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The language of baseball: Could it get any less clear? [1]

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Date: 2024-06-21  

Coach to little leaguer playing shortstop. “Glove: On the ground and in front of the ball.” Excuse me?!

In front of a ball? In front of a ball. Yeah, right! Makes about as much sense as one being behind the 8 ball.

Bat boy. Really! Wouldn’t mind meeting his adult male counterpart. And, whom might that be? The caped crusader. You know. Bat man.

I know this is going to be seen as nit-picky or me picking nits, but what’s the deal with this “inside-the-park-homerun,” bit? Honestly, I don’t get it. Any homerun hit inside the park, as long as it’s in the baseball park and the play is fair (meaning, not foul), it’s deemed to be an inside-the-park homerun, regardless of whether it clears the fence or not. An “outside-the-park-homerun,” meanwhile, now there should not be any mistaking that.

Other very interesting baseball words and terms:

Ball, as in calling the execution Ball 1, is to, I hate to say it, state the obvious. It is a ball after all.

Strike as in Strike 1, as opposed to one striking the ball or the players organizing a strike.

Bleachers. I’d prefer not to have to go there.

Grandstand. If it stands and it’s grand, it must be a grandstand. Seems reasonable, I suppose.

On-deck as opposed to being in the dugout, right?

Safe. Safe! Safe!! Safe from what?

Gotta protect. As in “gotta protect the plate.” A plate that needs protecting?! Again, from what?

Oh, and about this pitch?

Slider. A misnomer if ever there was one.

A player who slides on the other hand. Now that’s a slider!

Extra Innings

I have one baseball book and two baseball videos.

The book: The Only Rule Is It Has To Work. By Lindbergh and Miller. Not their best work.

The videos: 42, about the legendary Jackie Robinson and The Tenth Inning, a Ken Burns production. Two thumbs up to each.

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