Coach Steve Rau

If you've been around a baseball field for over 30 years, as I have been; you come to develop a new vocabulary that is unique to the game. Many people may be familiar with the classic baseball sayings, quotes, and monologues over the years, but few casual fans really know the chatter and language that is used in the dugouts and on the field.

I compiled a fun little list of some of the phrases and terms I have come across over my many years of playing and coaching baseball. For the purpose of protecting the ears of minors, I decided to keep out the profanities. Take a look and see if any of these phrases are part of your baseball vocabulary:

• Throwing cheese- A pitcher that is throwing hard
• Throwing BB's -- Pitcher who throws hard
• Went deep- Hit a homerun
• 12 to 6- Describes a curve ball that drops straight down (references the numbers on a clock)
• Big hammer- Throws a good curveball
• Filthy stuff- Describes a pitcher with above average pitches and ability
• Soft hands- Describes a smooth, effortless fielder
• Jacked one- Hit a homerun
• Throwing gas- Pitcher who throws hard
• The bump- Describes the pitcher's mound
• Doggin it- A player who is not playing as hard as he can.
• Hands are bleeding- A hitter that was jammed on an inside pitch
• In his kitchen- Getting inside on a hitter with a pitch
• Has wheels- Describes a fast runner
• Paints the corner or the black- Throwing a pitch right on the edge of homeplate for a strike
• Fill his ear hole- Suggesting that a pitcher purposely hit a batter
• Spin his cap- Encouraging a batter to hit a ball up the middle past the pitcher
• Hit the bull- Something yelled from an opposing bench after the pitcher threw a wild pitch off the backstop (references Bull Durham)
• Throwing seeds- Throws hard
• Roll a pair- Turn a double play
• Turn the page- Something yelled from an opposing bench after the pitcher makes several throws to first base, keeping the runner close.
• He rakes- Describes a good hitter
• Got lit up- Describes a pitcher who didn't pitch well and was hit hard.
• Throwing leather- A player or players who are making great plays in the field
• Has a hose or cannon- Describes a fielder who has a good arm

So there you go, now you too can talk baseball.

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