# Slang for hit to third baseman? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [April 19, 2012, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-for-hit-to-third-baseman/619284 "2012-04-19T16:02:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Skott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Skott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skott)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-for-hit-to-third-baseman/619284/1 "2012-04-19T16:02:33Z")
Is there a slang term in baseball for the batter getting out by hitting the ball directly to the third baseman? ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-for-hit-to-third-baseman/619284/2 "2012-04-19T17:54:20Z")
Nothing comes to mind, although 3rd base is referred to as the Hot Corner. Did you have a reason to believe there may be such a slang term? ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-for-hit-to-third-baseman/619284/3 "2012-04-19T18:07:34Z")
I can’t think of anything either. The only other thing I can think of for hitting it to that part of the field is if the ball goes between the third baseman and the shortstop it is often referred to as hitting one “into the hole”. ---
**Author:** ![Skott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Skott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skott)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-for-hit-to-third-baseman/619284/4 "2012-04-19T18:09:47Z")
I have this trivia-ish thing, but all it is is a picture. The picture has a baseball diamond, with an arrow going from home plate to third base, and the batter being called out by the umpire. I suppose it doesn’t necessarily mean that the ball was hit to the third baseman since he isn’t pictured. I don’t know another way for the batter to be out based on the image. I know relatively little about baseball, though, and my research hasn’t turned up much apart from the “hot corner” nickname. A “…” below the picture could indicate a three-letter word or a three-letter acroynym… or it just could be meaningless 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-for-hit-to-third-baseman/619284/5 "2012-04-19T18:49:35Z")
That could be an appeal to the 3rd base linesman on whether the batter went around trying to hold up on a check swing. Where is the ball in the picture? ---
**Author:** ![PacifistPorcupine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PacifistPorcupine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PacifistPorcupine)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-for-hit-to-third-baseman/619284/6 "2012-04-19T18:51:52Z")
Not a slang term, but there’s a story of a guy running to third instead of first [here.](http://keitholbermann.mlblogs.com/2012/02/10/2114896/) ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-for-hit-to-third-baseman/619284/7 "2012-04-19T18:57:28Z")
5 - 3 ? Player positions have numbers. When scoring baseball, a hit to the third baseman (5) and a throw to first base (3) is recorded 5-3. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-for-hit-to-third-baseman/619284/8 "2012-04-19T18:58:18Z")
Something to do with the infield fly rule? If there are runners on base with force-outs in play, a pop-up in the infield is an automatic out for the batter. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-for-hit-to-third-baseman/619284/9 "2012-04-19T19:01:26Z")
A weak ground ball to second base is characteristic of many Seattle Mariner players… ---
**Author:** ![Skott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Skott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skott)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-for-hit-to-third-baseman/619284/10 "2012-04-19T19:12:13Z")
> [@PacifistPorcupine](#): > > Not a slang term, but there’s a story of a guy running to third instead of first [here.](http://keitholbermann.mlblogs.com/2012/02/10/2114896/) Ooo… I like that! Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-for-hit-to-third-baseman/619284/11 "2012-04-19T19:41:13Z")
Why is third called the Hot Corner? ---
**Author:** ![Deser2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dfb087/32.png) [@Deser2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deser2)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-for-hit-to-third-baseman/619284/12 "2012-04-19T19:52:01Z")
I would guess they are looking for “lined out” or “line drive”. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-for-hit-to-third-baseman/619284/13 "2012-04-19T20:10:53Z")
force out at third? ---
**Author:** ![Bootis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e8c25b/32.png) [@Bootis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootis)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-for-hit-to-third-baseman/619284/14 "2012-04-19T20:16:31Z")
“Grounded to third” for a ground ball fielded by the 3rd baseman “lined to third” for a line drive caught by the 3rd baseman ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-for-hit-to-third-baseman/619284/15 "2012-04-19T20:36:19Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > Why is third called the Hot Corner? Pulling the ball – hitting it so it arcs to the side of the field behind you – reults from hitting the ball so as to impart maximum force. You’re pulling it in that direction with your bat, so you maximize the momentum of your swing as the ball is held on your bat longer. (It’s poss the batter’s arms are still accelerating then too, but I don’t know.) Since the bulk of batters are righties, balls hit to the hot corner tend to come in faster than those hit towards first. Moreover, depending on whether and which bases are occupied by runners, infield defensive set-ups are more likely to have the 3B taking up his position a few steps in towards the batter. –Cliffy ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-for-hit-to-third-baseman/619284/16 "2012-04-19T21:12:34Z")
“Tapper to third” is the only thing I can think of, but a tapper isn’t a hard hit (I guess you could use it ironically) and you can hit a tapper to anybody infielder or the pitcher. ---
**Author:** ![R.P.McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-for-hit-to-third-baseman/619284/17 "2012-04-19T21:54:12Z")
There is the term “frozen rope” which is a ball hit so low and hard than it seems to neither rise nor fall. That term is not unique to third base although a right handed batter that hits a “frozen rope” will likely hit it to the third baseman. A left handed hitter is likely to hit it to the first baseman. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-for-hit-to-third-baseman/619284/18 "2012-04-19T22:09:04Z")
> [@Skott](#): > > I have this trivia-ish thing, but all it is is a picture. The picture has a baseball diamond, with an arrow going from home plate to third base, and the batter being called out by the umpire. > > I suppose it doesn’t necessarily mean that the ball was hit to the third baseman since he isn’t pictured. I don’t know another way for the batter to be out based on the image. I know relatively little about baseball, though, and my research hasn’t turned up much apart from the “hot corner” nickname. > > A “…” below the picture could indicate a three-letter word or a three-letter acroynym… or it just could be meaningless 😕 Is the arrow going directly down the base line, from home plate to the 3rd base bag, or is it going from the batter to just inside the foul line to where a 3rd basemen would be standing? How do you know the Ump is calling the batter out? Is it written or is it possible you are misinterpreting the body language depicted? Are any other people except the Ump depicted in the drawing? Fielders? Picther/Catcher? Batter? Base runner? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-for-hit-to-third-baseman/619284/19 "2012-04-19T22:10:53Z")
Trying again: “Hot shot to third?” That doesn’t really fit the description in the OP either, but I’m stumped here. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2012, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-for-hit-to-third-baseman/619284/20 "2012-04-19T23:38:08Z")
> [@Skott](#): > > I have this trivia-ish thing, but all it is is a picture. The picture has a baseball diamond, with an arrow going from home plate to third base, and the batter being called out by the umpire. > > I suppose it doesn’t necessarily mean that the ball was hit to the third baseman since he isn’t pictured. I don’t know another way for the batter to be out based on the image. I know relatively little about baseball, though, and my research hasn’t turned up much apart from the “hot corner” nickname. > > A “…” below the picture could indicate a three-letter word or a three-letter acroynym… or it just could be meaningless 😕 Um… I hate to state the obvious, but if you’re looking for a three-letter word for what’s described, are you sure the answer isn’t “out”? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/slang-for-hit-to-third-baseman/619284.md?page=2)