Select from the alphabet. If you don't find a term you need explained, or you know a good baseball phrase that you think should be here, please send us an email (mail icon bottom of page).
| Phrase |
Definition |
| Backdoor slider |
A pitch that appears to be out of the strike zone, but then breaks back over the plate |
| Backstop |
The screen behind home plate to stop foul balls from going into the stands - it also used to be a term for the catcher position |
| Balk |
(BK) in scorekeeping. Penalty for an illegal movement by the pitcher intending to deliberately deceive the runners. If called, baserunners advance one base |
| Baltimore chop |
A ground ball that hits in front of home plate (or off of it) and takes a large hop over the infielder's head. This started (it's said) in with the Orioles in the 1890's when legendary manager John McGraw had the dirt in front of the plate packed down to get these kind of hits. |
| Bandbox |
A small ballpark that favors hitters |
| Bang-bang play |
A play in which the baserunner hits the bag a split-second before the ball arrives or vice versa |
| Banjo Hitter |
A batter who hits mostly bloop singles just past the infield dirt. Supposedly the name comes from the bat making a "twanging sound" on contact (banjo?) but we see no sound similarity. If anyone has another possible source let us know.. |
| Base Knock |
A hard-hit single, as opposed to a knock in general which is usually a hard hit for extra bases. |
| Baseline |
Also called foul line |
| Bases juiced |
Runners on base - said to be from the old, nasty habit of chewing tobacco - the bases would get literally juiced by the runners. |
| Basket catch |
When a fielder catches a ball with his glove near belt level often over the shoulder like the famous one by Willy Mays. |
| Bat around |
When all nine batters of one team come up to bat in the same inning before the third out |
| Battery |
The pitcher and the catcher. According to some sources, the term battery was initiated in the 1860s by Henry Chadwick, who used it to compare the firepower of his pitching staff to Civil War artillery. This predates references to telegraphs and transmitters, receivers and electricity as sources of the term |
| BB |
Scorekeeping abbreviation for Walks (Bases on Balls). BB/9 is Walks per Nine Innings |
| Beanball |
Pitch intentionally thrown at the batter. Don't try this at home |
| Bees |
The feeling a player gets when he hits the ball in cold weather, or not on the sweet spot of the bat causing his hands to sting |
| Birddog |
A first rung scout who 'sniffs' out young talent and reports back to the fulltime team scouts. A birddog often wears his MLB team's colors but doesn't have any real authority to sign or even negotiate |
| Bleachers |
The outfield stands got their name because they're uncovered - fans bleach in the sun |
| Bottom |
The home team half of the inning - because it's the lower line on the scoreboard |
| Breaking ball |
Any off-speed pitch that breaks, curves, slides, drops, or dies as it nears the plate |
| Bronx cheer |
When the crowd boos, from the New York suburb |
| Brushback |
A pitch that nearly hits a batter - brushes him back off the plate |
| Bugs Bunny Curveball |
A loopy. slow curve that looks like you could swing at it three times before it crosses the plate. Bugs Bunny vs Elmer Fudd. |
| Bullpen |
Area for pitchers to warm-up. Generally two mounds and two home plates. We're still researching why it's called the bullpen. If you know.. |
| Bunt |
Short hit executed by letting the ball hit the bat (not swinging). Best technique is to keep the barrel up higher than normal so the pitch deflects downward and use the hand on the knob to direct to steer the deflection to the basepath |
| Bush league |
Originally any league below the majors, now more an editorial comment on poor play - from playing on scrub grass rather than on a manicured field |
