Post by nyjyrk on Oct 14, 2007 0:16:13 GMT -5
I'm compiling a list of baseball slang terms that I will be putting on the main site. I'm asking for all of your help in compiling a thurough and accurate list. If you have any additions, please post them here, and I'll add them to the list (if appropriate).
Around the Horn - Throwing the ball the long way around the infield, usually after a strikeout with no runners on base. C-3B-2B-SS-1B-P.
At 'em ball -- A ball hit right at a defensive player.
Ball Has Eyes - a softly hit ball that gets through the infield.
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.
Base Knock - a base hit.
Bases drunk -- Bases loaded.
Battery - Pitcher & Catcher together
Bazooka -- Strong throwing arm. "He's got a bazooka."
Big bender- curve ball
Big show -- The major leagues. aka "the Show"
bingo- get a base hit: Come on, get a little Bingo
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.
Chin music -- A beanball or knockdown pitch that passes close to the batter's jaw.
Circus catch -- A spectacular catch, suggesting the moves of a circus acrobat.
Close shave- high and tight pitched ball at a batter
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.
Dinger - home run
Dish - Home plate.
Ducks on the Pond - Runners on base
Duck Snort - A soft linedrive hit over the infielders and in front of the outfielders.
Dying quail -- A batted ball that drops suddenly and unexpectedly, like a bird that has been shot on the wing.
Filthy stuff- Usually used to describe breaking balls either the miss gives up way too early on and catches the strike zone or the fall completely out of the strike zone causing the batter to swing and miss. AKA Nasty
Fence buster -- A heavy hitter.
Fence rattlier- a ball hit off the fence/wall/gate....etc
Free pass -- Base on balls.
Friendly confines -- Descriptive of many home ballparks, but most often used to describe Wrigley Field.
Frozen Rope - A hard hit line drive.
Gapper- a ball hit in the alleys
Gas - a strong fastball
Glass arm -- A sore throwing or pitching arm.
Golden Sombrero -- A batter who strikes out four times in the same game is said to wear the golden sombrero.
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.
Grand Slam - Home run with the bases loaded. Also derives "Grand Salami".
ground skeeter- hard hit ground ball {my dad use to say, "get a little ground skeeter boy."}
Guess hitter -- Batter who tries to anticipate or out-guess the pitcher based on the situation at hand.
Heat or Heater - fastball.
"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.''
Homer - Home run.
Hot Corner - 3rd base
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.
Knee Buckler - a good breaking ball that the batter bends his knees uselessly without a swing because he is completely fooled by the pitch.
Lollipop -- A soft pitch or weak throw.
Lord Charles - A very good curveball. AKA "Sir Charles".
Mendoza line -- Figurative boundary in the batting averages between those batters hitting above and below .215, Mario Mendoza's career average. Some consider it the .200 mark as well.
No No - no hitter
Noodle - a pitcher throwing arm
"Open up a another can of peaches"- bring in another pitcher
Picasso -- A control pitcher; one who paints the black.
Pill- baseball; also a reference to how well the pitcher is pitching, meaning his ball is hard to see.
Platter -- Home plate.
Play by the book -- To play in accord with the conventional wisdom of the game.
pop gun- player with a weak arm
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.
Right down Broadway -- A pitch that is delivered in the middle of the strike zone.
Room service -- Term describing a pitch or batted ball that comes right to a defensive player.
Seed - Hard to hit pitch. "He's throwing seeds."
Shoestring catch -- A catch made by a running fielder just before the ball hits the ground.
Sir Charles - A very good curveball. aka - "Lord Charles".
Soupbone - throwing arm.
Southpaw - A left-handed pitcher. Traditionally, baseball stadiums are built with the pitching mounds facing west and the batter facing east, to prevent the sun from shining in the hitter’s eyes. Thus, a left-hander pitches with his arm facing south.
Snow Cone - A catch made on a line drive or flyball that gets caught in the very top of the glove's webbing so that the top half of the ball is visible resembling a snowcone. aka Ice cream cone.
Texas Leaguer -- A poorly hit ball that loops meekly over the infield and lands for a hit.
Thief- a real good base stealer
Tools of ignorance -- The catcher's paraphernalia: shinguards, chest protector, helmet, mask and glove.
"touch'em all"- homerun call
Twin killing -- Double play.
Uglyfinder- A foul ball hit into the dugout, as if homing in on the bench.
Uncle Charlie - A slow curveball.
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.
Whiff -- For a pitcher to strike out a batter.
Whitewash -- To shut out a team.
Worm burner -- Batted ball that moves across the ground hard and fast.
Around the Horn - Throwing the ball the long way around the infield, usually after a strikeout with no runners on base. C-3B-2B-SS-1B-P.
At 'em ball -- A ball hit right at a defensive player.
Ball Has Eyes - a softly hit ball that gets through the infield.
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.
Base Knock - a base hit.
Bases drunk -- Bases loaded.
Battery - Pitcher & Catcher together
Bazooka -- Strong throwing arm. "He's got a bazooka."
Big bender- curve ball
Big show -- The major leagues. aka "the Show"
bingo- get a base hit: Come on, get a little Bingo
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.
Chin music -- A beanball or knockdown pitch that passes close to the batter's jaw.
Circus catch -- A spectacular catch, suggesting the moves of a circus acrobat.
Close shave- high and tight pitched ball at a batter
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.
Dinger - home run
Dish - Home plate.
Ducks on the Pond - Runners on base
Duck Snort - A soft linedrive hit over the infielders and in front of the outfielders.
Dying quail -- A batted ball that drops suddenly and unexpectedly, like a bird that has been shot on the wing.
Filthy stuff- Usually used to describe breaking balls either the miss gives up way too early on and catches the strike zone or the fall completely out of the strike zone causing the batter to swing and miss. AKA Nasty
Fence buster -- A heavy hitter.
Fence rattlier- a ball hit off the fence/wall/gate....etc
Free pass -- Base on balls.
Friendly confines -- Descriptive of many home ballparks, but most often used to describe Wrigley Field.
Frozen Rope - A hard hit line drive.
Gapper- a ball hit in the alleys
Gas - a strong fastball
Glass arm -- A sore throwing or pitching arm.
Golden Sombrero -- A batter who strikes out four times in the same game is said to wear the golden sombrero.
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.
Grand Slam - Home run with the bases loaded. Also derives "Grand Salami".
ground skeeter- hard hit ground ball {my dad use to say, "get a little ground skeeter boy."}
Guess hitter -- Batter who tries to anticipate or out-guess the pitcher based on the situation at hand.
Heat or Heater - fastball.
"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.''
Homer - Home run.
Hot Corner - 3rd base
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.
Knee Buckler - a good breaking ball that the batter bends his knees uselessly without a swing because he is completely fooled by the pitch.
Lollipop -- A soft pitch or weak throw.
Lord Charles - A very good curveball. AKA "Sir Charles".
Mendoza line -- Figurative boundary in the batting averages between those batters hitting above and below .215, Mario Mendoza's career average. Some consider it the .200 mark as well.
No No - no hitter
Noodle - a pitcher throwing arm
"Open up a another can of peaches"- bring in another pitcher
Picasso -- A control pitcher; one who paints the black.
Pill- baseball; also a reference to how well the pitcher is pitching, meaning his ball is hard to see.
Platter -- Home plate.
Play by the book -- To play in accord with the conventional wisdom of the game.
pop gun- player with a weak arm
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.
Right down Broadway -- A pitch that is delivered in the middle of the strike zone.
Room service -- Term describing a pitch or batted ball that comes right to a defensive player.
Seed - Hard to hit pitch. "He's throwing seeds."
Shoestring catch -- A catch made by a running fielder just before the ball hits the ground.
Sir Charles - A very good curveball. aka - "Lord Charles".
Soupbone - throwing arm.
Southpaw - A left-handed pitcher. Traditionally, baseball stadiums are built with the pitching mounds facing west and the batter facing east, to prevent the sun from shining in the hitter’s eyes. Thus, a left-hander pitches with his arm facing south.
Snow Cone - A catch made on a line drive or flyball that gets caught in the very top of the glove's webbing so that the top half of the ball is visible resembling a snowcone. aka Ice cream cone.
Texas Leaguer -- A poorly hit ball that loops meekly over the infield and lands for a hit.
Thief- a real good base stealer
Tools of ignorance -- The catcher's paraphernalia: shinguards, chest protector, helmet, mask and glove.
"touch'em all"- homerun call
Twin killing -- Double play.
Uglyfinder- A foul ball hit into the dugout, as if homing in on the bench.
Uncle Charlie - A slow curveball.
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.
Whiff -- For a pitcher to strike out a batter.
Whitewash -- To shut out a team.
Worm burner -- Batted ball that moves across the ground hard and fast.