Comets Baseball Club Inc.

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Baseball Language

The following is a list of some of the "Language of Baseball".  It’s not intended to be all defining, nor is it to be read as a set rules for games that Comets play.

As a parent you may hear the coach, older children, their parents or other club members using some of the terms here.  The important thing is that if you don’t know, ask, most people will be only too keen to explain what the term means.

Some terms you may never hear while your child is playing baseball, but are included here to expand the horizons.

If there’s a term that’s not listed that you think should be, please let us know.

Terminology

At Bat (AB): Turns at batting. Depending on the grade that your child plays this could be anywhere from two to four or five.

Batting Average (AVG): This is the key measure of a player's worth. In short, this is hits divided by at bats.

The average is calculated as a fraction of one, ie. 0.300 (the benchmark of a good pro player) means the batter gets a hit in 30% of his at bats. Hence, you may see references to a player's average being .300.

Batting averages do not include getting on base via a walk - when the pitcher throws four pitches, or balls outside the strike zone.

Also not counted are sacrifice flies (when a batter hits the ball far enough for a player to advance a base after the catch has been made), being hit by the pitch (which gives you first base), and fielder's choices or errors.

Pitchers, tend to bat at the tail of the order, although towards the end of a close game they, and other bad batters, are often substituted so that pinch hitters can take their at bat. Pinch hitters apply to pro baseball and are not used in games that are played by the Comets.

Balls are pitches outside the strike zone - four of these and you get a walk.

Blue is the name given to the Umpire. Games normally have two umpires, a Plate Umpire and a Field Umpire.  The Plate Umpire is usually the Umpire In Charge (UIC). Of course there are always budding Umpires watching, ready to add their two bobs worth! They're normally called spectators!  Here's a bit of Umpire history.

Double Play (DP): 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. A triple play is very rare.

Earned Run Average (ERA): After their win-loss record, this is the key statistic for pitchers.

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 good ERA is anything below 4.00 (ie four runs per nine innings), a bad one is 6.00+.

Foul Ball: If the batter hits the ball into Foul Territory.

Foul Territory: Is the area behind the lines that extend from home plate past first base and home plate and third base.

Hits (H): 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.

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 hit batsman speaks for itself - the result is the same as a walk.

Mercy Rule: So that all players get to enjoy the game the Mercy Rule calls for side away after 7 runners are home in any one innings.  The apposing side then is at bat.

On Base Percentage (OBP): Like the batting average, but is hits divided the number of time the batter got on base.

Runs Batted In (RBI): After batting averages, this is the most important batting statistic. You get an RBI every time you enable someone to score.

So, if you hit a home run you get one because you have scored. If you get hit by the pitch when the bases are loaded (players on first, second and third), you get an RBI as everyone has to move around one base. If you hit a home run with the bases loaded (a grand slam) you get four RBIs.

Pitcher: Is the player who is on the mound pitching the ball to the batter.  There is no pitcher in Under 8's, 9 or 10's.  To protect our players each pitcher is limited to the number of pitches that they can through.  This number varies with the age group they are playing in.

Saves (SV): Not every pitcher is a starter - most teams have a rotation of four or five starters. The rest of the pitching staff or bull pen (usually 10-12 players) are known as relievers. When the starting pitcher gets tired or is having an off day, a team manager calls in a reliever.

If the team was still leading when the starter retired, you are attempting to complete the win and earn a save.

The best relievers will normally only pitch the last innings. If the reliever lets the opposition win, that is a blown save. Relievers that bail out starters by pitching for two or more innings are called middle relievers.

A starter going all the way to the end pitches a complete game. If they do this without giving up a hit that is a no-hitter, which is very rare. Even rarer is a perfect game - no hits or walks, just 27 straight outs.

Strike: Any time a pitcher places a ball within the strike zone, whether the batter attempts to hit the ball or not. If a player hits a ball into foul territory, only the first two fouls are counted as strikes. You cannot be fouled out.  The umpire determines whether a pitched ball is a strike or a foul, however most spectators will have their own opinion.  Please respect the umpires decision.

Strike-outs: Three strikes and you're out. The only complicating factor is foul balls. This counts as a strike against the batter, but only up to two strikes. You cannot foul out.

Strike Zone: The space bound by the area that is over the home plate and between the batters knees and chest.

Stolen base (SB): 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.

The player on base starts running as soon as the pitcher begins his action. If the pitcher attempts to break his action by throwing to first base instead of the plate it is called a balk, which gives the batter first base and advances the man on base to second.

The player attempts to beat the catcher's throw to the second baseman or shortstop (the two fielders who defend the middle of the infield).

SBs are important because the further a player can get around, the better a chance he/she has of getting home.  It also frees up a base so that there is less chance of a forced run.

A pitcher can try to stop people stealing bases by keeping them close to first base.

The runner will try to get a good head start by going as far from first base as they dare.

But if a pitcher can throw the ball to the first baseman before the runner gets back to the base, the fielder can tag him out. This is called a pick off.

Base stealing is not allowed in the Under 8’s, 9 & 10’s.  Each runner must be on base prior to the pitch.

A wild pitch is when the catcher misses it - if a runner is on base they can easily steal a base, maybe two.

Last modified: 01 February, 2006

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