Baseball Betting Terms
If you've ever watched a baseball game and been completely overwhelmed by the language of the game, this glossary contains definitions of the most common baseball terms.
A fan's guide to commonly-used terms and phrases.
ace -- A team's best starting pitcher.
alley-- The section of the outfield between the outfielders. Also "gap."
around the horn -- A double play going from third base to second to first.
backdoor slider -- A pitch that appears to be out of the strike zone, but then breaks back over the plate.
bag -- A 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.
bandbox -- A small ballpark that favors hitters.
bang-bang play -- A play in which the base runner hits the bag a split-second before the ball arrives or vice versa.
basket catch -- When a fielder catches a ball with his glove near belt level.
Bronx cheer -- When the crowd boos.
brush back -- A pitch that nearly hits a batter.
bush -- Also "bush league." An amateur play or behavior.
can of corn -- An easy catch by a fielder.
caught looking -- When a batter is called out on strikes.
cellar -- Last place. Also "basement."
cheese -- Also "good cheese." Refers to a good fastball.
chin music -- A pitch that is high and inside.
circus catch -- An outstanding catch by a fielder.
closer -- A team's relief pitcher who finishes the game.
cutter -- A cut fastball (one with a late break to it).
cycle -- When a batter hits a single, double, triple and home run in the same game.
dinger -- A home run.
dish -- Home plate.
fireman -- A team's closer or late-inning relief pitcher.
fungo -- A ball hit to a fielder during practice. It's usually hit by a coach using a "fungo bat," which is longer and thinner than a normal bat.
gap -- See "alley." A ball hit here is a "gapper."
gopher ball -- A pitch hit for a home run, as in "go for."
heat -- A good fastball. Also "heater."
high and tight -- Referring to a pitch that's up in the strike zone and inside on a hitter. Also known as "up and in."
hill -- Pitcher's mound.
homer -- A home run. Other terms include: blast, dinger, dong, four-bagger, four-base knock, moon shot, tape-measure blast and tater.
hot corner -- Third base.
in the hole -- The batter after the on-deck hitter.
jam -- When a hitter gets a pitch near his hands, he is "jammed." Also when a pitcher gets himself in trouble, he is in a "jam."
leather -- Refers to how good a player plays defensively or handles the glove. Ex: "He flashed some leather on that play."
meatball -- An easy pitch to hit, usually right down the middle of the plate.
Mendoza line -- A batting average of around .200.
moon shot -- A very long, high home run.
nail down -- As in "nail down a victory." Refers to a relief pitcher finishing off the game.
on the screws -- When a batter hits the ball hard. Also "on the button."
painting the black -- When a pitcher throws the ball over the edge of the plate.
pea -- A ball traveling at high speed, either batted or thrown.
pepper -- Pepper is a common pre-game exercise where one player bunts brisk grounders and line drives to a group of fielders who are standing about 20 feet away. The fielders try to throw it back as quickly as possible. The batter hits the return throw. (Some ballparks ban pepper games because wild pitches could land in the stands and injure spectators).
pick -- A good defensive play by an infielder on a ground ball. Also a shortened version of "pick-off."
pickle -- A rundown.
punchout -- A strikeout.
rhubarb -- A fight or scuffle.
ribbie -- Another way of saying RBI. Also "ribeye."
rope -- A hard line drive hit by a batter. Also "frozen rope."
rubber game -- The deciding game of a series.
run-down -- When a baserunner gets caught between bases by the fielders.
Ruthian -- With great power.
seeing-eye single -- A soft ground ball that finds its way between infielders for a base hit.
set-up man -- A relief pitcher who usually enters the game in the 7th or 8th inning.
shoestring catch -- A running catch made just above the fielder's shoetops.
southpaw -- A left-handed pitcher.
sweet spot -- The part of the bat just a few inches from the barrel.
table setter -- Batter whose job is to get on base for other hitters to drive him in. Usually a leadoff or No. 2 hitter.
tape-measure blast -- An extremely long home run.
tater -- A home run.
Texas Leaguer -- A bloop hit that drops between an infielder and outfielder.
tools of ignorance -- Catcher's equipment.
touch 'em all -- Hitting a home run (touching all the bases).
twin killing -- A double play.
Uncle Charlie -- Curve ball.
utility player -- A player who fills in at many positions.
wheelhouse -- A hitter's power zone. Usually a pitch waist-high and over the heart of the plate.
wheels -- A ballplayer's legs.
whiff -- Strikeout.
yakker -- Curve ball.
Statistics Glossary PITCHING TERMS
# Pit/PA Number of Pitches Faced per Plate Appearance
1B Single
2B Double
3B Triple
Avg A Batting Average Against (Hitter's batting average against that pitcher) H/AB
BB Bases on Balls (Walks)
BF Batters Faced
BF/9 Batters Faced Per Nine Innings
BK Balks
CG Complete Games
ER Earned Runs
ERA Earned Run Average (Earned Runs/Innings Times Nine)
FB Fly Balls
G Games
GB Ground Balls
GF Games Finished
GS Games Started
H Hits
HBP Hit By Pitch
HR Home Runs Allowed
IBB Intentional Bases on Balls
IP Innings Pitched
K Strikeouts
L Losses
R Runs
RATIO Walks Plus Hits/Innings Pitched
SH Sacrifice Hits Given Up
Sho Shut Outs
Sv Saves
SUP Run Support
W Wins
WP Wild Pitches
BATTING TERMS
1B Single
2B Double
3B Triple
AB At Bats (Does not include walks or Sacrifice Hits)
AB/HR Home Runs per at Bat Ratio
AB/K At Bats Diveded By Strikeouts
AVG Batting Average H/AB
BB Bases on Balls
CS Caught Stealing
G Games Played
GB Ground Balls
GDP Grounded Into Double Play
GRD Ground Balls
H Hits
HBP Hit By Pitch
HP/PA Hit Pitches per at Bat
HR Home Run
IBB Intentional Bases on Balls
OBP On Base Percentage (H+BB+HBP) / (AB+BB+HBP+Sacrifice Flies)
R Runs
RBI Runs Batted In
SB Stolen Bases
SB% Stolen Base Percentage SB / (SB+CS)
SF Sacrifice Fly
SH Sacrifice Hits
SLG Slugging Percentage TB/AB
K Strike Outs
TB Total Bases H + 2B + (2 x 3B) + (3 x HR)
BATTING CATEGORIES
As C As a Catcher
As 1B As a First Baseman
As 2B As a Second Baseman
As 3B As a Third Baseman
As SS As a Short Stop
As LF As a Left Fielder
As CF As a Center Fielder
As RF As a Right Fielder
As P As a Pitcher
FIELDING TERMS
A Assists
Ch Chances (Balls hit to a position)
CS Caught Stealing (On Throws by Catchers or Pickoffs by Pitchers)
CS% Caught Stealing Percentage
CERA Earned Run Average when Catching
DP Double Plays
E Errors
FPct Fielding Percentage (PO+A) / (PO+A+E)
G Games Played
GS Games Started
INN Innings
PB Passed Balls
PO Put Outs
RF Range Factor [ (PO+A) (9) ] / # of Defensive Innings
SBA Stolen Base Attempt
ZR Zone Rating # of Outs made/# of Chances
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