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.

I

;throwing in the batters eyes

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:pitching a high fastball, usually at or near the batters eye level. A "ball", and hard to hit, but hard to lay off.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

;infield fly

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:A call made by the umpire signaling the batter is out when he hits a fly ball that can be caught by an infielder with runners on first and second or with the bases loaded and less than two outs. This rule is intended to prevent the fielder from intentionally dropping the ball and getting force outs on any or all of the runners on base. The rule is sometimes a little mystifying to casual fans of the game, but it has been a fundamental rule since 1895, presumably to prevent the notoriously tricky Baltimore Orioles from doing it.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

;inside baseball or inside game

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:Playing strategy that focuses on teamwork and good execution. It is a double-meaning term in that such strategy usually centers around the infield - the walk, the base hit, the bunt, the stolen base, etc. The last of the ninth inning in Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS is a perfect example: a walk, a steal and a single to tie the game. The game was tied by the inside game, but was won by the power game, in extra innings, when slugger David Ortiz hit a walk off home run. The inside game was the primary approach to playing baseball during the Dead Ball Era.

Related Topics:
2004 ALCS - David Ortiz

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

;in the hole (1)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:On the infield at a location nearly exactly between fielders, used to describe the location of a batted ground ball, or the location a fielder as he runs to to try to retrieve that ball. Used most often in reference to the space between the first and second basemen, or between the shortstop and the third baseman. A ground ball hit between second and short is more apt to be described as "up the middle". The term is also occasionally used to designate the space between any pair or group of fielders. In any case, "the hole" is "where they ain't" as Willie Keeler famously stated. Term similarly used in football.

Related Topics:
Willie Keeler - Football

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

;in the hole (2)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:Due to bat third in order; batting immediately after the on-deck batter. Presumably derived from card-playing terminology.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~