BASEBALL TERMINOLOGIES: A concise list of terminologies in baseball from A to Z. You will find 100s of baseball terms and definitions used by players and officials.
Baseball players and match referees can use this vocabulary of baseball terminology. The titles and common match rulings will also help spectators and sports fans.
The official baseball rules and regulations is a good place to start if you are learning to play. These baseball slang key words cover the advanced lingo and sports terms related to the game.
Bat your way through to the most common baseball terminology by clicking the alphabet facility below. Or take your time while you brush up your knowledge and understanding of the game.
This comprehensive list of baseball terms and definitions continues to grow. Check in often for more information associated to baseball playing techniques and match-winning strategies.
BASEBALL TERMS: A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
Note: Knowledge is Power! This website is the ‘One Stop Shop for Rules and Regulations’ in the United Kingdom. Click the image logo and follow The UK Rules on Facebook.
A – At Bats
Turns at batting. Normally four or five per game for a starting outfield player.
B – Batting Average
As in cricket, this is the key measure of player’s worth. In short, this is hits divided by at bats.
A good batting average in baseball terms is anything over .300; a decent one is about .260; anything below .240 is poor.
C – Cleats
The word ‘cleats’ refers to shoes featuring protrusions on the sole of the shoe. Cleats are an external attachment to a shoe which provides extra traction for the players.
D – Double Play
In a bases loaded situation, if you’re on first and the batter hits the ball, you have to start running.
If the ball fails to get past the infield (the innermost four fielders) there is a good chance that they can get the man on base out and still have time to throw to first to get you out.
E – Earned Run Average
After their win-loss record, this is the key stat for pitchers (akin to bowling averages in cricket). An ERA is how many runs a pitcher gives up per nine innings.
Runs scored by players who got on base due to an error are not his fault and therefore unearned – a bit like byes on a bowling average.
F – Field
There are several baseball slang terms used to describe the pitch they play on. Common phrases for a baseball field include a ‘baseball diamond’ or a ‘ball field’.
G – Gear
As a rule, players get a lot of freedom when choosing which gear to use. A general checklist of baseball equipment would include a glove, a helmet, catcher’s gear, an aluminium or wooden baseball bat, and the ball.
H – Hits
Any time a player connects with the ball and gets to at least first base. This is the most important statistic for a non-pitcher.
You don’t get a hit if a fielder makes a mistake, known as an error , or decides to throw to another base to get somebody else out, a fielder’s choice.
Home Run
Getting to first is called a single, second a double, third a triple (quite rare), and all the way around is a home run. But they all count as one hit.
A batter who records the rare feat of a single, a double, a triple and a home run in the same game is said to have hit for the cycle.
I – Innings
A total of 9 innings take place per game. Each team has one spell of batting and then fielding in each innings. Both teams will have three ‘outs‘ per innings and then they swap roles.
J – Jargon
Baseball jargon you might hear at the ballpark includes a raft of popular slang, lingo, and terminology.
K – Knickers
Often used in baseball player slang, knickers refers to the pants that they wear.
L – Leagues
There are four major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada. Major League Baseball (MLB) is the oldest of the league organizations.
M – Major League
The Majors are two leagues – American and National – each has three divisions: West, Central and East.
Every team plays every other in their league, and they play more games against those in their division. The leagues don’t meet until the World Series, apart from a few specially created interleague games.
O – On Base Percentage
Like the above but includes all those other bits too. A good OBP is .400 – anything below .300 is bad.
P – PDF Rule Book
Get all the facts about baseball in this colourful and informative Official Rule Book of Baseball game.
R – Runs Batted In
After batting averages, this is the most important batting stat. You get an RBI every time you enable someone to score (including yourself).
S – Stolen Base
Once on base, fast-running players will try to steal a base – normally from first to second, as second base is the furthest throw for the catcher to make from behind home plate.
Strikeouts
Three strikes and you’re out. The only complicating factor is foul balls. If the batter hits the ball behind the tramlines that extend into the stands from the lines marking first and third base this is called a foul.
T – Triple Play
A triple play is very rare, and rarer still is an unassisted triple play where a fielder makes all three outs himself – usually, by catching a line drive, stepping on a base to get one runner out, and tagging another runner with the ball between bases.
Z – Zone
The Baseball Zone is one of Toronto’s best baseball training facilities. They cater for the youth player all the way through to the professional level.
Note: We listen to your comments and appreciate your support. Please like and share this page on Facebook if you found the baseball terminologies useful. Did we miss any common baseball terms and definitions?