Battery (baseball)
The following is an alphabetical list of unofficial terms, phrases, and other jargon used in baseball, and explanations of their meanings. See also baseball slang for slang in general usage that originated in baseball.
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- 1-1 (i.e., "one and one"), also, 0-1, 1-0, 1-2, 2-1, 2-2, 3-2
- Instances of the "pitch count," the number of balls and strikes currently totaled for the batter.
A
B
- battery
- The pitcher and catcher.
- beanball
- A pitch intentionally thrown to hit the batter.
- bottom of the inning
- The second half of an inning, during which the home team bats.
- brush-back
- A pitch intentionally thrown close to a batter to intimidate or misdirect. Also chin-music.
C
- Cactus League
- The group of teams that conduct their pre-season exhibition games in Arizona.
- can of corn
- An easily-caught fly ball.
- chase after
- Swinging at a pitch well outside of the strike zone.
- check the runner
- When the pitcher looks in the direction of a runner on base, and thereby causes him to not take as large of a lead as he would otherwise have taken.
- cleanup
- The fourth batter for a team, usually a power hitter. The idea is to get some runners on base for the "cleanup" hitter to drive home.
- closer
- A relief pitcher who is consistently used to get the final outs in games. Closers are often among the most overpowering pitchers.
- 'Cut off'
- Refers either to a cut-off man who shortens the throw or to cut off the ball.
D
- dinger
- Home run. Also homer, round-tripper. See more nicknames in the article home run.
- down the line
- On the field near the foul lines, often used to describe the location of batted balls.
- down the middle
- Over the middle portion of home plate, used to describe the location of pitches.
- drop off the table
- When a pitched ball (e.g., a curveball) breaks extremely sharply.
- dying quail
- A weak fly ball that lands just past the infield, appearing to "die".
E
F
- full count
- A count of 3 balls and 2 strikes, that is, no more balls or strikes can occur without a result.
- fouling off
- Batting a pitch foul with two strikes, in order to keep the at bat going
G
- Grapefruit League
- The group of teams that conduct their pre-season exhibition games in Florida.
H
- high and tight
- High, or above the strike zone, and close to the batter, used to describe the location of pitches.
- hitting for the cycle
- Hit a single, double, triple and home run in the same game, not necessarily in that order.
- hot corner
- The third base fielding position, so called because many batted balls arrive very quickly to the position.
I
- in the hole
- On the infield at a location nearly exactly between fielders, used to describe the location of batted balls.
J
K
- K
- Strikeout. A backwards K is sometimes used to denote a strikeout looking and forwards to indicate a strikeout swinging.
L
- lead off (batting order)
- The player who is first in the batting order for a given team.
- lead off (base running)
- When a base runner steps off of the base in order to reduce the distance to the next base, before a pitch is thrown.
- load the bases
- When base runners are caused to exist on all bases (first, second, and third base).
M
- Mendoza line
- A batting average of .200. Batters hitting below .200 are colloquially said to be below the Mendoza line.
- middle of the inning
- The few minutes that lapse between the top and bottom of an inning when the away team takes field to defend, and the home team prepares to bat. No gameplay occurs during this period. Television and radio broadcasts run commercial breaks during the middle of an inning. See also seventh-inning stretch.
N
O
- outside corner
- Over the edge of home plate away from the batter, used to describe the location of pitches.
P
- payoff pitch
- A pitch made when the pitch count is full, i.e., when three balls and two strikes have been totaled for the batter. The implication is that much effort has gone into reaching this point (this is at least the sixth pitch of the at bat), and the pitch will either pay off for the pitcher (resulting in a strikeout) or the batter (resulting in a hit).
- pitch out
- A pitch that is so far outside that it can't be hit. The catcher catches the pitch standing to allow a quick throw to try picking off a runner.
- position player
- A non-pitcher.
- power hitter
- A powerful batter who hits many home runs and extra base hits, but who also may not have a high batting average, due to an "all or nothing" hitting approach. Also slugger.
Q
R
- rundown
- A play in which a runner is stranded between two bases, and runs back and forth to avoid fielders with the ball. The fielders toss the ball back and forth, to prevent the runner from getting to a base, and eventually close in on him and tag him.
S
- safety squeeze
- A squeeze play in which the runner on third waits for the batter to lay down a successful bunt before breaking for home. Contrast this with the suicide squeeze.
- setup man
- A relief pitcher who is consistently used immediately before the closer.
- seventh-inning stretch
- The period between the top and bottom of the seventh inning, when the fans present traditionally stand up to stretch their legs. In recent years, a sing-along of the song "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" has become part of this tradition, a practice most associated with Chicago broadcaster Harry Caray.
- shoestring catch
- When a fielder, usually an outfielder, catches a ball just before it hits the ground, and remains running while doing so.
- slice foul
- When a fly ball or line drive starts out over fair territory, then curves into foul territory due to aerodynamic force caused by spinning of the ball, imparted by the bat.
- slide
- A slide is when a player drops to the ground when going into a base to avoid a tag.
- sophomore jinx
- The tendency for players to follow a good rookie season with a less-spectacular one. (This term is used outside the realm of baseball as well.) Two of the most notorious examples are Joe Charboneau and Mark Fidrych.
- squeeze play
- A tactic used to attempt to score a runner from third on a bunt. There are two types of squeeze plays: suicide squeeze and safety squeeze.
- suicide squeeze
- A squeeze play in which the runner on third breaks for home on the pitch, so that, if the batter does not lay down a bunt, then the runner is an easy out. Contrast this with the safety squeeze.
T
- Texas Leaguer
- A weakly hit fly ball that drops in for a single between an infielder and an outfielder.
- Tommy John surgery
- A type of elbow surgery for pitchers named after Tommy John, a pitcher and the first professional athlete to successfully undergo the operation.
- top of the inning
- The first half of an inning, during which the visiting team bats.
U
- up the middle
- On the field very close to second base, used to describe the location of batted balls.
V
W
- walkoff home run
- A game-ending home run. The walkoff derives from the fact that the victims of such a hit will often walk off the field, seemingly in disgust or despair.
X
Y
Z
