Glossary

A

  • Ace: The best starting pitcher on a team.
  • Alley: The area between the outfielders.
  • Around the Horn: Throwing the ball around the infield after an out.
  • Assist: Credited to a player who throws or deflects the ball to another player in a play that results in an out.
  • At-bat (AB): An official turn to bat, excluding walks and sacrifices.
  • At Bat: A player’s turn batting.

B

  • Backstop: The fence/wall behind home plate.
  • Bag: Another term for base.
  • Balk: Illegal motion by a pitcher.
  • Ball: A pitch outside the strike zone.
  • Bases Loaded: Runners on all three bases.
  • Batting Average (BA): A statistic that represents the number of hits divided by at-bats.
  • Bench Coach: Assistant to the manager.
  • Bloop: A weakly hit fly ball.
  • Bullpen: Area where pitchers warm up.
  • Bunt: Tapping the ball lightly.

C

  • Changeup: A slow pitch.
  • Closer: Pitcher who finishes games.
  • Count: The number of balls and strikes.
  • Curveball: A breaking pitch with a downward movement.
  • Cut-Off Man: Infielder who relays throws.

D

E

  • Earned Run: Run for which pitcher is responsible.
  • Earned Run Average (ERA): Average number of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings.
  • Error: A mistake in fielding that allows a batter or runner to advance.
  • Extra Bases: Hits other than singles.
  • Extra Innings: Innings played after the ninth to break a tie.

F

  • Fair Ball: A ball in play within boundaries.
  • Fastball: A pitch thrown at high speed, often the pitcher’s fastest.
  • Fielder’s Choice: A play where a fielder chooses to put out a different runner than the batter.
  • Fly Ball: A ball hit high into the air.
  • Force Out: Out made by stepping on a base.
  • Foul Ball: A ball hit outside the boundary lines.
  • Foul Tip: A ball that goes sharply to the catcher’s mitt.

G

H

  • Hit (H): Successfully reaching base because of a batted ball.
  • Hit and Run: Runner starts as the pitch is thrown.
  • Hit By Pitch (HBP): A batter reaching base because of being hit by a pitch.
  • Home Plate: The plate a batter stands beside.
  • Home Run (HR): A hit that allows the batter to circle all bases and score.

I

  • Infield: The area within the four bases; also, The area inside the bases.
  • Infield Fly Rule: Rule for pop-ups with runners on base.
  • Infielder: A player who fields in the infield.
  • Inning: A segment of the game in which both teams have a turn to bat; also, A segment of the game.
  • Intentional Walk: A deliberate base on balls to avoid pitching to a strong batter.

J

  • Juiced Ball: Informal term for a baseball suspected of being designed to increase home runs; also, A livelier, more bouncy baseball.
  • Jump: A quick move by a baserunner attempting to steal.

K

L

  • Lead Off: The first batter in an inning.
  • Leadoff Batter: The first batter in a team’s lineup.
  • Left Field: The outfield area to the left.
  • Left on Base (LOB): Runners who are still on base when an inning ends.
  • Line Drive: A ball hit sharply and directly in the air; also, A ball hit straight and hard.
  • Lineup: The batting order.

M

  • Minor League: Professional leagues below the Major League level.
  • Mound: The raised area in the center of the diamond where the pitcher stands; also, The pitcher’s area.
  • MVP (Most Valuable Player): An award given to the best player in the league.

N

  • No-hitter: A game in which a pitcher allows no hits.
  • No-Decision: A starter not involved in the decision.
  • Nubber: A weakly hit ball.

O

  • On-Base Percentage (OBP): A measure of how often a batter reaches base.
  • On-Deck: Next batter due.
  • Out: The result of a defensive play that removes a batter or runner from play; also, When the offensive player is removed from play.
  • Outfield: The area beyond the infield.
  • Outfielder: Player who covers the outfield.

P

  • Passed Ball: A catcher misses a pitch.
  • Perfect Game: No batter reaches base.
  • Pinch Hitter: A substitute batter.
  • Pinch Runner: Substitute runner.
  • Pitch: The act of throwing the ball to the batter.
  • Pitch Count: The number of pitches thrown by a pitcher.
  • Pitcher: Player who pitches the ball.
  • Play Ball: Umpire’s call to start.
  • Pop Fly: A ball hit high into the air in the infield; also, A high, short fly ball.
  • Position Player: A non-pitcher player.

Q

  • Quality Start: A start by a pitcher lasting at least six innings with three or fewer earned runs.
  • Quick Count: When a pitcher works with a limited number of warm-up pitches; also, A situation where a batter quickly has two strikes.

R

  • RBI (Runs Batted In): The number of runs a batter generates through hits, walks, or sacrifices; also, Number of runners a player has batted in.
  • Relief Pitcher: A pitcher who comes into the game after the starting pitcher; also, A pitcher who comes in relief.
  • Rookie: A first-year player.
  • Run: A score made by a player who reaches home plate; also, The score in baseball.
  • Runner: A player on base.

S

  • Sacrifice Fly: Fly ball that scores a run.
  • Sacrifice Hit: A batter’s deliberate act of making an out to advance a runner; also, Bunt that advances a runner.
  • Save: Preserving a lead by a relief pitcher.
  • Scoring Position: Runner on second or third base.
  • Shortstop: Infielder between second and third base.
  • Shutout: Game where one team doesn’t score.
  • Single: A one-base hit.
  • Slider: A pitch that breaks laterally.
  • Splitter: A pitch that suddenly drops.
  • Starter: The first pitcher in the game.
  • Stolen Base: A base taken by a runner during a pitch.
  • Strike: A pitch within the strike zone.
  • Strikeout: Three strikes against a batter.
  • Substitute: Player who replaces another.

T

  • Tag: Touching a runner with the ball for an out.
  • Tag Up: Runner returns to base after a catch.
  • Triple: A three-base hit.
  • Triple Play: Three outs on one play.
  • Two-bagger: Another term for a double.

U

  • Umpire: Official who enforces the rules; also, The game’s official.
  • Unassisted Play: An out made without a throw.
  • Utility Player: Player who can play multiple positions.

V

  • Visiting Team: The team playing away from its home field.

W

  • Walk: A base on balls.
  • Walk-Off Hit: A game-ending hit by the home team.
  • Warning Track: The area near the outfield wall.
  • Wild Pitch: A pitch too difficult for the catcher to control.
  • Win (W): Credited to the pitcher whose team takes a lead while he is pitching and maintains it.
  • Winning Pitcher: The pitcher who was in the game when his team took the lead for good.

Y

  • Yakker: Slang for a big, breaking curveball.

Z

  • Zone: The strike zone.
  • Zone Play: Defensive strategy focusing on covering specific areas.