|
|
Baseball
Terminology
Select the first letter of the word from the list above to jump to appropriate section of the glossary. If the term you are looking for starts with a digit or symbol, choose the '#' link. OR
SIMPLY PRESS THE LETTER ON YOUR KEYBOARD
S Sacrifice, Successful Steal of a Base, Save SA Slugging Average sac Sacrifice Sacrifice A sacrifice hit. Sacrifice Bunt A hit in which a bunted ball results in one or more runners advancing and the batter being put out at first base. Sacrifice Fly A fly ball which is caught to retire the batter-runner but allows another player to score. Sacrifice Hit A hit which results in one or more runners advancing and the batter being put out at first base SAFE Declaration by the umpire that a runner is entitled to the bases for which he was trying. Save The credit given to a relief pitcher who maintains the lead in a game and allows the pitcher's team to win. SB Stolen Base Score A score(run) is made by a player on the batting team who touches first, second, third, and home bases in that order. Scorecard A chart on which the plays of a game are recorded so that the game's events may be recalled later. Scorekeeper The official who keeps a record of the score of a game. Do not confuse with Official Scorer. SCORING POSITION Runner on second or third base. SECOND BASE The base across the diamond from home plate, to be touched second by a runner. The position played by a second baseman. The second of the four points on the baseball diamond that a player must touch in order to score. The term second base also applies to the canvas bag that marks this point.
Second base is shown below:
synonyms: keystone, keystone sack, second, second base (2B), middle bag, keystone bag Second Baseman The infielder who is positioned near and to the first-base side of second base.
"See it in" Tells the hitter to keep the head down and see the ball out of the pitcher's hand, into the strike zone, and off the bat!
"See it out" Tells
the hitter to keep the head down and see the ball out of the
pitcher's hand, into the strike zone, and off the bat! Set Position A set position is one of the two legal pitching positions. The other is the wind-up position. The set position is described by Major League Baseball as follows: "Set Position shall be indicated by the pitcher when he stands facing the batter with his entire pivot foot on, or in front of, and in contact with, and not off the end of the pitcher's plate, and his other foot in front of the pitcher's plate, holding the ball in both hands in front of his body and coming to a complete stop." SF Sacrifice Fly
SH Scorer's notation for sacrifice SHAGGER a person who collects balls on the field during batting practice.
ShO Shutout Shoestring Catch When a fielder catches a batted ball on the run, just before it hits the ground. Since the catch is made right near the fielder's feet, it is referred to as a "shoestring" catch. SHORTSTOP Defensive player positioned between second and third base.
SHUTOUT A game in which the losing team does not score a single run. Side Arm Refers to the angle of release on a pitch delivered on a plane level with the hip. Some pitchers throw primarily side arm, while some use a side arm delivery as a deviation from the standard overhand or 3/4 arm deliveries to confuse the hitter.
SIGNAL SIGNS 1. Player signals given from the third base coach to the hitter and runner. 2. Hand signals given by the catcher to the pitcher suggesting the type of pitch to be thrown. SINGLE A single is a hit that allows the runner to safely reach first base, not as the result of any error by the defensive team SINKER A fast pitch that breaks downward as it reaches. See more on how to grip and throw a Sinker SITUATIONAL HITTER a batter who has the ability to hit the ball as required; for example, bunting when a sacrifice is needed. SLAP HITTER a hitter who will hit the ball to all sides of the playing field with about the same frequency. SLIDE the act of dropping the body and skidding while approaching a base to avoid being tagged out. SLIDER A pitcher that appears to the batter as a fastball until it reaches the plate, then breaks sharply on a level plane. The ball is held similarly to the curveball, but the wrist is kept straight, like a fastball, and broken downward. See more on how to grip and throw a Slider Slugging Average The statistic which illustrates a batter's ability to make extra-base hits. Refer to the statistics page for the formula. SO Strikeout, Shutout Southpaw A left-handed pitcher. SP Starting Pitcher Spiking Intentionally sliding into a fielder at a base with the spikes of metal cleats exposed in an effort to prevent a fielder from applying a tag or maintaining possession of the baseball.
Spit Ball Illegal pitch where spit, grease, or some other substance is applied to the baseball to cause it to act unpredictably. to "spoil a pitch" - verb. To foul off an otherwise hittable pitch. Spray Hitter A hitter who will hit the ball to all sides of the playing field with about the same frequency. Squeeze Play A squeeze play is a play in which a batting team attempts to score a runner on third base by bunting.
SS Shortstop Starter The pitcher who begins the game for his/her team and pitches until the end of the game or is replaced by a relief pitcher. A starter may be credited with a win or loss, but not a save. Starting Pitcher The first pitcher for each team in a game. STEAL Attempting to advance a base between pitches without the batter hitting the ball or getting a base on balls. Stolen Base A base that is gained by a runner while a pitcher is in motion and without aid from any action by the batter or any fielders.
Stopper either Stretch The position the pitcher is in when runners are on base. The pitcher stands with the shoulder of the glove hand closest to home plate, the pivot foot on the rubber, and the other foot parallel to home base. The feet are shoulder's width apart. In the stretch, the pitcher checks the runner or runners on base and gets the sign for the pitch from the catcher before moving into the set position and delivering the pitch. STRIKE A strike is called if a batter swings at a pitch and misses, or if the pitch simply passes through the strike zone. The first 2 foul balls that are not caught count as first and second strike. A foul ball that is not caught can never be counted as a third strike If the batter swings at a pitch and fails to make contact with the ball, it is a strike. If the pitch is inside of the strike zone when it crosses the plate and the ball is not hit, it is a strike, whether or not it is swung at. If the pitch is outside of the strike zone and is not swung at, it is called a ball. If a ball is hit foul and there are less than two strikes, another strike is added to the count. If a batter does a check swing to a pitch outside of the strike zone, but his check swing goes too far, it is counted as a strike. However, there is no formal rule as to how far is too far for a swing. It is merely the umpire's decision of whether or not the pitch was swung at.
Strikeout An out made by a batter who has been charged with three strikes. Strikeout, Called A strikeout which occurs when a batter makes no attempt on the third strike. Strikeout, Swinging A strikeout which occurs when a batter makes an attempt on the third strike and misses.
SUICIDE SQUEEZE PLAY A play in which a runner on third breaks toward home on the pitch and the batter's responsibility is to bunt the ball allowing the runner to score. SV Save Sweet Spot Refers to the part of the bat located a few inches from the end of the barrel. Batted balls that hit the sweet spot come off the bat with greater power than those hit with other sections of the bat. People often refer to sweet spots of a bat. What is this "sweet spot?" The sweet spot is the location on the bat where the ball will travel the furthest distance. It is often referred to as the "fat part" of the bat because it is the thickest part of the bat. Remember that the thickest part of the bat is only as wide as the ball. Another reason why hitters hit better with an aluminum bat is because it has a greater area of a sweet spot.
SWITCH-HITTER Player who is able to bat left-handed or right-handed. A switch-hitter will bat from the opposite side in which the pitchers throw.
OR
[Official Little League Rules & Regulations] [Parents] [Players/Kids]
Learn How to: [Baseball Humor] [Baseball Terminology] [Site Map]
Copyright © 2000 Brookside Little League, Inc. All rights reserved Brookside Little League, Inc.
Thank you , for visiting Brookside's Little League Web Site |
The
term "Little League" and the Little League logo are
trademarks of Little League Baseball, Inc., Williamsport, Pa.,
extended only to local chartered leagues for purposes of
identification and publicity
