WebBall.com - Baseball Glossary

Our collection of baseball terms

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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T U V W X Y

Phrase	Definition
MB9	In scorekeeping (MB9) is used to list the baserunners per 9 Innings (i.e. men on base)
Meatball	An easy pitch to hit, usually right down the middle of the plate
Mendoza Line	Figurative boundary in batting averages between those hitting above and below the career average of shortstop Mario Mendoza (1974-1982) who for the Pirates, Mariners and Rangers averaged .215. Since adjusted by the revisionist Sports Illustrated to .200. When a struggling hitter pulls his average above .200, he has crossed the Mendoza Line
Military Line-Up	A sequence of batters in which the order alternates left-hand batter then right-hand then left then right (like a march). the intent is to keep the opposing manager from being able to match his LH and RH pitchers without using up his entire bullpen.
Moon shot	A very long, high home run
Mud	The reddish-brown mud used by umpires to rub into new baseballs, a tradition which started in the 1920s - but not official adopted in the NL until the 50s. After pitchers complained of difficulty in gripping new balls, league officials decided to institute a policy of 'rubbing down' baseballs to remove the sheen from the leather. Today, umpires use Lena Blackburne's Baseball Rubbing Mud, from the 1930s-era manager who first started 'mining' it from his farm on the Delaware River in New Jersey
Murderer's Row	The 1927 New York Yankees line-up - especially the 3, 4 and 5 slots - considered by many the greatest hitting team ever