# Looking for obscure or semi-obscure baseball metaphors **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 9, 2008, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-obscure-or-semi-obscure-baseball-metaphors/452342 "2008-06-09T17:38:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2008, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-obscure-or-semi-obscure-baseball-metaphors/452342/1 "2008-06-09T17:38:00Z")
I am not, by any stretch of the imagination, a baseball fan. I wear my nerditude proudly and publicly. Nonetheless I find myself working on an assignment which requires the use of baseball metaphors, and lots of 'em. So far I have “out in left field,” “hit a home run,” and… well, that’s about it. Anyway, acknowledging my ignorance in this matter, I turn to the Teeming millions. If you folk could be so kind as to provide me with such metaphors, and their definitions/underpinings, I would be grateful. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2008, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-obscure-or-semi-obscure-baseball-metaphors/452342/2 "2008-06-09T17:49:44Z")
Well, “struck out” seems the most obvious one, in terms of failing to accomplish a goal (often used with someone trying to get a date). Pretty much the opposite of “hit a home run.” Of course, “reached first/second/third base” is also common in the dating world. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2008, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-obscure-or-semi-obscure-baseball-metaphors/452342/3 "2008-06-09T17:59:19Z")
> **[Glossary of English-language idioms derived from baseball](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_language_idioms_derived_from_baseball)** > > This is an alphabetical list of common English-language idioms based on baseball, excluding the extended metaphor referring to sex, and including illustrative examples for each entry. Particularly American English has been enriched by expressions derived from the game of baseball. > See also the Glossary of baseball terms for the jargon of the game itself, as used by participants, fans, reporters, announcers, and analysts of the game. Ballpark, in the ballpark, ballpark figure, and out of the bal... ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2008, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-obscure-or-semi-obscure-baseball-metaphors/452342/4 "2008-06-09T18:00:49Z")
“Heavy hitter” implies someone who performs well above average, as in “He’s our department’s heavy hitter for sales.” A substitute is a “pinch hitter.” I’ve heard “pitcher” and “catcher” used in reference to sexual orientation. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2008, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-obscure-or-semi-obscure-baseball-metaphors/452342/5 "2008-06-09T18:02:57Z")
[QUOTE=Asimovian] Well, “struck out” seems the most obvious one, in terms of failing to accomplish a goal (often used with someone trying to get a date). Pretty much the opposite of “hit a home run.” Of course, “reached first/second/third base” is also common in the dating world. [/QUOTE] I was looking for obscure. Even I know those. (The remarks in the OP were hyperbole. Or maybe understatement. Anyway, I was channeling Hilary Clinton. No, make that Dana Perino, she’s hot. Um, what was I talking about?) ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2008, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-obscure-or-semi-obscure-baseball-metaphors/452342/6 "2008-06-09T18:05:04Z")
[QUOTE=Skald the Rhymer] I was looking for obscure. Even I know those. [/QUOTE] Sorry, my bad. I just got excited because we were talking baseball. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2008, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-obscure-or-semi-obscure-baseball-metaphors/452342/7 "2008-06-09T18:22:57Z")
One that doesn’t appear to be on the Wikipedia page is “went the distance.” A pitcher who “goes the distance” pitches the entire game, without being pulled from the game in favor of a relief pitcher. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2008, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-obscure-or-semi-obscure-baseball-metaphors/452342/8 "2008-06-09T18:25:09Z")
One that doesn’t appear to be on the Wikipedia page is “went the distance.” A pitcher who “goes the distance” pitches the entire game, without being pulled from the game in favor of a relief pitcher. So in life, a person who goes the distance is a person who gets the job done, a person with follow-through. ---
**Author:** ![Ronald\_C.Semone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cc9497/32.png) [@Ronald\_C.Semone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ronald_C.Semone)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2008, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-obscure-or-semi-obscure-baseball-metaphors/452342/9 "2008-06-09T18:33:38Z")
“a five tool” player, someone who can field well, throw well, run well, hit for average, and hit for distance. Hence, anyone who is an allround expert. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2008, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-obscure-or-semi-obscure-baseball-metaphors/452342/10 "2008-06-09T18:36:00Z")
“Can of corn,” meaning a sure thing, an easy task, (a lazy fly out, in baseball) is one of my favorites. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2008, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-obscure-or-semi-obscure-baseball-metaphors/452342/11 "2008-06-09T18:48:17Z")
If you strike out three times in a game, you get the silver sombrero. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2008, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-obscure-or-semi-obscure-baseball-metaphors/452342/12 "2008-06-09T18:54:43Z")
It’s 3-2 in the bottom of the ninth… Use to designate a situation where you have to do something to avoid negative consequences. Sort of a “shit or get off the pot” type of thing. ---
**Author:** ![jk1245](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/49beb7/32.png) [@jk1245](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jk1245)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2008, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-obscure-or-semi-obscure-baseball-metaphors/452342/13 "2008-06-09T19:06:48Z")
A “12-6 curveball” or “12 to 6 curveball” means a curveball that really moves (think 12 to 6 on a clock face). Used to indicate something that is even more of curveball than normal. “Cheese” is hard (high velocity) pitching. Thus “high cheese” is a high fastball (for some reason, you never hear “low cheese”). Get it near the batter’s head, and it’s “chin music”. “Never took the bat off his shoulder” is someone who didn’t come to play, or didn’t put in an effort on that task. Obviously, you have to take the bat off your shoulder to hit. ---
**Author:** ![Ghanima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Ghanima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ghanima)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2008, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-obscure-or-semi-obscure-baseball-metaphors/452342/14 "2008-06-09T20:50:41Z")
Well a bisexual man is often referred to as a “switch hitter”… ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2008, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-obscure-or-semi-obscure-baseball-metaphors/452342/15 "2008-06-09T21:18:30Z")
**Bench jockey** the (usually marginal) player who never seems to get in the game, but spends his time heckling the opponents and umpires from the dugout. **Clubhhouse lawyer** a player who seems to know everyone’s business and sows dissension. **Play the game between the lines** focus on what’s happening on the field, rather than the fans or the sportswriters. **It’s a beautiful day, let’s play two!** attributed to the great Cub player, Ernie Banks. Used to express the joy of the game. **Meat** a derisive nickname for the pitcher, who is seldom the biggest, strongest player. **Lost it in the moon** If losing a fly ball in the glare of the sun is considered to be an excuse for misplaying it, then losing it in the moonlight means there’s no excuse. ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2008, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-obscure-or-semi-obscure-baseball-metaphors/452342/16 "2008-06-09T22:30:00Z")
I’m still not quite sure what you are looking for, but I’ll throw out some semi-obscure baseball terms if that will help: “Junkballer” is a descriptive term for a pitcher who gets by throwing an array of off-speed (meaning slow) pitches instead of relying on fastballs. (“Junkballer” is usually used in a derogatory manner to describe such a pitcher who pitches for another team. A pitcher with a similar style on your favorite team would be a “finesse pitcher” or described as “crafty”.) “Pitcher’s duel” describes a game in which neither team scores a lot of runs. A final score of 1-0, or something close to that. A game in which a lot of runs are scored might be called a “slugfest”. “Utility infielder” is a guy who can play any one of several infield positions, usually none of them exceptionally well. I’ve heard “wheelhouse” used to describe the location in the strike zone that a hitter tends to hit well in: “That pitch was right in A-rod’s wheelhouse and he jumped all over it”. “Slap hitter” is a derogatory term for a guy who doesn’t hit with much power. “Pulled the string” describes a pitcher throwing a pitch that breaks sharply. “Wow, he really pulled the string on that one”. (ETA: the meaning is the sudden breaking of the pitch fools the batter into either swinging and missing, or not swinging at all and the pitch is a called strike). ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2008, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-obscure-or-semi-obscure-baseball-metaphors/452342/17 "2008-06-10T00:39:48Z")
[QUOTE=Laughing Lagomorph] I’m still not quite sure what you are looking for [/quote] Hell’s bells, I don’t know either. The notes on the assignment came back “Can you add some punch to this? I’m thinking baseball metaphors and stuff like that, since we’re doing that thing with the Redbirds. So lots of baseball stuff.” ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2008, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-obscure-or-semi-obscure-baseball-metaphors/452342/18 "2008-06-10T01:12:10Z")
“A game of inches” is usually used for baseball, although it’s applied to other sports also. The gist of this expression is that a ball that’s hit just fair or just foul often determines the outcome of a game. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2008, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-obscure-or-semi-obscure-baseball-metaphors/452342/19 "2008-06-10T01:39:07Z")
“Tinker to Evers to Chance”: natural talent combined with serious team-work (and some kick-ass coaching, if you’re the manager). I doubt any-one who isn’t a Cubs fan will know what I’m talking about … ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2008, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-obscure-or-semi-obscure-baseball-metaphors/452342/20 "2008-06-10T01:44:43Z")
Don’t forget your [Yogisms](http://burlingtonbaseball.com/Yogisms.htm). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-obscure-or-semi-obscure-baseball-metaphors/452342.md?page=2)