Daily Bases

With baseball season winding down and the race for the pennant is heating up, I see no better time than now to explain some of baseball's most thrown around phrases. You can expect to hear these phrases and acronyms thrown around not only by the announcers on the tv screen, but in local bars, during any heated baseball debate, and even in everyday conversation. Now whenever you hear these you can finally understand them and even start throwing them around yourself! *Note: Use your new found powers as you wish, but please note I will not be held accountable for any extra attention you receive during the game!

Commonly used phrases in baseball decoded:

1. Around the Horn: This is not only the name of a hit show on ESPN that I'm sure you have been forced to watch a time or two, but it's one of the most popular phrases used during a ball game. Around the Horn describes a double play that goes from third base to second base to first base.
   
2. Circus Catch: A circus catch is most often used to describe an outstanding catch made by an outfielder. It usually involves some sort of acrobatic movement whether it be diving, jumping, sprawling, or anything of the sort. *Note: Circus Catch can also be used to describe a football player making an outstanding catch during a game.
   
   

   

   Ken Griffey Making One of His Many Circus Catches

3. Can of Corn: Possibly one of the weirdest phrases used around the diamond, however, it's meaning is rather simple. When you hear someone refer to a play as a Can of Corn, it simply means a fielder made an easy catch to record an out.
   
4. The Hill: refers to the pitcher's mound
   
5. Good Cheese: Again, I have no idea where people came up with some of these phrases that have stuck since the beginning of baseball, but someone did and they leave most us scratching our heads thinking "what in the world?!" Good Cheese refers to a good fastball that a pitcher delivers to the plate.
   
6. A Batter's Sweet Spot: This is the part of the bat, generally a few inches from the barrel, that delivers the greatest amount of power for a batter.
   
7. Frozen Rope: A frozen rope is a hard line drive hit by a batter.
   
8. South Paw: Again one of the most thrown around phrases in baseball, a South Paw, refers to a left-handed pitcher. *South Paw can also be used in boxing, tennis, or fencing.

Pitcher John Danks throwing left-handed

Commonly used Terms and Acroynms in Baseball:

1. Alley/Gap: The section in the outfield that is between two outfield players. It forms a "gap" in the playing field.
   
2. Backdoor Slider: Refers to a pitch that appears to be out of the strike zone, but then breaks/curves back over the plate resulting in a strike.
   
3. Basket Catch: Term used when a fielder catches a ball with his glove near or below the belt-line.

    4.   RBI: Run Batted In 

    5.   Dish: Refers to Homeplate

    6. Chin Music: A pitch that is high and right under a batter's chin. 

  

    7.  Punchout: Whenever a pitcher strikes out a batter. 

    8.  Cycle: When a batter hits for the cycle, that means during the game they have hit a single, double, triple, and a homer. Very uncommon in baseball games.

These are just a few of some of baseball's most common terms and phrases. Of course this list is not exhaustive and if there is something you continue to hear and have no idea what it means, just leave me a comment and I will answer the question for you. Enjoy the final stretch of the baseball season!