Common Baseball Terminologies

• Back to the bushes – being sent down to lower league (i.e. majors to minors AAA)
• Slash line – a quick view of batter’s statistics (i.e. batting averge/slugging/onbase percentage
• Aboard – a runner reaching a base
• Ace – the best starting pitcher on a team
• ASA – Amateur Softball Association, which currently serves as the National governing body of softball
• Appeal – a claim by the team in the field to an umpire that a violation of the rules has taken place
• Assist – when a fielder throws the ball to another fielder who makes an out
• At Bat – when a hitter appears to face a pitcher
• Backstop – a barrier behind home plate to stop the ball if the catcher misses it
• Balk – if the pitcher doesn’t pitch after starting his pitching motion

This results in runners being awarded an extra base

• Ball – a pitch outside of the strike zone that the hitter doesn’t swing at
• Ball Park – a baseball field
• Base – the square bags located at each corner of the infield
• Base Coaches – the coaches located by first and third bases when their team is hitting
• Base Hit – a hit which allows the batter to reach first, second, or third base
• Baseman – the fielders assigned to defend bases at first, second, and third
• Base on Balls – if the pitcher throws four balls before recording an out or three strikes, the hitter is awarded a free “walk” to first base
• Base Paths – the areas between the bases are marked out with dirt

A runner cannot run outside the base paths to avoid a tag

• Bases Loaded – when runners are on first, second, and third bases
• Batting Around – an inning in which all nine hitters in the lineup appear at the plate without three outs being recorded
• Batter – the member of the hitting team currently at the plate
• Batter’s Box – the two boxes on either side of home plate

The batter has to stand in one when they try to hit the baseball

ning when the home team is batting

• Breaking Ball – a pitch that move into, away from, or suddenly drops as it reaches the hitter (i.e. curveball)
• Breaking Up A Double Play – a runner who slides hard into second (or third base) and, in doing so, ruins the chance of their teammate being called out at a different base
• Broken Bat – a bat which shatters when the ball is hit

Broken bats are bad; new bats are good

• Brush Back Pitch – a pitch thrown “inside” to a hitter, because the hitter is close to the plate
• Bullpen – the area where relief pitchers wait and prepare to enter the game
• Bunt – an attempt to move runners and/or get on base by using the bat to drop the ball away from fielders in the infield
• Called Game – a game ended via umpire decision (ex

because of rain)

• Called Strike – a strike to the batter called by the umpire; opposite of a Swinging Strike
• Caught Looking – a third strike where the hitter doesn’t even swing
• Change Up – a type of pitch that is thrown with the same action as a fastball, but considerably slower
• Center field – the middle area of the outfield beyond second base
• Check Swing – a hitter’s attempt to start a swing and then stop it before it crosses a certain point where it can be called a swinging strike
• Chopper – a ball hit hard into the ground
• Clean-Up – the fourth batter in the lineup

Named this because their job is to ‘clean up’ the bases and drive in all runners on base

• Climbing the Ladder – a pitcher throwing successive fast balls higher and higher in the strike zone
• Closer – the relief pitcher responsible for collecting the final few outs in a game
• Coaches – ranging from bench to pitching, this is the staff that helps the manager make key decisions and help players improve
• Corked Bat – a bat which has been hollowed out and filled with cork in order to make the bat hit homeruns easier

Illegal in all leagues

• Count – the number of balls and strikes against a hitter in an at-bat
• Curveball – an off-speed breaking ball pitch that sharply drops at the plate
• Cut Off Man – an infielder who takes the outfielder’s throw and relays it to the appropriate base
• Dead Ball – a temproary break in play, usually indicated by the umpire
• Delivery – the steps a pitcher takes to throw to a hitter
• Designated Hitter – a hitter who does not play a defensive position, but hits for the pitcher in certain Leagues
• Diamond – the name for the infield, since it’s marked by four bases in the shape of an actual diamond
• Dinger – a home run
• Disabled List (DL) – when a player is unable to play due to injury, they are placed on this list

Once a player is placed on this list, they cannot return for a certain number of days

• Doctoring the Ball – when a pitcher places illegal substances on a ball in order to make it move more
• Double Header – when two games are played on the same day
• Double Steal – when two runners attempt to steal bases at the same time
• Double – a base hit where the hitter ends up on second base
• Double Play (DP) – a fielding play where two players on offense are out
• Down the Pipe – a pitch thrown in the middle of the strike zone
• Drive In a Run – a hit by a batter that brings in a run
• Dugout – the area where players, the manager, and coaches are when they’re not in the field
• Earned Run – a run given up by a pitcher that was not the result of a defensive error
• Earned Run Average (ERA) – the number of earned runs allowed by a pitcher averaged over nine innings
• Error – a fielding mistake officially charged against the fielder who made the mistake
• Extra Innings – when a score is tied after the completion of nine innings, then the innings it takes to break the tie and determine the winner are extra
• Fair – a ball hit by the batter that stays inside the foul lines
• Fastball – a hard thrown pitch
• Fighting Off a Pitch – when a batter purposefully hits a pitch foul to keep their at-bat alive
• Fielder – a player on defense
• Fielder’s Choice – when the fielder allows the hitter to reach first base, in order to record an out at another base
• Fielding Average – a statistic used to demonstrate a fielder’s efficiency
• Fly Ball – a ball hit into the air
• Force Out – an out where the runner is put out because they needed to run to a specific base
• Fork Ball – a split finger fastball pitch

Usually thrown with no wrist motion and drops at the hitter’s feet

• Foul – a ball hit outside of the fair territory
• Foul Lines – the lines that extend from homeplate, down the first base line and third base line, and all the way to the outfield wall
• Foul Poles – the vertical poles that show where the foul lines meet the outfield wall
• Foul Tip – a pitch that tips the bat and lands in the catcher’s mitt

This counts as a strike

• Full Count – when the batter’s count is three balls and two strikes
• Fungo – long, skinny bats used by coaches for practice drills and pre-game defensive warm-ups
• Gapper – a ball hit between outfielders and rolls all the way to the wall
• Glove – the glove fielders wear on their non-throwing hand to catch and field the baseball
• Going Around – an umpire’s ruling that a batter did not check their swing and a strike should be called
• Gopher Ball – a bad pitch that results in a homerun
• Grand Slam – a homerun that is hit with the bases loaded
• Ground Ball / Grounder – a ball hit on the ground rather than in the air
• Ground Out – a recorded out that doesn’t leave the infield when the the ball has struck the ground at some point
• Ground Rule Double – When the ball lands fair and bounces out of play, the hitter is automatically awarded second base or not allowed to pass second base
• Gunned Down – a runner thrown out at a base

Usually happens when a runner attempts to steal a base

• Heater / High Heat – a fastball
• Hill – the pitcher’s mound; the area where a pitcher throws
• Hit and Run – a play where the runner starts to run to the next base while the hitter swings at the pitch no matter what
• Hitting For Average – a hitter who records a lot of hits
• Hitting For Power – a hitter who records more extra base hits and homeruns
• Hitting For the Cycle – a batter that collects a single, a double, a triple, and a homerun in the same game
• Hold – when a relief pitcher inherits the lead and keeps the lead when they leave the game
• Holding the Runner – when an infielder stands close to a base to prevent a runner from taking too big of a lead away from the base
• Home Plate – the base located in front of the catcher that a runner must touch in order for a run to count
• Home Plate Umpire – the umpire behind the catcher who calls balls and strikes
• Homerun – a hit over the outfield wall or a hit that allows the hitter to reach home plate

Also called a homer

• Home Stand – a series of consecutive games played at a home ballpark
• Hop – the bounce of the ball
• Hanging Pitch – a pitch intended to have movement, but doesn’t

Thus, making it easier for the hitter to hit

• In the Hole – often difficult to field, the area a shortstop defends
• ISA – Independent Softball Association
• Infield – the area of the field inside the bases and base paths
• Infield Fly Rule – the rule that prevents the fielding side from purposefully dropping an easy catch when there are runners on base (Good Explanation video – https://www.mlb.com/news/the-infield-fly-rule-a-history-and-explanation )
• Infielder – a defensive player who fields in an around the infield

First base, second base, shortstop, and third base are considered infielders

• Innings – Games are divided into innings; nine to be exact

A single inning is when both teams have batted

• Inning Ending Play – any play which results in the third out, thus ending the inning
• Inside – a pitch thrown on the same side of the plate as the hitter
• Inside-the-Park Homerun – a hit where the batter reaches homeplate without the ball going over the outfield wall
• Intentional Walk – a base on balls when the pitcher purposefully pitches four balls outside for strategic purposes
• Janitor Throws
• Juiced – a baseball that has been doctored to give the hitter an advantage

Also, a player that has used steroids

• Junking a Game – a game a team has stopped trying to win in an effort to converse assets/players for the next game
• K – a strike out
• Knuckleball / Knuckler – a pitch thrown with no spin that wobbles as it approaches the hitter; usually very slow
• Late Movement – a pitch that deviates away or toward the hitter as it reaches the plate
• Lead Off Batter – the very first batter in an inning

Also refers to the batter at the top of a lineup

• Left field – the side of the outfield behind shortstop toward third base
• Left On Base – a runner(s) still on base when the third out of an inning is recorded
• Line Drive – a batted ball hit low and fast in the air
• Lineup – the batting order
• Lit Up – when a pitcher is giving up a lot of runs and, seemingly, cannot record an out
• Long Ball – a homerun
• Long Relief – a pitcher who enters a game early because the starting pitcher was ineffective
• Major Leagues / Majors – The professional teams and players that make up Major League Baseball rosters
• Manager – the coach in charge of the daily duties and in-game decisions of their team
• Middle Relief – a relief pitcher who follows the starting pitcher and pitches in the middle innings of a game
• Minor Leagues / Minors – the teams and players that make up Major League team farm systems; lower ranked
• Mitt – a more heavily padded glove that has four fingers combined into one unit; used primarily by catchers and first basemen
• Night Cap – the second game of a doubleheader
• No Hitter – a game where the pitcher or a team does not allow a single base hit
• Nubber – an accidentally hit baseball that doesn’t travel far
• Off the Fists – a pitch that hits high up on the bat near the hitter’s hands
• Off the Hook – when a pitcher expects a loss, but whose team scores enough runs to tie the game or take the lead

Thus, allowing the pitcher to not take a loss

• Official Scorer – a statistician who records, determines, and decides the scoring and numbers (including errors) of each game
• On Base Percentage – a hitter’s walks and hits divided by their plate appearances
• On Deck – the hitter who follows the batter currently at the plate

Usually seen in the “On Deck Circle”

• One Hopper – a baseball that bounces a single time before being fielded
• Open Base – a base with no runner on it
• Out – when a player on offense is removed from play due to being tagged, forced, struck, or thrown out
• Outfield Wall / Outfield Fence – the wall or fence beyond the outfielders that marks the outer boundary of the field
• Outfielder – a fielder who patrols the outfield; usually three outfielders
• Outside – a pitch thrown away from the side of the hitter
• Painting the Corners – a pitcher that locates their pitches at the edge of the strike zone
• Passed Ball – a pitch not caught by the catcher
• Pen – a name for the bullpen; where the relief pitchers are during the game
• Pennant – the winner of Major League Baseball’s League Championship Series
• Perfect Game – a game where the pitcher or team does not allow a single hit or single runner on base the whole game
• Pick Off – when a pitcher or catcher catch a runner trying to lead off of a base and tag them out before a base hit or the runner steals a base
• Pinch Hitter – a hitter who substitutes for another batter during the game
• Pinch Runner – a runner who substitutes for another batter during the game
• Pitch – the throw made by a pitcher to the hitter
• Pitcher’s Mound – the mound in the center of the infield where a pitcher pitches to batters
• Pitcher’s Plate – the plate in the middle of the pitcher’s mound that a pitcher is required to be in contact with while they pitch to hitters
• Pitchout – a pitch purposefully thrown away from the plate so the hitter can’t hit it that allows the catcher a better chance of throwing out a runner
• Plate – the base at home that a catcher defends and a pitch must throw over
• Play at the Plate – a throw to homeplate that will arrive roughly around the same time as a runner trying to score
• Play Ball – the call made by the homeplate umpire to start play
• Pop Up / Pop Fly – a fly ball; usually in the infield
• Power Alleys – the spaces between the outfielders

Hitters attempt to hit in those areas for extra base hits

• Power Pitcher – a pitcher who throws a lot of fastballs
• Put Out – when a fielder records an out
• Rain Delay – when rain causes the game to be temporarily postponed
• Rain Out – when rain causes the game to be cancelled
• RBI (Runs Batted In) – when a hitter does something to allow a teammate to score a run, the hitter is credited with an RBI
• Reliever – any pitcher that enters the game after the starting pitcher
• Retire the Side – recording three outs to end an inning
• Retire in Order – when three outs are recorded consecutively in an inning
• Right field – the side of the outfield behind the second baseman
• Road Trip – a series of consecutive games played away from your home ballpark
• Rookie – a player in their very first season
• Rubber – the pitcher’s plate
• Rubber Match – the deciding game of a three game series if the first two games have been split
• Rundown – when a runner is caught between bases and is being chased down by fielders to make a tag
• Runners on the Corners – when baserunners are at first base and third base
• Sacrifice – when a hitter bunts or purposefully records an out in order to advance a teammate to the next base
• Sacrifice Fly – when a hitter hits a fly ball (usually to the outfield) that allows their teammate at third base to score a run
• Safe – when a runner reaches base without being tagged
• Save – when the final pitcher of a game inherits a close lead and finishes the game without the other team tying the game or taking the lead
• Scoring Position – when a base runner is on second or third base

Usually a base hit or sacrifice fly can score the runner

• Screwball – like a curveball, except the pitch moves toward the hitter
• Setup Man – a pitcher who comes in to pitch before the closer
• Seventh Inning Stretch – between the top and bottom halves of the seventh inning, the ceremony where all fans are invited to stand up and stretch
• Show / The Show – Major League Baseball
• Shutout – when a pitcher or team do not allow the other team to score any runs
• Single – a base hit which allows the hitter to reach first base
• Slide – an attempt to get on base where the runner goes in feet first or head first; usually attempted when stealing a base
• Slider – a pitch that drops away from the hitter while simultaneously moving away from the hitter
• Slugger – a hitter who collects a lot of extra base hits and/or homeruns
• Slugging Percentage – a statistic that measures a batter’s effectiveness at hitting for power
• Slump – when a batter struggles to hit over consecutive games
• Solo – a homerun hit with no one on base
• Southpaw – a left handed pitcher
• Split Fingered Fastball – a pitch that looks like a fastball, but slowly dips when it reaches the batter
• Squeeze Play – when a hitter bunts and the runner at third attempts to score the run
• SSUSA – Senior Softball USA
• Steal – when a runner attempts to move from one base to the next without the hitter hitting the baseball
• Stopper – a starting pitcher tabbed with ending a team’s losing streak
• Stretch – the pitcher’s set position for delivering the pitch to homeplate
• Strike – a pitch the umpire decides is in the strike zone or the hitter swings at and misses
• Strike Zone – the area an umpire uses to call balls and strikes

Varies between umpires, but usually above the hitter’s knees and below the mid-point of a hitter’s waist and shoulders

And, of course, over homeplate

• Strike Out – when a pitcher records an out with three strikes to a hitter
• Striking Out the Side – an inning where the pitcher strikes out all three batters faced
• Swinging Bunt – a hit where, despite taking a full swing, the batter only hits it a few feet; essentially, having the same effect as a bunt
• Swinging Strike – a strike where the hitter swings and misses
• Tag – when an out is recorded via a fielder catching the runner and placing their hand or glove with ball on the runner
• Tagging Up – when a runner waits for a fly ball to legally be caught before taking off
• Taking a Lead – when a runner inches away from a base to make a stolen base attempt easier
• Taking a Pitch – when a hitter doesn’t swing at a pitch hoping the umpire will call it a ball
• Thrown Away – a relay throw from a fielder which misses its target
• Top Half of the Inning – the half inning when the visiting team hits
• Triple – a base hit where the batter reaches third base
• Unearned Run – a run that only scores because of an error; a run that is not the pitcher’s fault
• Walk – when a hitter goes to first base, because “base on balls”
• Walk Off – when the home team scores the winning run in the last inning
• Warning Track – the track in front of the outfield wall that allows outfielders to know when the wall is close
• Whiff – when a hitter swings and misses a pitch
• Wild Pitch – when the pitcher throws a pitch the catcher cannot handle
• Wind Up – the motion a pitcher takes when throwing to homeplate