Hello, most of us are aware of the sport “Baseball”.
Let us refresh ourselves and explain what a “Baseball” is and how it is played?
Baseball is a game of bat and ball played between two opposing teams taking turns hitting and entering the field. The running team tries to block the runs by getting the batsmen or runners “out”, forcing them out of the playground. Both bowlers and stadium riders have ways to get rid of the batting team players.
Let us know further some baseball terminology that is used during games:
Some common baseball terminology that most people know are strikeout, base, walk, home run, hit, bat, batter, etc. Along with these common baseball terms, there are lesser-known terms like WHIP, assist, hot corner, launch angle, slugging percentage, and more.
Baseball Vocabulary Words for Kids
Now let us work on popular Baseball related terms:
| WORD | MEANING | SENTENCE |
| Ball | a pitch thrown outside the strike zone | I walked to first base after the pitcher threw four balls. |
| Base | one of four “safe havens” to be reached in turn by a runner | If the ball gets to the baseman before you do, you’ll be out. |
| base hit | a play in which the batter hits the ball into fair territory and gets at least to first base | He had a good game, getting five base hits altogether. |
| bases loaded | situation in which a runner is waiting on each of three bases | I was very nervous because our bases were loaded and we’d get 4 runs and win if I hit a home run. |
| Bat | instrument made of aluminium or wood that is used to hit the ball while batting | He hit the ball so hard that his bat was broken. |
| Batter | player whose job is to hit the ball with a bat | The batters wait in the dugout until it’s time to bat. |
| Catcher | player who squats behind home plate and catches pitches the batter doesn’t hit | Our catcher spends a lot of time practising hand signals with our pitchers. |
| change up | a slow pitch thrown with the same arm action as a fastball, intended to deceive the batter | One of his best pitches is his change up as most batters can’t spot it and they have trouble hitting it. |
| curve ball | a pitch that moves unexpectedly in the air because of spin put on the ball by the pitcher | His curve ball is hard to hit and he strikes out lots of weaker batters with it. |
| Double | a hit from which the batter reaches second base | I hit the ball deep into the outfield and ran to second base for a double. |
| double play | a defensive play in which two base runners are out from two quick throws | We got two of their runners out on a double play and the inning was over. |
| Fastball | a pitch that is thrown as fast as possible | Pitchers with good fastballs can throw them over 100 mph (162 km/h). |
| fly ball | batted ball that goes high in the air | He hit a fly ball into the outfield and a fielder caught it, so he was out. |
| foul ball | batted ball that goes outside the foul lines | The hit went just outside the foul line, so it was called a foul ball. |
| foul line | lines extending from home plate through 1st and 3rd bases to the outfield fence | If a ball lands on a foul line, it is in fair territory. |
| foul territory | all parts of the playing field outside the foul lines | Umpires decide whether a hit is into fair or foul territory. |
| grand slam | a home run hit with a runner on every base, by which 4 runs are scored | My son was so happy after hitting a home run on a grand slam play that he couldn’t stop smiling. |
| ground ball | a batted ball that rolls or bounces in the infield | I knew I couldn’t hit it far enough for a home run, so I hit a ground ball so it wouldn’t be caught. |
| home plate | the fourth base to which a runner runs, over which a pitcher pitches and a batter bats | A pitcher usually tries to pitch the ball over the home plate. |
| home run | a ball hit out of the playing field in fair territory, scoring a run for the batter and any base runners | Babe Ruth held nearly all the home run records for many years. |
| Infield | area inside the square formed by the four bases | A bunt is a gentle shot played into the infield. |
| Out | to be dismissed, or to have one’s turn ended | I hit the ball a long way, but a fielder caught it and I was out. |
| Outfield | area between the infield and the home run fence | How many fielders are usually placed in the outfield? |
| outfielder | a player who fields in the outfield | Outfielders must be able to throw the ball a long way. |
| pitcher’s mound | a raised section in the middle of the diamond on which pitchers stand when pitching | Our relief pitcher walked slowly out to the pitcher’s mound. |
| play | a move or manoeuvre in a sport or game | They threw the ball quickly and got both runners out on the same play. |
| run | a score earned when a base runner safely gets to home plate | We got three runs in the first innings, but didn’t get any more until the eighth. |
| strike | a strike is called if a batter swings at a pitch and misses, or if the pitch passes through the strike zone without being hit | I was nervous because I’d already had two strikes called and if another one was called I’d be out. |
| strike out | to be out for having three strikes called | Joe’s pitches are difficult to hit, so he strikes out a lot of batters. |
| tag | to get a runner out by touching them with the ball or with the glove holding the ball | The fielder got the ball and tagged me out just before I got to the base. |
| triple | a hit from which the batter reaches third base | I hit it way into the outfield and managed to run to third base for a triple. |
| triple play | a defensive play in which three base runners are tagged out with three quick throws | Fielders must throw fast and accurately to make a triple play. |
| walk | free pass to first base given to a batter after a pitcher throws four balls outside the strike zone | Their pitcher was replaced after walking three batters in a row. |
Keep exploring EnglishBix to learn more about words related to different sports.
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