- 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
Nice website. You use the phrase pitching “out of the stretch” when runners are in base in CR 60/70 play. What does that phrase mean?