List of baseball jargon

The following is an alphabetical list of selected unofficial terms, phrases, and other jargon used in baseball, and explanations of their meanings. See also baseball slang for slang in general usage that originated in baseball. For an exhaustive list, see The New Dickson Baseball Dictionary, by Paul Dickson.

H

;hanging curve

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:A curveball that does not drop very much in its delivery, especially when hit for a home run.

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;hard hands

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:a fielding defect - balls tend to bounce out his hands.

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;hat trick

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:To strike out three times

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;heat

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:A fastball, a pitcher's fastest pitch, as in "Bring the heat".

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;high and tight

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:High, or above the strike zone, and close to the batter, used to describe the location of pitches.

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;high heat

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:A "rising" fastball, which can be very difficult to hit; with two strikes on the batter, the pitcher might "bring the high heat" and go for the K.

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;hill

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:Referring to the pitcher's mound.

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;hit and run

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:Offensive play executed jointly by a baserunner (usually on first base) and batter. At the pitch, the baserunner begins to run towards second as if to steal the base. The second baseman must move towards second base to catch the catcher's throw and attempt to tag out the runner. This creates a gap between first and second base, and the batter attempts to hit the ball into this gap (so contrary to the name, the hit follows the run). A successful hit and run can avoid a double play and advance the first-base runner to third. The hit and run is usually ordered, or put on, by the manager.

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;hit 'em where they ain't

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:Said to be the (grammatically-casual) response of late-19th-century / early-20th-century player Willie Keeler to the question, "What's the secret to hitting?" in which "'em" or "them" are the batted balls, and "they" are the fielders.

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;hit for the cycle

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:To hit a single, double, triple and home run in the same game. To accomplish this feat in order is termed a "progressive cycle."

Related Topics:
Single - Double - Triple

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;hole in his swing

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:location in or near the strikezone where the batter can't hit a pitch

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;hole in his glove

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:a tendency to drop caught balls.

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;hook foul

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:When the batter "pulls" the ball down the line, starting fair and ending foul, on the same side of the diamond that the batter is standing. Contrast with slice foul. Both terms are also used in the game of golf.

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;hot box

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:Same as rundown or, specifically, the area occupied by the runner while he is being "run down".

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;hot corner

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:The third base fielding position, so called because many batted balls arrive very quickly at the position.

Related Topics:
Third base - Fielding position

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