BP
Short for “batting practice.” Before a game, coaches will often throw easy pitches to hitters to warm them up.
bunt
In a sacrifice bunt, the batter will put the ball into play with the intention of advancing a baserunner, in exchange for the batter being thrown out. The sacrifice bunt is most often used to advance a runner from first to second base, although the runner may also be advanced from second to third base, or from third to home. The sacrifice bunt is most often used in close, low-scoring games, and it is usually performed by weaker hitters, especially by pitchers in games played in National League parks.
hum babe
A “cheer” for the pitcher as throw a strike or put a little extra something on the pitch to get the batter to swing and miss. A hummer is a fastball. “Babe” probably refers to Babe Ruth.
forearm shiver
A forceful tackle led with one’s forearm.
greaseball
Also known as the spitball, spitter, mud ball, shine ball, supersinker, or vaseline ball. A spitball is an illegal baseball pitch in which the ball has been altered by the application of saliva, petroleum jelly, or some other foreign substance. This technique alters the wind resistance and weight on one side of the ball, causing it to move in an atypical manner. It may also cause the ball to “slip” out of the pitcher’s fingers without the usual spin that accompanies a pitch. Although the spitball is now banned at all levels of professional and organized amateur baseball, it is still sometimes thrown in violation of the rules. (In 1942, Leo Durocher, then-manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, fined Bobo Newsom for throwing a spitball and “lying to me about it.”) Typically, a lubricant is hidden behind the pitcher’s knee or under the peak of his cap. Others will place the ball in their mitt and then cough on or lick it.
hotbox
A play in which a runner is stranded between two bases, and runs back and forth to try to avoid fielders with the ball. The fielders (usually basemen) toss the ball back and forth, to prevent the runner from getting to a base, and typically close in on him and tag him.
inside pitch
Inside pitching is a tactic used by pitchers. It refers to throwing a pitch outside the strike zone and near the batter’s box. Despite the dangers that it poses to batters, it is a common and legal tactic. Most often, it is used as a way of intimidating the opposing batter.
jammed
To “jame” is to pitch far enough inside that the batter is unable to extend while swinging:”The pitcher jammed the batter”.
Leo Durocher
Leo Ernest Durocher, nicknamed Leo the Lip, was an American professional baseball player and manager. Upon his retirement, he ranked fifth all-time among managers with 2,009 career victories. A controversial and outspoken character, Durocher had a stormy career dogged by clashes with authority, umpires, and the press. The saying “nice guys finish last” is a condensation by journalists of a quotation by Durocher —he did not originally say this form himself, though it has often been attributed to him, and he did appropriate it as his own.
no-hitter
In baseball, a no-hitter is a game in which a team was not able to record a single hit. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in at least nine innings recorded no hits. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have “thrown a no-hitter”.
no-man’s land
A baserunner caught in a hotbox is said to be in “no man’s land”.
perfect game
A perfect game is defined by Major League Baseball as a game in which a pitcher (or combination of pitchers) pitches a victory that lasts a minimum of nine innings and in which no opposing player reaches base.
round tripper
A home run.
sinker
A type of fastball pitch which has significant downward and horizontal movement and is known for inducing ground balls.
slider
A pitch that tails laterally and down through the batter’s hitting zone; it is thrown with speed less than a fastball but greater than the pitcher’s curveball.
strike zone
When the batter does not swing, the umpire can either declare it a strike or a ball. The strike zone is the volume of space through which a pitch must pass in order to count as a strike. is defined as the volume of space above home plate and between the batter’s knees and the midpoint of their torso. Strikes are desirable for the pitcher and the fielding team, as three strikes result in a strikeout. A pitch that misses the strike zone is called a ball. Balls are desirable for the batter and the batting team, as four balls allow the batter to take a base on balls.
suicide squeeze
First see: “Bunt.” In baseball, the squeeze play (aka squeeze bunt) is a maneuver consisting of a sacrifice bunt with a runner on third base. The batter bunts the ball, expecting to be thrown out at first base, but providing the runner on third base an opportunity to score. In a suicide squeeze, the runner takes off as soon as the pitcher begins to throw the pitch, before releasing the ball. If properly executed, a play at home plate is extremely unlikely. However, if the batter fails to make contact with the pitch, the runner is likely to be put out at home plate (hence, “suicide”). Therefore, the suicide squeeze usually requires a skilled bunter who can make contact consistently, even on difficult pitches. These plays are often used in the late innings of a close game in order to score a score-saving run.
whiffed
A swinging strike (referring to the bat whiffing through the air without contacting the ball).
Definitions primarily sourced from Wikipedia.
The Brothers K 