to the pitcher.
• A shout of "One!" indicates the ball should be thrown to first base.
• A "one-bagger" is a single.
• In the context of pitching, the number 1 is a common sign (and nickname) for the fastball.

1-2-3 inning[edit]

An inning in which a pitcher faces only three batters and none safely reaches a base. "Three up, three down."

1-2-3 double play[edit]

A double 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) to force out the batter. These almost always happen with the #bases loaded.

1-6-3 double play[edit]

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.

2[edit]

• The catcher, in scorekeeping shorthand.
• A shout of "Two!" indicates the ball should be thrown to second base.
• A "two-bagger" is a double.
• In the context of pitching, the number 2 is a common sign (and nickname) for a curveball.

2–2–2 (2 balls, 2 strikes, 2 outs)[edit]

See deuces wild.

20–80 scale[edit]

A number scale used by MLB scouts to assign grades to players, especially prospects. A 20 is the lowest possible grade, 50 is considered major league average, and 80 is the highest possible grade. The scale is used to assign an overall grade to players but also is used to assess specific skill sets such as contact hitting, power hitting, and basepath speed, among others. For pitchers, the scale is used to assess the quality of their specific pitches, such as their fastball or curveball.^[1]

3[edit]

• The first baseman, in scorekeeping shorthand.
• A shout of "Three!" indicates the ball should be thrown to third base.
• A "three-bagger" is a triple.
• In the context of pitching, the number 3 is a common sign (and nickname) for a slider.

3-2-3 double play[edit]

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 the #bases loaded.

3-6 double play[edit]

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.

3-6-1 double play[edit]

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.

3-4-3 double play[edit]

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.

3-6-3 double play[edit]

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.

4[edit]

• The second baseman, in scorekeeping shorthand.
• A shout of "Four!" indicates the ball should be thrown to home plate.
• A "four-bagger" is a home run.
• In the context of pitching, the number 4 is a common sign (and nickname) for a change-up.

4-6-3 double play[edit]

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.

45-foot line[edit]

• The line between home plate and first base that begins 45 feet down the first base line and extends past first base. The rules state that if the batter-runner is in the path of a throw that originates near home plate and is outside the area created by the base line and the 45-foot line, he shall be called out if the umpire believes he interfered with the play. If he remains within the line, he cannot be called out for interference. This rule is designed to allow catchers and pitchers the ability to field bunts and throw the batter-runner out without having to worry about the batter-runner intentionally or unintentionally interfering with the throw.
• This line is also used to decide whether a pickoff move is legal or a balk. If the pitcher steps with his lead foot towards the base he intends to throw to it is considered legal; the 45-foot line determines whether that step is towards the base or towards home plate. This only comes into play when the pickoff move is to the base the pitcher naturally faces, i.e. third for a right-hander or first for a lefty.

4 wide ones[edit]

Four consecutive pitches deliberately wide of the strike zone. Preacher Roe summarized this strategy to Stan Musial as "I throw him four wide ones and try to pick him off at first."^[2]

5[edit]

The third baseman, in scorekeeping shorthand.

5 hole[edit]

• Between a player's legs (the catcher's in particular). From the hockey term for how a puck is advanced past the goalie ("through the five hole").

5.5 hole[edit]

The space between the third baseman (5) and shortstop (6).

Made famous by perennial batting champion Tony Gwynn of the San Diego Padres as his description of where he liked to hit the baseball.^[3]

5-4-3 double play[edit]

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.

5-4-3 triple play[edit]

The third baseman (5) fields a batted ball and steps on third base to force out a runner advancing from second, then 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.

5-tool player[edit]

A position player (non-pitcher) like Willie Mays,^[4] Andre Dawson,^[5] Duke Snider,^[6][7] Vladimir Guerrero^[8] or Ken Griffey Jr.,^[6][9] who excels at:

1. hitting for average
2. hitting for power
3. base running
4. throwing
5. fielding^[6]

6[edit]

The shortstop, in scorekeeping shorthand.

6-4-3 double play[edit]

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.

7[edit]

The leftfielder, in scorekeeping shorthand.

7-2, 8-2, or 9-2 double play[edit]

A fly ball is caught by an outfielder, and a runner tries to tag up and score from third but is tagged out by the catcher.

8[edit]

The centerfielder, in scorekeeping shorthand.

9[edit]

The rightfielder, in scorekeeping shorthand.

9 to 0[edit]

The official score of a forfeited game in Major League Baseball.

12–6[edit]

A type of curveball, the motion of which evokes the hands of a clock.

30-30 club[edit]

Players who hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases in a single season.

40-40 club[edit]

Players who hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in a single season.

55-footer[edit]

A pejorative term for a pitch that bounces short of the 60+1⁄2 feet between the pitching rubber and the plate.

90 feet[edit]

When a runner advances one base, he "moves up 90 feet"—the distance between successive bases. A runner on third base is "90 feet away" from scoring.

A[edit]

A-Ball or Class A[edit]

As of the 2022 season, "Class A" is the lowest grouping of modern affiliated minor league baseball, with sub-categories of "High-A" and "Single-A". "Short-Season A" leagues also existed before 2021. High-A is divided into three leagues: Midwest League, Northwest League, and South Atlantic League. Single-A is also divided into three leagues: California League, Carolina League, and Florida State League.

AA[edit]

• "Double-A" (AA) is the second-highest level of minor league baseball (below AAA), and as of 2022 includes the Eastern League, the Southern League, and the Texas League.
• "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 an independent minor league that became a "Partner League" of Major League Baseball in 2021.

AAA[edit]

"Triple-A" is the highest level of minor league baseball. As of 2022, this level includes the International League and the Pacific Coast League.

AAAA player[edit]

"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 outside North America where play is considered less competitive than in MLB but more competitive than in AAA; this is usually restricted to describing Japan's NPB.^[11][12][13]

aboard[edit]

When a runner is on base. When there are runners safely on base, there are "runners aboard".

ace[edit]

The best starting pitcher on the team, who is usually first on a pitching rotation.

advance a runner[edit]

To move a runner ahead safely to another base, often the conscious strategy of a team that plays small ball. If a batter does make an out, his plate appearance will have been less negative if he still got a runner into scoring position; in certain situations, batters even deliberately sacrifice themselves.

ahead in the count[edit]

• 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.

aim the ball[edit]

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.

airmail[edit]

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 ..."

alabaster blast[edit]

Coined by Pittsburgh Pirates announcer Bob Prince, a Baltimore chop would bounce higher than normal due to the extraordinarily hard dirt at Forbes Field.

alley[edit]

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.

ambush[edit]

Swinging at (and especially hitting) the first pitch.

American League (AL)[edit]

The junior of the two existing Major Leagues.

American League Championship Series (ALCS)[edit]

The season's final best-of-seven playoff series which determines the American League team that will advance to the World Series. The ALCS–like its analog, the NLCS–came into being in 1969. The ALCS winner takes the American League pennant and the title of American League Champion for that season. The winners of the American League Division Series have met in the ALCS since 1995.

American League Division Series (ALDS)[edit]

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.

Annie Oakley[edit]

A free ticket to attendance at a ballgame or to first base (a "free pass" or "base on balls").

appeal play[edit]

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.

Arizona Fall League (AFL)[edit]

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".

arm[edit]

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]).

around the horn[edit]

• The infielders' practice of throwing the ball to each other after recording an out, 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, the first baseman will throw to the shortstop, who throws to the second baseman, who throws to the third baseman, who returns the ball to the pitcher. 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 a strikeout with no baserunners. The catcher 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 as Iván 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 a 5-4-3 double play has occurred, which mimics the pattern of throwing the ball around the horn.

arsonist[edit]

An ineffective relief pitcher. Usually a pitcher who comes into the game with no one on base but proceeds to give up several runs. Opposite of fireman.

ash[edit]

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]

aspirin[edit]

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 an aspirin tablet. May additionally reference batters seeing a pitched ball as relatively smaller than normal, a potential psychological effect on batters who are in a slump.^[17][18]

assist[edit]

The official 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 another fielder, who tags 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 an error.

associate team[edit]

In Negro 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.

asterisk[edit]

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 the asterisk 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 used performance-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 broke Hank 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 when Roger Maris broke Babe 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 film 61*, which was about Maris' quest to break Ruth's record. Baseball Commissioner Ford 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.
• The Houston Astros's 2017 World Series championship, which was later marred by allegations of the Astros using technology to steal signs throughout the 2017 season. Fans of opposing teams, especially the Yankees and Dodgers, frequently employ the use of asterisks when referencing the team's season in 2017, often derisively calling the team the "Houston Asterisks".
• The Los Angeles Dodgers' 2020 World Series championship has been nearly universally lauded as an asterisk championship as the season was only 60 games due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Any real baseball fan knows the Dodgers are still in a World Series drought since 1988.

at 'em ball[edit]

or "atom ball"; slang for a ball batted directly at a defender.

at bat[edit]

• A completed plate appearance by a batter which results in a base hit or a non-sacrifice out. At-bats (or "times at bat") are used for the calculation of a player's batting average and slugging percentage. Note that a plate appearance is not recorded as an "at-bat" if the batter reaches first base as a result of a base on balls, or hit by pitch, nor if he executes a sacrifice bunt or sacrifice 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.

at the letters[edit]

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".

ate him up[edit]

Slang expression of the action of a batted ball that is difficult for a fielder to handle.

ate the ball[edit]

See: eat the ball

attack the strike zone[edit]

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".

automatic double[edit]

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 of ground rule double, which refers to ground rules in effect at each ballpark.

automatic strike[edit]

• A strike is deemed "automatic" when the pitcher grooves a strike–typically on a 3-0 count–with such confidence that the batter takes 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.

away[edit]

• 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.

B[edit]

backdoor breaking ball[edit]

A breaking pitch, usually a slider, curveball, or cut fastball that, due to its lateral motion, passes through a small part of the strike zone on the outside edge of the plate 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 other breaking pitches (it curves down and 'slides' across the zone).

backstop[edit]

• The fence behind homeplate, designed to protect spectators from wild pitches or foul balls.
• Catcher, sometimes "backstopper".

back-to-back[edit]

Consecutive. When two consecutive batters hit home runs, they are said to hit back-to-back homers. Or a pitcher may issue back-to-back walks, and so forth.

backup[edit]

Opposite of "backdoor". Usually a mistake, a pitch that begins inside off of home plate and breaks back over the plate. A pitch that does this is said to have "backed up".

bad-ball hitter[edit]

A batter who excels at hitting pitches that are outside the strike zone. Notable bad ball hitters include Yogi Berra and Vladimir Guerrero.

bad hop[edit]

A ball that bounces in front of an infielder in an unexpected way, often as a result of imperfections in the playing surface or the spin on the ball.

bag[edit]

A base. Also, a two-bagger is a double or two-base hit; a three-bagger is a triple or three-base hit; a four-bagger is a home run.

bail[edit]

• 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.
• A relief pitcher may come into the game with men on base and bail the previous pitcher out of a jam.

While the first two examples are analogues to bailing out of a plane via parachute, the last one is akin to bailing out a boat on the verge of being swamped, or perhaps bailing somebody out of jail.

balk[edit]

A ruling made by an umpire against a pitching motion that violates rules intended to prevent the pitcher from unfairly deceiving a baserunner. When a balk is called, each runner can freely advance one base. In professional baseball, a balk does not instantly result in a dead ball. If a pitch is thrown and all runners advance one base due to a hit, play continues and the balk is ignored. This rarely occurs because when the balk is called the pitcher normally stops his delivery and the umpire declares the ball dead and awards the bases. In non-professional baseball (high school and college), a balk instantly results in a dead ball and the runners are awarded their bases. The rules specify which pitching movements are illegal. Commonly called balks are failure for the pitcher to come to a set position (or coming set multiple times) or failure to step in the direction of the base he is throwing toward. The spirit of a balk is that certain movements mean the pitcher has begun the pitch, so the runner cannot then be picked off. Some balks result from errant or unsuccessful motions, such as when the ball slips out of the pitcher's hand. Far more rare is a catcher's balk, when the catcher moves from behind the area of the plate before the pitcher starts his delivery (applicable only during an intentional walk).

ball[edit]

A pitch that misses the strike zone and is not swung at by the batter. (For the physical object used in the game, see baseball (ball).)

ball in play[edit]

In sabermetrics, "ball in play" and "batting average on balls in play" (BABIP) have specific technical definitions that are used to determine pitchers' ability independently of the fielding defense of a team. In this definition, a home run is not a ball in play. See Defense Independent Pitching Statistics. Also see in play.

Baltimore chop[edit]

A ball hit forcefully into the ground near home plate, producing a bounce high above the head of a fielder.^[19] This gives the batter time to reach first base safely before the ball can be fielded. An important element of Baltimore Orioles coach John McGraw's "inside baseball" strategy, the technique was popularized during Major League Baseball's dead-ball era, during which baseball teams could not rely on the home run.^[20]

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.^[21] Speedy Orioles players like McGraw, Joe Kelley, Steve Brodie, and Willie 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 with artificial turf. The technique still sees use in softball.^[22]

banana stalk[edit]

A bat made with an inferior, low-quality grade of wood.^[23] See also #morning journal

bandbox[edit]

A ballpark with small dimensions that encourages offense, especially home runs. A crackerbox. (see: Baker Bowl and Citizens Bank Ballpark)

bang[edit]

• 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 are banged up are injured, though may continue to play. Example: "Banged up Braves ready for playoff rematch with Astros."
• A bang-up game is an exciting or close game. Example from a sports headline: "A Real Bang-Up Finish."
• A bang bang play is one in which the runner is barely thrown out, a very close call, typically at first base. Perhaps reflecting the "bang" of the ball in the first-baseman's glove followed immediately by the "bang" of the baserunner's foot hitting the bag.
• 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."^[24]

banjo hitter[edit]

A batter who lacks power. A banjo hitter usually hits bloop singles, often just past the infield dirt, and would have a low slugging percentage. The name is said to come from the twanging sound of the bat at contact, like that of a banjo. See also Punch and Judy hitter.

barehand it[edit]

Refers to when a fielder catches a ball with the hand not covered by his glove.

barrel[edit]

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.

barrel up[edit]

In modern baseball, refers to hitting a pitch hard with the sweet spot of the baseball bat.

See sweet spot.

base hit[edit]

See hit.

base knock[edit]

A single. Also see knocks.

Baseball Annie[edit]

• 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".
• Infamous Ruth Ann Steinhagen was the first "Baseball Annie". She became obsessed with Cubs and then Phillies first baseman Eddie Waitkus. She shot him through the chest, nearly killing him in 1949. This story inspired the 1952 novel The Natural.

bases loaded[edit]

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 great scoring opportunity for the batting team, but it also presents an easy double play opportunity for the defense. Causing the bases to become loaded is called loading the bases. A batter is often intentionally 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 a force at home plate.

Since there is no additional room to place the batter, should he be awarded first base from a base on balls or hit by pitch, one run will score due to the third-base player's being forced home. Chronologically, only big leaguers Abner Dalrymple, Nap Lajoie, Mel Ott, Bill Nicholson, Barry Bonds, Josh Hamilton, and Corey Seager hold the distinction of being intentionally walked with the bases loaded.

When a home run is hit with the bases loaded, it is called a grand slam. It scores four runs, which is the most runs that can be scored on a single play.

basement[edit]

Last place, bottom of the standings. Also cellar.

baserunner[edit]

A baserunner (shortened as "runner") is a player on the offensive team (i.e., the team at bat) who has safely reached base.

basket catch[edit]

Catching a fly ball with the glove situated about the waistline, as opposed to the hands being situated above the shoulders.

bat[edit]

• A baseball bat is a smooth contoured round wooden or metal rod used to hit the ball thrown by the pitcher. A bat's diameter is larger at one end (the barrel-end) than at the other (the handle). The bottom end of the handle is the knob. A batter generally tries to strike the ball in the sweet spot near the middle of the barrel-end of the bat, sometimes referred to as the fat part of the bat or the meat end of the bat.
• The player who uses it to strike the ball—a batter, hitter, or batsman—can be said to bat the ball.
• A player known as a good hitter might be said to have a good bat. Headline: "Shortstop mixes golden glove with solid bat."^[25] 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"^[26] 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."^[27]

bat around[edit]

According to The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, a team has "batted around" when each of the nine batters in the team's lineup has made a plate appearance, and the first batter is coming up again during a single inning.^[28] Dictionary.com, however, defines "bat around" as "to have every player in the lineup take a turn at bat during a single inning".^[29] 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.^[30]

bat drop[edit]

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.

bat flip[edit]

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 as Tim Anderson and Jose Bautista have been subject to retaliation by the opposing team when they bat flipped after a home run against them.^[31]

bat the ball[edit]

To hit the ball with the bat – whether into fair territory or foul.

batter[edit]

The player who is at bat and tries to hit the ball with the bat. Also referred to as the "hitter" or "batsman".

batter's eye[edit]

A solid-colored, usually dark area beyond the center field wall that is the visual backdrop for the batter looking out at the pitcher. It allows the batter to see the pitched ball against a dark and uncluttered background, as much for the batter's safety as anything. The use of a batter's background has been standard in baseball (as well as cricket where they are called "sight screens") since at least the late 1800s.

One example of a batter's background is the black area in center field of the first 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.

batter's box[edit]

A rectangle on either side of home plate in which the batter 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.

battery[edit]

The pitcher and catcher considered as a single unit, who may also be called batterymen^[32] or batterymates of one another. The use of this word was first coined by Henry Chadwick in the 1860s in reference to the firepower of a team's pitching staff and inspired by the artillery batteries then in use in the American Civil War.^[33] Later, the term evolved to indicate the combined effectiveness of pitcher and catcher.^[33][34]

battery mates[edit]

A pitcher and catcher from the same team. See "battery".

batting average[edit]

Batting average (BA) is the average number of hits per at-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 reason OBP 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 put Cap 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.

batting practice[edit]

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 given pitcher that the game resembles a batting practice session. Referred to colloquially as well as abbreviated as BP.

battle[edit]

When a hitter works the count, by being patient, perhaps by deliberately fouling off pitches that he can't get good wood on, he's said to be "battling".

bazooka[edit]

A strong throwing arm. A gun, a cannon, a rifle.

BB[edit]

• A line drive hit so hard that a fielder has trouble catching up to it. The reference is to being shot from a BB gun.
• "BB" is scorer's shorthand for a walk, otherwise known as a "base on balls". Walks are recorded under the "BB" column of a box score.

BBCOR[edit]

An initialism for Batted-Ball Coefficient of Restitution, a standard that all non-wooden bats (both metal and composite) must meet in order to be approved for use in most amateur baseball leagues, such as U.S. college baseball.^[35]

bean[edit]

A pitch intentionally thrown to hit the batter if he does not move out of the way, especially when directed at the head (or the "bean" in old-fashioned slang). The word bean can also be used as a verb, as in the following headline: "Piazza says Clemens Purposely Beaned Him."^[36]

beat out[edit]

When a runner gets to first base before the throw, he beats the throw or beats it out. Akin to leg out. "Greene's throw to first base pulls Gonzalez off the bag and Norris Hopper is fast enough to beat it out before Gonzalez can get his foot back on the bag."^[37]

beat the rap[edit]

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 a double 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.

behind in the count[edit]

Opposite of ahead 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."^[38]

belt[edit]

• 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."

bench[edit]

• "The bench" is where the players sit in the dugout when they are not at bat, in the on-deck circle, or in the field.
• "The bench" may also refer to the players 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."

bench jockey[edit]

A player, coach or manager with the talent of annoying and distracting opposition players and umpires from his team's dugout with verbal repartee. Especially useful against those with rabbit ears. 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.^[39]

bender[edit]

A curveball.

big as a grapefruit[edit]

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 the St. Louis Cardinals said he was 'swinging at aspirins'."^[40]

big fly[edit]

A home run.

big inning[edit]

The opposite mentality of small 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.

Big Leagues[edit]

A nickname for Major League Baseball

big swing[edit]

A swing of the bat that produces a home run. "Pinch runner Hernán Pérez came in for Martinez and Perez walked Dirks, setting the stage for Avila's big swing."^[41]

bigs[edit]

The Big Leagues, Major Leagues, "the Show". If you're in the bigs you're a big leaguer, a major leaguer.

bingle[edit]

A single. 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."^[42] (A rare usage nowadays.)

blast[edit]

A home run, normally one that is well hit.

bleachers[edit]

Bleacher seats (in short, bleachers) are uncovered seats that are typically tiered benches or other inexpensive seats located in the outfield or in any area past the main grandstand. The term comes from the assumption that the benches are sun-bleached. "Bleachers" is short for the term originally used, "bleaching boards". Fans in the bleacher seats are sometimes called bleacher bums or bleacher creatures.

bleeder[edit]

A weakly hit ground ball that goes for a base hit. A scratch 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."^[43]

blistered[edit]

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, and Knoblauch raced back, moving smoothly, and made the catch with his arm outstretched."^[44]

block the plate[edit]

A catcher who puts a foot, leg, or whole body between home plate and a runner attempting to score, is said to "block the plate". Blocking the plate is a dangerous tactic, and may be considered obstruction (Official Rules of Baseball, Rule 2.00 (Obstruction)).

bloop curve[edit]

An Eephus pitch (q.v.); a trick pitch thrown like a slow-pitch softball pitch, with a high arcing trajectory and very little velocity (ca. 40-55 mph or less). Specifically, such a pitch thrown ostensibly as a curveball.

blooper[edit]

• A blooper or bloop is a weakly hit fly ball that drops in for a single between an infielder and an outfielder. Also known as a "bloop single", a dying quail, or a duck snort.
• A fielding error. Headline: "Red Sox roll White Sox after Contreras blooper".^[45]
• 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.^[46]

blow[edit]

• To blow a game is to lose it after having the lead. "We had the game in hand and we blew it."
• To blow a pitch ("by" a batter) is to throw one so fast the batter is unable to keep up (with it).
• To blow a save is to lose a lead or the game after coming into the game in a "save situation". This has a technical meaning in baseball statistics.
• A hit, typically a home run: "Ortiz's Blow Seals Win."

blow open[edit]

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 Against Stony Brook."^[47]

blown save[edit]

A blown save (BS) is charged to a relief pitcher who enters a game in a save 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 the Rolaids 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" of closers analogous to win–loss records of starters. "Jones has made 31 out of 34 saves" or "Jones has 31 saves and three blown saves."

blowser[edit]

Rhymes with "closer". A closer who seems to get more blown saves than saves.

blue[edit]

An umpire, referring to the typical dark blue color of the umpire's uniform. Sometimes used derisively in professional baseball, such as when complaining about a ruling, e.g.: "Oh, come on, Blue!"

bomb[edit]

A home run.

boner[edit]

A boner is a mental mistake that changes the course of a game dramatically.

bonus baby[edit]

A young player who received a signing bonus.

bonus baseball[edit]

Extra innings. Most famously used by San Diego Padres (and former Boston Red Sox) announcer Don Orsillo. Also called "bonus cantos" by Yankees announcer Michael Kay.

booted[edit]

Made an error, kicked it – typically referring to a misplay on a ground ball. "Miguel Cabrera hit a ground ball to Alex S. Gonzalez, who booted the ball. Had Gonzalez fielded the ball properly, the Cubs could have ended the half-inning with a double play."^[48]

bottom of the inning[edit]

The second half or "last half" of an inning, during which the home team bats, derived from its position in the line score.

bottom dropped out of it[edit]

Sometimes said of a sinker or drop ball, implying that a pitch suddenly moved downward as if through a trap 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.^[49]

box[edit]

• The vicinity of the pitcher's mound. Baseball announcers will sometimes refer to a batted ball going back through the pitcher's mound area as having gone through the box, or a pitcher being removed from the game will be said to have been knocked out of the box. In the early days of the game, there was no mound; the pitcher was required to release the ball while inside a box drawn on the ground. Even though the mound has replaced the box, this terminology still exists.
• Also, the batter's box, the area within which the batter stands when hitting. The batter must be in the box for the pitcher to pitch.

box score[edit]

Statistical summary of a game. The line score is an abbreviated version of the box score, duplicated from the field scoreboard. Invention of the box score is credited to Henry Chadwick.

BP[edit]

• batting practice.
• Devotees of baseball research also sometimes refer to Baseball Prospectus as BP.

BR[edit]

Bats right; used in describing a player's statistics, for example: John Doe (TR, BR, 6', 172 lbs.)

brand new ball game[edit]

When a team scores run(s) that bring the score up to a tie, it is said to be "a brand new ball game". The phrase was popularized by Hall of Fame Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully.

breaking ball[edit]

Any pitch that markedly deviates from a "straight" or expected path due to a spin used by the pitcher to achieve the desired effect. Some examples are the curveball, the slider and the screwball.

break one off[edit]

To throw a curveball.

break open the game[edit]

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". "The Padres broke the game open with five runs in the fifth, thanks to three errors by the Cubs, who have dropped 12 of 14."^[50]

bring[edit]

To pitch; often used for a fastball: bring the gas, bring the heat, bring it.

broken-bat[edit]

An adjective referring to a play that originates with a batter's breaking his bat upon making contact with the ball.

Bronx Bombers[edit]

A nickname given to the New York Yankees due to their ability to playing in a hitter-friendly ballpark.

bronx cheer[edit]

A sarcastic cheer from the crowd; "raspberries".

browsing[edit]

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.

brushback[edit]

A pitch intentionally thrown close to a batter to intimidate him, i.e., to "brush him back" from the plate. Also a purpose pitch or chin music. Archaic usage: "a blowdown".^[51]

buck and change[edit]

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 also Mendoza line.

bug on the rug[edit]

Phrase coined by Pittsburgh Pirates announcer Bob Prince in the 1970s. A basehit that skittered through the gap, particularly on artificial turf.

Bugs Bunny change-up[edit]

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 to Bugs Bunny, the animated cartoon character, who is depicted employing such a pitch in the cartoon Baseball Bugs. As Trevor 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.'^[52]

bullpen[edit]

• The area used by pitchers and catchers to warm up before taking the mound when play has already begun. This area is usually off to the side along either the left or right base line, or behind an outfield fence. It is almost never in fair territory, presumably due to the risk of interference with live action. A rare exception was at New York's Polo Grounds where the bullpens were in the deep left and right center field quarter-circles of the outfield wall.
• A team's relief pitching corps (so named because the relievers are in the bullpen during games).

There are varying