Slanguage
Slanguage is an on-going project to unite the language that we as ballplayers speak. We've combined many of the historical terms with many modern-day sayings that people have submitted to us from all over the country (and world).
# A B C D E F G H J K L M N O P R S T U V W Y Z
#
[380] - When your team messes up and is punished by running to ‘380’ and back.
A
[Ace] - The team’s best starting pitcher.
[Airliner] - A home run hit really high in the air. - “Holy airliner! They serving drinks on that flight?”
[Alley] - The space between the left fielder and the center fielder, or the right fielder and center fielder.
[Arm Candy] - Ibuprofen, Advil, etc…
[Around The Horn] - When you toss the ball around the infield after making an out when the bases are empty.
[Aspirin Tablet] - A fastball that is especially hard to hit, making it seem as if the ball is the size of an Aspirin.
[Ate Him Up] - When a batted ball is difficult for a fielder to field.
B
[Backdoor Breaking Ball] - A breaking pitch, usually a slider or cut fastball that is thrown out of the strike zone and seems to be a ball when it breaks and catches the edge the zone for a strike.
[Balls Party Of 4] - When the opposing pitcher walks someone, you then yell out, “Balls party of four, your table is ready.”
[Banjo Hitter] - A batter who lacks power, and hits a lot of bloop singles. The name is said to come from the twanging sound of the bat at contact, like that of a banjo.
[Barber] - When someone chats up the players a lot.
[Barking] - Complaining about a call or trash talking.
[Bartender] - A term shouted after a home run is hit because the hitter just ordered the team a ‘shot of Jack’, with ‘Jack’ referring to hitting a home run. The term ‘Bartender’ can also be used to describe your ‘closer’.
[Basebromance] - A bromance between throwing partners.
[Base Clogger] - Is a player whose lack of speed keeps him from advancing more than a base at a time and/or keeps faster players running behind him from advancing.
[Basement] - Last place, bottom of the standings. Also known as the cellar.
[Battery] - The pitcher and catcher considered as a single unit. Henry Chadwick coined the term, drawing from the military sense of the term artillery battery.
[Batting BINGO Numbers] - A hitter is batting below .100. Example .080 is pronounced Oh-eighty, like a bingo number.
[Bayou or Louisiana] - When an infielder whiffs on a ground ball or a hitter lets a fastball by him, meaning the ball went ‘by you.’
[Bazooka] - A strong throwing arm.
[BB] - Referencing the baseball when it is hard to hit because it seems as small as a BB.
[Bean] - A high hopping grounder. Derives from a jumping bean.
[Belt] - To hit a ball hard to the outfield or out of the park.
[Bench Jockey] - A player, coach, or manager whose gift of gab takes on a role of its own. They can annoy opposing players or teams while sitting on the bench.
[Bermuda] - When three fielders converge toward a fly ball and make a triangle shape and let the ball drop between them.
[Big Fly] - A home run.
[Bird Food] - A fastball thrown over the batter’s head.
[Bleeder] - A weak hit ball that somehow finds its way to the outfield for a hit.
[Blinkers] - Refers to a player’s back pocket. "Hey bud your left blinker is out.”
[Blooper] - A weak, short fly ball that usually falls between the infielders and the outfielders.
[Bomb] - A big home run. Also comes from the saying "Bomb Squad.”
[Bread and Butter] - A player’s greatest or most reliable skill. Whether it’s hitting, fielding, or even a pitcher’s strikeout pitch.
[Brickwall] - A catcher that lets nothing by him.
[Buckner] - When a routine ground ball goes right between your legs.
[Build A House] - A pitcher who consistently hits a spot in the strike zone. Most commonly pitches at the knees.
[Bullet] - A hard hit ball or throw.
[Bump] - The pitcher’s mound.
[Bush League] - A term used to describe play that is of unprofessional quality.
[Butcher Boy] - When a batter fakes a bunt, then swings away. Thus, luring the third baseman closer to home plate and putting him in a precarious position.
C
[Cadillac Double] - When someone hits the ball and starts taking their batting gloves and gear off before rounding first and coasts into second.
[Cage Bomb] - Would-be home runs that are hit while taking batting practice in the cage.
[Camp] - When a player sits under a fly ball for a while, he is said to be "camped” under it.
[Can Of Corn] - An easy play.
[Cannon] - Having a strong arm.
[Chair] - When a pitcher strikes out a batter, it is said that he ‘tossed him a chair,’ because the hitter now has to go sit down.
[Cheddar] - When a pitcher is throwing hard. Also said to be throwing ‘ched’ for short.
[Cheerio] - If an umpire is squeezing you and has a small strike zone, ie. the size of a cheerio.
[Cheese Dog] - A very easy pitch to hit.
[Cheese Factory] - Refers to a pitcher with a wide array of pitches. He can throw ched (cheddar) and also throw some stuff with a little stank to it (something off speed that leaves you with a "What’s that smell?” look on your face).
[Cherry Hop] - When a fielder gets an easy hop on a ground ball to make the easy play.
[Chin Music] - A high and tight, up and in pitch meant to knock a batter back from home plate. Also known as a ‘brush back’ or ‘purpose’ pitch.
[Chirps] - Smack talk.
[Circus Catch] - An amazing catch made by a fielder, who puts on a show like at the circus.
[Comebacker] - When a ball is hit directly back at the pitcher.
[Cookie] - A pitch that is easy to hit.
[Corked] - Like a corked bat, this term can refer to a phony ball player. Often spelled with a ‘K’.
[Courtesy Jog] - The slow sad jog from an outfielder who knows the ball he is chasing is going over the fence.
[Cracker Box] - A small baseball field considered to be friendly to power hitters and unfriendly to pitchers.
[Crafty] - A term used for a pitcher who has great off-speed pitches and can hit spots.
D
[DDD or Triple D’s] - A saying used to remind a teammate how to hit a home run, by utilizing the Dip, Drop, and Drive approach. Dip the shoulder, drop the hands, and drive the ball over the fence.
[Daddy Hack] - A big swing.
[Daisy Cutter] - Old-fashioned term for a hard-hit ground ball, close enough to the grass to be able to "lop the tops off any daisies” that might be growing on the field.
[Dark One] - A pitch that is difficult to see, much less hit. "Throw him the dark one,” is an encouragement to the pitcher, typically given with two strikes, to throw his strikeout pitch.
[Dark-Thirty] - This is the time when practices typically get done because it is getting too dark out.
[Dead Red] - When a batter is waiting on a fastball.
[Deer In The Headlights] - When an outfielder is blinded by the sun.
[Dinger] - A home run.
[Dirty] - Meaning something good. Could be referring to a great pitch thrown, diving for a ball, or even referring to someone's attire in a good way. - "That Routine shirt is dirty.”
[Dish] - Home plate.
[Drop Off the Table] - Used to describe a curveball, that breaks extremely sharp… as if the ball dropped off a table.
[Dry Humping] - When coach tells you to get warmed up, but you never go in.
[Ducks On the Pond] - Runners in scoring position, with the infield being the pond and the runners referred to as ducks.
[Dead] - An out. It’s preceded with the number of current outs. - ‘There’s two dead here.’
[Deucer] - Nickname given to any player wearing the number 22.
[Deuces] - When there are two balls, two strikes, and two outs. This usually calls for the dugout to do a specific move in unison in order to summon the baseball gods for luck. This can be sniping the pitcher, doing the Bernie, fishing, etc… If that certain move does not work, the dugout must shake it out (taking off your cap and shaking it) and not use that move for the rest of the game.
[Dialing 9] - When a pitcher is reaching the 90+ mph mark.
[Dome Piece] - A baseball player’s hat.
[Dong] - A deep home run.
[Dose] - When a batter gets hit by a pitch. - “Man, I took a dose in that last AB.”
[Double Hog Balls] - When a pitcher maxes out at 88mph.
[Duck Fart] - A soft floater that lands in-between the infielder and outfielder. Also referred to as a “Ric Flair”
[Dude] - The best player on the team.
[Duster] - A pitch thrown so far inside that it was said to dust off the batter’s jersey. Also, can refer to someone who sits on the bench a lot and ‘collects dust.’
[Dust Kicker] - Refers to someone running around the bases quickly.
[Dying Quail] - A batted ball that drops in front of the outfielders for a hit, often unexpectedly (like a shot bird).
E
[Eephus] - A very slow pitch with a high arcing trajectory. Not a pitch in current pitchers tool boxes, but is sometimes used to throw off a hitters timing.
[Elevator Shaft] - A ball hit high in the air, straight above home plate to be caught by the catcher.
[Error Squad] - When the opposing team continues to make a lot of errors.
[Excuse Me Swing] - When a batter inadvertently makes contact during a check swing.
[Extra Guac] - When an infielder puts a little extra on his throw.
[Eyewash] - Being over flashy, especially when it comes to game accessories.
F
[Fanned] - The act of striking out a batter. - “Pete fanned 7 through 8 innings of work.”
[Filthy] - Used to describe anything amazing.
[Fireman] - A team’s closer or late-inning pitcher. He comes in to put out the fire.
[Fishing] - When a pitcher throws a ball out of the strike zone in hopes of the hitter chasing after it.
[Five O’clock Hitter] - A hitter who hits really well during batting practice, but not so well during games.
[Flashing Leather] - When a fielder makes a great play.
[Flow] - A ball player’s great hair.
[Foot In The Bucket] - A batter who strides away from home plate with his leading foot, instead of a straight ahead (in fear of being struck by a pitched ball), is said to step in the bucket.
[Four-Fingered Salute] - An intentional walk.
[Fourth-Mealing] - Hitting a home run at night, but more specifically an ‘oppo-taco (and opposite field home run).’
[Free 90] - When a pitcher throws the ball away and the runner advances for free.
[Free Baseball] - Extra Innings.
[Freshmeat] - When the other team brings in a new pitcher.
[Frozen Rope] - A hard-hit line drive.
G
[G-Hack] - When you swing for the fences. Short for ‘Ghetto Hack’ or referencing the swing or player as a ‘G (short for gangster).’
[Gap] - The space between outfielders.
[Garden] - The outfield when a hitter continues to hit seeds (hard hit balls) in the outfield. - “Niner’s got a garden going out there.”
[Gas] - A hard thrown pitch. - “He’s throwing gas.”
[Get Dirty] - Yelled by a teammate when someone should either slide or dive for a ball.
[Getting Key-Holed] - When an umpire calls a small strike zone.
[Get Out Ball] - Yelled as a joke when someone gets jammed and hits a weak flare. Or yelled when a ball is in the air and has the potential to be a home run.
[Get Turfey] - Yelled by a teammate when you play on a turf field and should either slide or dive for a ball.
[Giddy-Up] - Used amongst the infield when your are in a double play scenario. Comes from the acronym GIDP, which stands for ‘Grounding Into a Double Play.’
[Go-Homer] - A walk-off homerun.
[Going Gaetti] - When a player wears his jersey without an undershirt. Most effective with chest hair. In reference to former player, Gary Gaetti.
[Going Yard] - To hit a home run, with the ‘yard’ referencing the ball park.
[Golden Corral] - When a pitch is served up right down the middle, like a platter at the Golden Corral.
[Golden Sombrero] - One who strikes out four times in one game.
[Good Spitch] - When the pitcher throws a good pitch while hitting his spot.
[Got Heem] - A battle cry, trash talk, or is said when papa is feeling delicious. Made famous by pitcher Brian Wilson. - "Basically, it's when you’re talking ‘a little fun trash,’ says the bearded one. You can add as many e’s as necessary or change the case of the letter as well to describe the emphasis required.”
[Grab Some Pine] - To go sit on the bench. Used as a taunt after a strikeout.
[Green Light] - Permission from coach to swing away on a 3-0 count.
[Gun] - A strong arm.
H
[Hack] - A hard swing.
[Had Eyes] - When a ball finds a way through the infield or drops between players, it is said that the ball ‘had eyes.’
[Ham And Eggs] - Another name for a double play.
[Handcuff] - A pitch thrown high and inside not allowing the batter to extend his hands.
[Hanger] - A terrible off-speed pitch that just hangs there, asking to get crushed.
[Hanger Banger] - A hitter who is particularly good at hitting curveballs or other off-speed pitches.
[Harvest The Crops] - To hit the runners that were in scoring position home.
[Have A Day] - A player who is having a great game offensively, defensively, or both.
[Headhunter] - A pitcher who throws bean-balls.
[Heart Of The Lineup] - Refers to the 3, 4, 5 hitters in your lineup who are typically your best hitters.
[Heater] - A very fast pitch.
[Heywuddoyasaynahkidletsgogetabaseknock-
comeonnahbangoneherehumnahbaberopeit-
throughherekidattawayticklethetwinehumbabe] - Phrase used to get the hitter going. Only used by very nimble tongued players.
[High And Tight] - A pitch thrown up in the zone and close to the hitter.
[Hock A Loogie] - When a pitcher throws a ball in the dirt and the batter doesn’t swing, the bench will then chant this term letting the hitter know it was a good take.
[Hollywood] - A player that wears every accessory necessary to go pro.
[Home Cookin’] - When you’re at an opponent's field and the umpire seems to spend more time near their dugout and fans than behind the plate.
[Horse] - A pitcher who you can rely on to throw a lot of good innings and not get tired.
[Hose] - A strong arm.
[Hot Coffee] - When an infielder bobbles a hard hit grounder around like it’s a hot coffee.
[Hot Corner] - Refers to third base where a lot of right-handed batters pull the ball, leaving the third baseman little time to react on defense.
[Humbabe] - A condensed version of ‘Come on babe!’
[Humnah] - A condensed version of ‘Come on now!’
J
[Jack] - A home run.
[Janitor] - A relief pitcher who comes in the game and shuts down an inning after the starter left it a mess with runners on base.
[Janitor Throw] - When an outfielder does a crow hop into the diving throw. It cleans up the shit turds that are trying to take an extra base. “A guaranteed out every time” - Kent Murphy
K
[K Burger] - A strikeout. Often served with cheese.
[Knee Buckler] - When a pitcher throws a filthy curveball and makes the hitter weak at his knees.
[Knock] - A hard hit.
L
[Lace] - To hit the ball very hard, typically a line drive.
[Landscaper] - A player that has a hose (strong arm) and can rake (hit well).
[Lagger] - A hitter that swings by the time the ball hits the catcher’s mitt (late).
[Laser Show] - Ball player with a strong throwing arm.
[Late Night Help] - During a blowout game at night, the umpire will make bad calls or expand the stoke zone to help speed up the game.
[Lay Out] - When a fielder dives for a ball.
[Leather] - A fielder’s glove. A player with ‘good leather’ is a good defensive player.
[Leg It Out] - To run hard to get safely on base or to advance a base.
[Lettuce] - flow or hair.
[Like A Book] - A term used to describe a pitcher who has a predictable pick-off move. - “You can read him like a book.”
[Lock The Shed] - The get a save/end the game.
[LOFT] - Description of a player/play that isn’t good or someone who thinks they have more talent than they really do. Stands for ‘Lack Of Freaking Talent.’ - “That guys seems a little ‘lofty’ to me.”
[Lollipop] - A soft thrown pitch/throw with a lot of arc.
[Lotion] - When a ball slips out of a player's hand. Most commonly on a double play or when trying to make a quick throw.
[Lumber] - A baseball bat.
M
[M&M’s] - Stands for mustaches and mullets. A common playoff combination to appease the baseball gods.
[Magellan Route] - When a defender takes a terrible route to catch a pop-up. Named after the Portuguese explorer who circumnavigated the glove… we mean globe.
[Masher] - A home run hitter. - "He mashed the ball.”, or "That was a mash.”
[Mathematician] - A pitcher who never throws two pitches the same way or with the same speed. Constantly adding and subtracting mph.
[Mattress Ball] - A pitch that is soo slow, you can just lay all over it.
[Merry Christmas] - When a fielder gets an easy hop to make the play. Can also refer to a situation when a pitcher is struggling and a fielder makes a good play to end the inning.
[Merry-Go-Round] - When a pitcher keeps walking batters and walks in runs.
[Meatball] - An easy pitch to hit, right down the middle of the plate.
[Mendoza Line] - Refers to a batting average that is below .200.
[Moonshot] - A home run hit so high and deep that it is said to travel toward the moon.
[Mop up] - The bullpen’s least effective reliever who comes in after the outcome of the game is all but certain to throw some innings.
[Mow Them Down] - A pitcher who dominates the opposing hitters, allowing few if any to get on base, is said to have ‘mowed them down.’
[Mr. Clean] - When a player doesn’t slide.
[Mrs. Doubtfire] - Someone on the opposing team who doesn’t look anything like a ball player, but turns out to be a stud.
[Muffin] - Refers to a player’s terrible arm.
N
[Nectar] - What the pitcher gives when he is ahead in the count. - “C’mon give ‘em the nectar, kid!”
[Nice Peepers] - Having a good eye while batting.
[Nine Of Hearts] - When the batter hits a soft ground ball and is so fast, he beats out the throw.
[No-Doubter] - A name for a home run that you could tell will go over the fence immediately after coming off the bat.
[Noodle Arm] - A player’s throwing arm that is not very good.
O
[Oklahoma] - When a batter is extremely late on a fastball and needs to swing ‘Sooner.’
[Ole] - When a fielder lets a ball get by him.
[Olympic Rings] - When a batter strikes out five times in a game. This same dubious achievement may also merit a ‘platinum sombrero.’
[On The Black] - The black edge of home plate. A pitch that just nicks the edge of the zone for a called strike.
[On The Hop] - When something needs to be done quickly. - “Set up for BP on the hop!”
[On The Screws] - Refers to the sweet spot on the bat.
[Oppo-Bomb, Oppo-Taco] - Refers to a home run hit to the opposite field.
[Oregon] - Yelled when a batter has to duck. Named after the Oregon Ducks.
[Outing] - When a pitcher makes an appearance in a game.
P
[Paint] - To throw pitches at the edges of the strike zone. A pitcher who can ‘paint’ consistently, may be referred to as Rembrandt or Picasso and can be said to ‘paint the black’ or ‘paint the corner.’
[Pancake] - A glove that has no shape and is flat like a pancake.
[Pan Hands] - A fielder who is struggling defensively.
[P-Rod] - A hard hit line drive. Derives from ‘piss-rod.’
[Pearl] - A new baseball fresh out of the wrapping.
[Pepper] - Pepper is a common pre-game exercise in baseball, where one player bunts brisk ground balls and line drives to a group of fielders who are standing close by. The fielders try to make a play on the ball, and throw it back as quickly as possible. The batter then attempts to hit the return throw, and so on.
[Pitcher Beeps] - Christmas Day for pitchers. A day when they get to take batting practice.
[Pickles On The Burger] - Refers to runners on base.
[Pill] - Referencing the baseball when it is hard to hit because it seems as small as a pill.
[Piñata Ball] - A pitch thrown so high it hits the backstop in the air, as if the pitcher is attempting to bust a piñata with a baseball.
[Pine] - The bench.
[Ping-Pong] - When the hitting team is constantly making contact with the first or second pitch of each plate appearance.
[Pissed On] - A hard hit baseball. Also known as ‘Pissrod’ or ‘Pissrocket.’
[Postman] - A hitter who consistently delivers in clutch moments.
[Plant The Seed] - To start a rally.
[Plug] - Someone who plugs the holes on the bench.
[PO] - Stands for ‘Pitchers Only.’
[Poke] - A hit. - “Nice poke, kid.”
[Poles] - A form of punishment and/or conditioning that entails running from foul pole to foul pole numerous times.
[Pocket Monster] - When a back pocket is hanging out of your pants forming a small ghost-like creature.
[Poop Dollar] - A crappy hit... but still a hit in the book.
[Portsider] - A left-handed pitcher. Named because ‘port’ refers to the left side of a ship.
[Pro Speed] - When someone gives 50% effort, but 100% swagger.
[Puiging] - Licking your bat during the at-bat. Made famous by Yasiel Puig.
[Puking] - When a pitcher continuously throws high. Originates from the phrase, “Get him a bucket, he’s throwing up!”
[Punchout] - The motion an umpire makes when there’s a strikeout.
R
[Rabbit] - A player who is easily distracted by trash talk.
[Rake] - Means to hit well in all parts of the field, so that your spray chart looks like the end of a rake.
[Rally Cap] - When you wear your hat in an unusual fashion in hopes of sparking some hits and runs.
[Rain Turtles] - This is when you draw a turtle in the dirt and then have everyone on the team spit on it. Stemming from the Native Americans, this ritual is said to bring on rain and cause ‘rain outs.’
[Range] - A fielder’s ability to move from his position to field a ball in play. - “Travis has crazy range over there at short.”
[Rattled] - When the opposing pitcher is struggling and/or the opposing team gets in his head.
[Rave Party] - Name given to an entire outfield that has players with good arms. i.e., ‘Laser shows.’
[RCI] - Stands for ‘Runs Coached In.’ Given to an assistant coach or player-coach.
[Rembrandt] - A pitcher who paints the corners.
[Ribbie] - Also known as a RBI, which stands for ‘Runs Batted In.’
[Ric Flair] - A soft floater that lands in-between the infielder and outfielder. Also referred to as a “Duck Fart”
[Rifle] - A very strong arm. Also used as a verb. - "He rifled the ball home to catch the runner.”
[Rip] - A hard hit ball.
[Roasted] - When a guy gets thrown out by a decent amount.
[Roll It] - To turn a double play.
[Room Service] - A ball that’s hit right to a fielder, so he hardly has to move to get it. Also a pitch that’s easy to hit.
[Root Canal] - A screaming line drive that hits an infielder or pitcher in the face, possibly even knocking out a tooth
[Rope] - A hard line drive. Also known as a ‘frozen rope.’
[Rubber Arm] - A pitcher is said to have a ‘rubber arm’ if he can throw many pitches without tiring.
[Rung Him Up] - An umpire calling a batter out.
S
[Salami] - A grand slam home run.
[Santa Maria] - A home run.
[Sawed Off] - A pitch inside that breaks the hitters bat, as if being sawed off by the handle.
[Serve It Up] - When a pitcher hangs one there for the hitter, as if setting it on a tee.
[Seed] - A hard hit ball.
[Seek And Destroy] - When a hitter is looking for a specific pitch and gets it.
[Sellin’ Hot Dogs] - A form of chirp towards a player who doesn't have his fly done up. - “Sellin’ hot dogs, eh Jimmy?”
[Shag] - To retrieve baseballs. Usually during batting practice.
[Shark Week] - When an infielder on the opposing team is struggling defensively and keeps getting ‘eaten up.’
[Shinburger] - When you take a ball off the shin. A ‘Shinburger with cheese’ is an especially painful looking one.
[Short Porch] - A ball field with a short distance to the home run fence.
[Shotty] - Refers to the captain of the team or the leadoff hitter.
[Sit Boo-Boo Sit] - What you yell when someone hits a blooper behind the infielders and in front of the outfielders in an attempt to help guide the ball to the ground.
[Silent Night] - When you play a weekend series like trash and aren’t allowed or want to talk on the bus ride home.
[Sixer] - When a ball is hit to the opposite field and falls so close to the foul line that it could be six inches away from it.
[Slab] - Refers to the rubber on the mound.
[Slap Hitter] - A hitter who sacrifices power for batting average, trying to make contact with the ball.
[Slayed The Dragon] - When your team beats the opposing team’s ace.
[Sloshed] - A ball hit hard and far into the stands. Said in regards to an unexpecting fan losing a drink over it.
[Small Ball] - When a team is doing things other than swinging away, like bunting, stealing, and drawing walks.
[Smoked] - A well hit ball.
[Snap Throw] - A very quick and hard throw in the field.
[Sniper] - When someone falls down or trips randomly without the help of someone else, as if shot by a sniper.
[Snow Cone] - When a fielder catches the ball at the top of his glove making it look like a snow cone. It’s standard to then pretend to lick said snow cone.
[Snowman] - A player who wears the number 8, who then looks like a snowman with his head atop the number.
[Southpaw] - Refers to a left-handed pitcher.
[Spicy Sausage] - A nasty strikeout pitch.
[Spray Hitter] - A batter who hits line drives to all parts of the field.
[Squirt Gun] - An arm that is not strong and has the strength of a toy water gun.
[Stacking Plates] - A hitter who continues to drive in runs.
[Staff Infection] - A member of the pitching staff who is a total let down. He annoys everyone and ruins the PO chemistry.
[Staff It Out] - To show extraordinary effort… for a pitcher. Also another term for when a team goes ‘Johnny Wholestaff’ for a game using a lot of pitchers. One can ‘half staff’ or ‘full staff’ when ‘staffing it out.’
[Stay Hot] - When a teammate does something stupid or acts dumb. Some use this term to reference a batter who is hitting well.
[Strawberry] - Exposed raw skin caused from diving for a ball or sliding.
[Steaks] - RBI’s.
[Steaks On The Grill] - When runners are in scoring position. The steaks burn if you leave them on base for too long.
[Sticks] - A player who wears number 11.
[Stone Fingers] - A player who misplays easy ground balls.
[Sunday Hop] - A nice easy hop on a grounder that makes the play easy.
[Swamp] - The area behind the pitching mound. Usually where the EZ-Hose is plugged in and often leaks.
[Swunt] - A swinging bunt.
T
[Table Setter] - A player placed high in the batting order for his tendency to hit for average and steal bases is said to ‘set the table’ for the power hitters behind him in the lineup.
[Tank] - Meaning a massive home run. In reference to the saying, ‘Dropping tanks,’ or to ‘Drop a tank.’
[Tape Measure Blast] - An especially long home run. The term originated from a 1956 game in which Mickey Mantle hit a ball out of Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C. The distance the ball flew was measured and the next day a pic of Mantle with a tape measure was published in the newspaper.
[Tater] - A home run. The term started to appear in the 1970s, specifically as ‘long tater,’ because the ball itself was commonly referred to as a ‘potato’ or ‘tater.’
[Tattoo] - To hit the ball very hard and leave a mark, or ‘tattoo,’ from the bat’s trademark on the ball.
[Tee Off] - When you hit off an easily hittable pitcher, where the ball seems to be sitting on a tee for you.
[Terminator] - A pitcher’s out pitch or strike out pitch.
[Texas Leaguer] - A soft hit ball that barely reaches the outfield that you somehow get a base hit out of.
[That’ll Do Donkey] - Originating from a quote from the movie Shrek, this saying is used as a way to tell a teammate he did a great job. *Teammate bunts a guy over* - “Way to get him over! That’ll do donkey.”
[Through The Wickets] - When a batted ball passes through the legs of a player in the field. The term refers to the metal hoops (called wickets) used in the game of croquet.
[Tit] - The pitcher’s mound.
[Toast] - When a runner is thrown out by a decent amount, that runner is said to be ’toast’. Or when a ball is hit hard past an infielder, the ball itself is said to have been ‘toasted’.
[Tortilla] - A baseball glove.
[Tossed] - Being ejected from the game.
[Triangle] - When the team gets in trouble and you run home plate to foul pole to foul pole and back to home plate creating a triangle.
[Turn & Burn] - An inside fastball that you turn on and hit hard down the batters side foul line.
[Tweeners] - Can refer to taking a ball in between hops or can refer to when you wear your pants in between all the way down and wearing them up... both are highly frowned upon.
[Twin Killing] - A double play.
[Twist It] - Infielders verbal signal for a double play.
[Two Ball] - A game played by the team where you throw two balls at a time to another player. If they drop a ball they get a strike. Three strikes and you’re out.
[Two Out Focus] - The term used by a coach when a pitcher gets two quick outs and then proceeds to four-pitch walk the next guy prompting a barrage of cuss words. - “C’mon! Two out focus!”
U
[Ugly Finder] - A foul ball hit into a dugout, presumably destined to ‘find’ someone who is ugly to hit.
[Uncle Charlie] - A curveball.
V
[Vadering] - When a player on the bench puts on all the catcher’s equipment to resemble Darth Vader.
[V-Hole] - When a ball goes through an infielder’s legs.
[Vladding] - Hitting a ball that is thrown out of the strike zone. Made famous by Vladimir Guerrero.
W
[Warning Track Power] - When a player doesn’t have home run power and can only hit it to the warning track... maybe.
[Water The Garden] - To get the runner on first over into scoring position.
[Web Gem] - An outstanding defensive play. Refers to the webbing of the fielder’s gloves and was popularized by Baseball Tonight on ESPN. Nah nuh nah, nah nuh nah!
[Weight Room] - Yelled when someone hits a hard hit ball that is caught at the warning track.
[Whammy] - A home run.
[Wheels] - Refers to someone’s speed. "He’s got wheels,” can mean he runs fast, while "He’s got square wheels,” can mean he’s slow.
[Wheelhouse] - A hitter’s power zone.
[Whiff] - When a hitter swings and misses. Comes from the sound the bat makes when it misses the ball.
[Window Shopper] - A hitter who watches strike three go right down the middle. Also referred to as a "May I help you?” at bat.
[Worm Burner] - A pitch that is in the dirt.
Y
[Yahtzee] - A home run.
[Yard Work] - A player who is hitting the ball exceptionally well. - “Jimbo is doing some major yard work.”
[Yabo] - A home run.
[Yak Butter] - Pine tar.
[Yak Sauce] - When you hit a ball extra hard.
[Yam] - A home run.
[Yaya] - A home run.
[Yicketty] - A home run. Made famous by THE Chipper Jones... so you know it’s good.
[Yips] - Sudden case of not being able to hit or field. A terrible diamond disease that disables players from performing at a high consistent level.
[Yolked] - A hard hit ball. Refers to the ball as an egg, therefore knocking the ‘yolk’ out of it.
[YOLO Throw] - When an outfielder is deep by the fence and tries to throw the ball home and skips the cut off man. Called this because if you don’t hit the runner, you may never play again (YOLO stands for ‘You Only Live Once’).
Z
[Zoo It] - When a player makes a terrible play or throw in the field.
SUBMIT A TERM
We all know about the traditional terms, but what about some stuff going around the dugouts and buses these days? If you've got some slang that you and the guys use on (or off) the field, be sure to hit us up via social.