Don’t be alarmed when you hear the phrase “suicide squeeze” at a baseball game. And your son hasn’t turned into a baker after “laying down a bunt.”

The weather isn’t changing when the coach asks the pitcher to “bring on the heat.” But, maybe the following list of terms, slang and phrases will enlighten your baseball vocabulary.

“He crushed it” - The frog on the field is still alive, but the ball was hit very hard by the batter.

“Dead ball”- Well, it was never alive, but was thrown or hit outside the boundaries of play.

“Suicide squeeze” - A play when the runner on third base steals home during the pitch, while the batter bunts the ball. Called a suicide because sometimes the batter misses the ball, and the runner is tagged out easily by the catcher.

“Bring on the heat” - Speed up the pitch.

“Laying down a bunt” - batter holds the bat out to make slight contact with the ball, making it drop to the ground and roll several feet.

“The team choked” - Don’t call for medical help just yet, but your son may be feeling down about the loss.

“On deck”- The barbecue hasn’t started - just the player next in line to bat.

“In the hole” - Sounds like something a critter might dig. But, it’s really the batter next in line after the on deck hitter.

“Critter Ridder” - A common phrase we heard while at a baseball tournament in South Carolina. I guess the bugs grow bigger down there!

“Rip that ball”- I’m not sure that’s possible unless your kid is on mega steroids. Just encouraging words for the batter.

“Knuckle ball”- Boston Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield is famous for this pitch. This is a pitch thrown with very little spin, making the ball very difficult to hit.

“Sacrifice” - Tribal custom of burning the losing pitcher at the stake. Not really! Just a term that means the batter hit the ball and is out, but advanced a runner.

“Deep fly” - Either there’s a winged critter at the bottom of your soup bowl, or the baseball was hit high and far into the outfield.

“Foul ball” - No need to plug your nose, just watch out for balls hit out-of-bounds.

“No hitter” - A phrase often told to a mean brother (no…hit…her), or a pitcher following a game where the other team went hitless.

“Winning streak” - Could be the fastest bare naked person to cross the field, or a team that’s won several games in a row.

“Pounded the ball” - Similar to ripping, but with a hammer. Also can be a batter or team that hits the ball well.

“Ribbie” - That would be next to the ‘tummy,’ or a run batted in.

“Pitcher was shelled” - Could be a coastal custom, or a place where the pitcher might like to hide, since the batters hit the ball well against him.

“Ace” - Good card to have in poker, and great pitcher to have in the game.

“Air out” - That’s what you do to your athlete’s clothes after a long hot day on the field! Also means the ball was caught in the air for an out.

“Around the horn” - Something shouted to the cowboy at the rodeo, and also to the infield for a double play thrown from third, to second, and then first base.

“Breaking ball” - If it’s your own don’t worry, but if it went through the neighbor’s window - RUN! Also refers to a curve ball, or other types of pitches that have a strong break before crossing the plate.

“Bullpen” - Where the pitchers warm up, and the horned bovine cool down.

“Bush league” - Tough to play in there, but originally referred to the leagues below the majors.

“Cactus league”- Can you imagine! Ouch! Good thing it just means the leagues that play in Arizona.

“Caught looking” - Shame on you! And shame on the batter for not swinging at the third pitch.

“Clean-up batter” - Good thing there aren’t any dishes at the field. Just means batting fourth.

“Cut-off man” - Sounds dangerous! But, is just the infielder who goes out to relay a ball hit to the outfield.

“Donut” - This one’s not very tasty, cause the batter puts it on the end of his bat as a weight to warm up.

“Double-header”- Critters that lived through a dose of ‘Critter Ridder,’ or near a nuclear power plant. Just means two games in a row on the same day.

“Fungo” - The stuff that grows in your kid’s athletic shoes! It’s also a long, thin bat used to hit balls to players during practice.

“Yakker” - The parent at the field who just won’t shut up! But, I bet you didn’t know it referred to a curve ball.

“Southpaw” - The animal’s foot behind the ‘northpaw,’ or just a left-handed pitcher.

“Spitball” - Outlawed, and it means just that - spit or grease on the ball from the pitcher. Yuck!

“Stolen base” - Can be a problem, if too many are taken. Can be a problem if too many are allowed in a game too! Runner goes to the next base as the pitcher throws to the catcher.

“Pick” or “Pick-off”- Embarrassing for the parent of the kids with his finger up the nose. Embarrassing too for the player who gets caught leading off a base!

O.k., your turn. Please post comments with suggestions for the list!

-Bob Hammerstrom

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