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.

W

;walk-off home run

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:A game-ending home run. So called because the losing team then has to walk off the field. Conventional wisdom is that the term was originated by reliever Dennis Eckersley http://www.thecolumnists.com/isaacs/isaacs38.html. Among the most dramatic such homers were:

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• Gabby Hartnett's "Home Run in the Gloamin'" which all but clinched the pennant for the Chicago Cubs against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the closing days of the 1938 season.
• Bobby Thomson's in the 1951 National League playoff; the "Shot Heard 'Round the World".
• Bill Mazeroski's in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series; the first homer ever to end a World Series.
• Carlton Fisk's in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series, which ended a game considered by many the greatest ever played.
• Chris Chambliss' in Game 5 of the 1976 ALCS, winning the pennant for the New York Yankees.
• Ozzie Smith's in Game 5 of the 1985 National League Championship Series.
• Kirk Gibson's in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series (off Dennis Eckersley).
• Kirby Puckett's in Game 6 of the 1991 World Series.
• Joe Carter's in Game 6 of the 1993 World Series; the second homer to end a World Series.
• Aaron Boone's in Game 7 of the 2003 American League Championship Series.

;warning track

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:The dirt and finely-ground gravel, as opposed to grass, area bordering the fence, especially in the outfield. It is intended to help prevent fielders from inadvertently running into the fence. 1950s and 60s broadcaster Bob Wolff used to call it the "cinder path". The first "warning tracks" actually started out as running tracks in Yankee Stadium and Cleveland Stadium. True warning tracks did not become standard until the 1950s, around the time batting helmets came into standard use also.

Related Topics:
Bob Wolff - Yankee Stadium - Cleveland Stadium

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;wave

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:As a verb, to swing and miss a pitch. As a noun, as in "doing the wave", a group of fans in one section will stand up, raise their arms, and yell. As they are sitting down, the next section will be rising, and so on around the stadium. This is most impressive in a stadium that is fully enclosed with seats and is filled to capacity.

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;Wheel play

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:upon a bunt to the left side of the infield, the 3rd baseman runs toward home to field the bunt, and the shortstop runs to third base to cover.

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;WW

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:Scoresheet notation for "wasn't watching", used by non-official scorekeepers when their attention has been distracted from the play on field. Supposedly used frequently by former New York Yankees broadcaster Phil Rizzuto.

Related Topics:
New York Yankees - Phil Rizzuto

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