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Ever sit down to watch a ballgame, and here the announcer say, "That pitcher is all over the place!" Or how about, "He took that one to the alley!" Are you the person who says, "What the heck is that suppose to mean?" Then, this article is just for you. I'm going to go over some popular lingo used in baseball and I'm going to do it step by step with the alphabet. I guess you can say this will be sort of a dictionary of baseball lingo, and this particular article starts just like the Webster's Dictionary, with the letter A. Granted, some of these terms are hardly used anymore, but who's to say they can't come back into fashion and hey, you might even learn a few odd ball facts about the game too!
Ace: 1. An excellent pitcher. The term usually refers to a team's best starting pitcher, although it may also pertain to the best reliever on a pitching staff, as in BULLPEN ACE or RELIEF ACE. "Ace" derives from Asa Brainard, the only pitcher on the Cincinnati Red Stockings team of 1869. Brainard's record, as well as the team's, was 56 wins, no defeats, and one tie. Thereafter, any pitcher who won many games was called a "Asa," which was eventually shortened to "ace". Also STOPPER. 2. A run. In the 1840s, when the first amateur baseball teams were being formed by men's recreational clubs, card terms were often applied to baseball, such as "ace" for a run scored. Now days, the first definition is the one most used.
Action Pitch: A pitch thrown on a count of three balls and two strikes with two outs and a man on first base, men on first and second, or with the bases loaded. In any of these situations, the man or men on base start running just before the pitch is thrown, so as to get a jump in case of a base hit.
Afterpiece: The second game of a doubleheader. Also NIGHTCAP, which is the term most used now days.
Agent: A representative hired by a player to handle his business affairs, especially contract negotiations. In 1970 baseball team owners agreed that a player could use a representative in salary negotiations. Three years later Jerry Kapstein became the first agent under the new system. His first client was outfielder Richie Zisk of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Air Ball: A fly ball, a baseball term of the late 1800s.
Alibi Ike: A player who has an excuse for every one of his failures on the field. The name comes from a 1915 Ring Lardner short story of that title about such a player.
Alley: The area of the outfield between the left fielder and the center fielder, or between the center fielder and the right fielder. Also GAP and POWER ALLEY.
All Over The Plate: Unable to throw strikes. The phrase refers to a pitcher whose deliveries are consistently and variously out of the strike zone, and may also refer to the pitches themselves. Also WILD.
All-Star Break: the three-day break in the regular season during which the All-Star Game is played.
All-Star Game: An annual exhibition game pitting the best players of the American League against the best of the National League. Also MIDSUMMER CLASSIC. In 1933 Chicago Tribune sports editor Arch Ward conceived the idea of the game, which would be played at Chicago's Comiskey Park in conjunction with the city's Century of Progress exposition. The game took place on July 06, with Babe Ruth's two-run homer leading the Americans to a 4-2 win. Selection of the All-Star squads, always a controversial process, was decided by the respective managers (the skippers of the previous season's league champions) through the 1946 game, although fans offered their suggestions in informal polls taken by baseball officials in 1933 and 1934. From 1947 to 1957, the selection was handed over to the fans. But after Cincinnati rooters were accused of stuffing the ballot box in favor of Red 1957, major league players, coaches, and managers began picking the All-Star teams, and did so through 1969. Baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn returned the vote to the fans in 1970.
Alternative Pitch: A euphemism for an illegal pitch. When a pitcher is having a bad game, he often has no alternative but to go to his bag of tricks, the most useful of which is illegally putting some foreign substance--such as hair cream, saliva, or sweat--on the ball, so as to make it break sharply and unexpectedly as it nears home plate.
American Association: 1. A professional baseball league that lasted from 1882 through 1891. It was the third major league formed, after the National Association (1871-1875) and the National League (1876- ). 2. One of the three minor leagues at the top, or AAA, level of the minors, along with the Pacific Coast League and the International League.
American League: One of the two major leagues, the other being the National League. Abbreviated AL. The American League was founded in 1901 by Byron Bancroft "Ban" Johnson and immediately proclaimed itself an equal competitor of the National League, which had been founded 15 years earlier. The new league was dubbed the "junior circuit," a name that is still used even though the two leagues have been considered equals from the early years of their rivalry. The AL's charter member teams were in Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. In 1969 each major league was restructured into two six team divisions known as the Eastern and Western Divisions. In 1977 the American League added one team to each of its divisions. In 1994, the league, along with the National League, reorganized into three divisions (East, Central and West) and added a second round to the playoffs in the form of the League Divisional Series, with the best second-place team advancing to the playoffs as a wild card team, in addition to the three divisional champions. Originally, the Milwaukee Brewers were in the Central division, but they left to join the National League in 1998, and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, joined the Eastern division, which kept the league's membership at 14 teams.
Angel: A cloud, in a virtually cloudless sky, that allows a fielder to better see a high fly ball. Also known as a GUARDIAN ANGEL.
Annie Oakley: A base on balls or a WALK. Complimentary tickets to the theater or to sporting events have traditionally been punched with holes to designate that the tickets are free. During the late 1800s, these freebies were called "Annie Oakleys" in honor of the famous riflewoman whose feats included shooting holes in small cards. Baseball observers quickly adapted "Annie Oakley" to mean a base on balls, which was and still is also known as a "free ticket" or "free pass."
Ant: A fan. The word dates from the early 1900s and stems from the observation that fans in the stands often appear as small as ants to the players.
Appeal Play: A special appeal made by the defensive team to an umpire after a base runner has failed to tag up on a fly ball or has neglected to step on a base while advancing or while returning to his original base. To put out the runner on an appeal, a defensive player with the ball must tag the runner or the base he missed or the base from which he failed to tag up properly. The appeal must be made to the umpire before the next pitch. The umpire may have seen the misplay but will not call the out unless appealed to by the defense.
Apple: A baseball, so called for its resemblance to an apple.
Arbitration: The process by which an objective party, or arbitrator, settles a contract dispute between a player and the management of his team. Such arbitration cases are binding; the ruling is entirely in favor of either the player or the club. Arbitration was first used in major league baseball in 1974.
Arlie Latham: A sharply hit ground ball that is difficult to field. A major league third baseman during the late 1800s, Arlie Latham had a reputation for letting hard grounders go by rather than risk injury by getting in front of them.
Arm: 1. Outstanding throwing ability, as in "That outfield has one hell of an arm." 2. A strong throwing arm. Also known as BAZOOKA, CANNON, GUN, and RIFLE.
Around The Horn: Refers to a double play in which the third baseman fields a ground ball and throws to the second baseman, who forces a runner at second base and then throws to the first baseman to retire the batter. The term derives from the custom of ships to take the long route around Cape Horn at the tip of South America to get from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, or vice versa, before the construction of the Panama Canal.
Artificial Turf: A synthetic, carpet like surface that has replaced the grass fields in some major league stadiums. Also known as CARPET and RUG. The first artificial playing surface was installed in the Houston Astrodome in 1965. On April 9th of that year, the New York Yankees beat the Houston Astros, 2-1, in an exhibition at the Astrodome, the first game played on a synthetic surface. Now days the only teams still using artificial turf are the Toronto Blue Jays, Minnesota Twins, and Tampa Bay Rays. Probably the best editorial comment about artificial turf came from a player--often attributed to either Willie Mays or Dick Allen-- who said, "If cows don't eat it, I won't play on it."
Ash: A bat. Ash has resiliency and strength, and has long been one of the favored types of wood for the manufacturing of bats.
Aspirin, Aspirin Tablet: A baseball thrown or pitched with such great speed that it appears as small as an aspirin.
Assist: A credit for a fielder's direct involvement in a put out. He gets an assist by making a throw that results in a put out, or by touching a batted ball in a play that results in a put out.
There you have it. Baseball lingo in the tune of the letter A!
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Ever sit down to watch a ballgame, and here the announcer say, "That pitcher is all over the place!" Or how about, "He took that one to the alley!" Are you the person who says, "What the heck is that suppose to mean?" Then, this article is just for you. I'm going to go over some popular lingo used in baseball and I'm going to do it step by step with the alphabet. I guess you can say this will be sort of a dictionary of baseball lingo, and this particular article starts just like the Webster's Dictionary, with the letter A. Granted, some of these terms are hardly used anymore, but who's to say they can't come back into fashion and hey, you might even learn a few odd ball facts about the game too!
Ace: 1. An excellent pitcher. The term usually refers to a team's best starting pitcher, although it may also pertain to the best reliever on a pitching staff, as in BULLPEN ACE or RELIEF ACE. "Ace" derives from Asa Brainard, the only pitcher on the Cincinnati Red Stockings team of 1869. Brainard's record, as well as the team's, was 56 wins, no defeats, and one tie. Thereafter, any pitcher who won many games was called a "Asa," which was eventually shortened to "ace". Also STOPPER. 2. A run. In the 1840s, when the first amateur baseball teams were being formed by men's recreational clubs, card terms were often applied to baseball, such as "ace" for a run scored. Now days, the first definition is the one most used.
Action Pitch: A pitch thrown on a count of three balls and two strikes with two outs and a man on first base, men on first and second, or with the bases loaded. In any of these situations, the man or men on base start running just before the pitch is thrown, so as to get a jump in case of a base hit.
Afterpiece: The second game of a doubleheader. Also NIGHTCAP, which is the term most used now days.
Agent: A representative hired by a player to handle his business affairs, especially contract negotiations. In 1970 baseball team owners agreed that a player could use a representative in salary negotiations. Three years later Jerry Kapstein became the first agent under the new system. His first client was outfielder Richie Zisk of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Air Ball: A fly ball, a baseball term of the late 1800s.
Alibi Ike: A player who has an excuse for every one of his failures on the field. The name comes from a 1915 Ring Lardner short story of that title about such a player.
Alley: The area of the outfield between the left fielder and the center fielder, or between the center fielder and the right fielder. Also GAP and POWER ALLEY.
All Over The Plate: Unable to throw strikes. The phrase refers to a pitcher whose deliveries are consistently and variously out of the strike zone, and may also refer to the pitches themselves. Also WILD.
All-Star Break: the three-day break in the regular season during which the All-Star Game is played.
All-Star Game: An annual exhibition game pitting the best players of the American League against the best of the National League. Also MIDSUMMER CLASSIC. In 1933 Chicago Tribune sports editor Arch Ward conceived the idea of the game, which would be played at Chicago's Comiskey Park in conjunction with the city's Century of Progress exposition. The game took place on July 06, with Babe Ruth's two-run homer leading the Americans to a 4-2 win. Selection of the All-Star squads, always a controversial process, was decided by the respective managers (the skippers of the previous season's league champions) through the 1946 game, although fans offered their suggestions in informal polls taken by baseball officials in 1933 and 1934. From 1947 to 1957, the selection was handed over to the fans. But after Cincinnati rooters were accused of stuffing the ballot box in favor of Red 1957, major league players, coaches, and managers began picking the All-Star teams, and did so through 1969. Baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn returned the vote to the fans in 1970.
Alternative Pitch: A euphemism for an illegal pitch. When a pitcher is having a bad game, he often has no alternative but to go to his bag of tricks, the most useful of which is illegally putting some foreign substance--such as hair cream, saliva, or sweat--on the ball, so as to make it break sharply and unexpectedly as it nears home plate.
American Association: 1. A professional baseball league that lasted from 1882 through 1891. It was the third major league formed, after the National Association (1871-1875) and the National League (1876- ). 2. One of the three minor leagues at the top, or AAA, level of the minors, along with the Pacific Coast League and the International League.
American League: One of the two major leagues, the other being the National League. Abbreviated AL. The American League was founded in 1901 by Byron Bancroft "Ban" Johnson and immediately proclaimed itself an equal competitor of the National League, which had been founded 15 years earlier. The new league was dubbed the "junior circuit," a name that is still used even though the two leagues have been considered equals from the early years of their rivalry. The AL's charter member teams were in Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. In 1969 each major league was restructured into two six team divisions known as the Eastern and Western Divisions. In 1977 the American League added one team to each of its divisions. In 1994, the league, along with the National League, reorganized into three divisions (East, Central and West) and added a second round to the playoffs in the form of the League Divisional Series, with the best second-place team advancing to the playoffs as a wild card team, in addition to the three divisional champions. Originally, the Milwaukee Brewers were in the Central division, but they left to join the National League in 1998, and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, joined the Eastern division, which kept the league's membership at 14 teams.
Angel: A cloud, in a virtually cloudless sky, that allows a fielder to better see a high fly ball. Also known as a GUARDIAN ANGEL.
Annie Oakley: A base on balls or a WALK. Complimentary tickets to the theater or to sporting events have traditionally been punched with holes to designate that the tickets are free. During the late 1800s, these freebies were called "Annie Oakleys" in honor of the famous riflewoman whose feats included shooting holes in small cards. Baseball observers quickly adapted "Annie Oakley" to mean a base on balls, which was and still is also known as a "free ticket" or "free pass."
Ant: A fan. The word dates from the early 1900s and stems from the observation that fans in the stands often appear as small as ants to the players.
Appeal Play: A special appeal made by the defensive team to an umpire after a base runner has failed to tag up on a fly ball or has neglected to step on a base while advancing or while returning to his original base. To put out the runner on an appeal, a defensive player with the ball must tag the runner or the base he missed or the base from which he failed to tag up properly. The appeal must be made to the umpire before the next pitch. The umpire may have seen the misplay but will not call the out unless appealed to by the defense.
Apple: A baseball, so called for its resemblance to an apple.
Arbitration: The process by which an objective party, or arbitrator, settles a contract dispute between a player and the management of his team. Such arbitration cases are binding; the ruling is entirely in favor of either the player or the club. Arbitration was first used in major league baseball in 1974.
Arlie Latham: A sharply hit ground ball that is difficult to field. A major league third baseman during the late 1800s, Arlie Latham had a reputation for letting hard grounders go by rather than risk injury by getting in front of them.
Arm: 1. Outstanding throwing ability, as in "That outfield has one hell of an arm." 2. A strong throwing arm. Also known as BAZOOKA, CANNON, GUN, and RIFLE.
Around The Horn: Refers to a double play in which the third baseman fields a ground ball and throws to the second baseman, who forces a runner at second base and then throws to the first baseman to retire the batter. The term derives from the custom of ships to take the long route around Cape Horn at the tip of South America to get from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, or vice versa, before the construction of the Panama Canal.
Artificial Turf: A synthetic, carpet like surface that has replaced the grass fields in some major league stadiums. Also known as CARPET and RUG. The first artificial playing surface was installed in the Houston Astrodome in 1965. On April 9th of that year, the New York Yankees beat the Houston Astros, 2-1, in an exhibition at the Astrodome, the first game played on a synthetic surface. Now days the only teams still using artificial turf are the Toronto Blue Jays, Minnesota Twins, and Tampa Bay Rays. Probably the best editorial comment about artificial turf came from a player--often attributed to either Willie Mays or Dick Allen-- who said, "If cows don't eat it, I won't play on it."
Ash: A bat. Ash has resiliency and strength, and has long been one of the favored types of wood for the manufacturing of bats.
Aspirin, Aspirin Tablet: A baseball thrown or pitched with such great speed that it appears as small as an aspirin.
Assist: A credit for a fielder's direct involvement in a put out. He gets an assist by making a throw that results in a put out, or by touching a batted ball in a play that results in a put out.
There you have it. Baseball lingo in the tune of the letter A!
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