| Commonly Used Base Ball Jargon or Phrases As noted elsewhere, Vintage Base Ball is a form of living history. As such, many ball players will incorporate the language and terminology of the mid eighteen hundreds into their impressions. There is, however, some debate over the use of some of the words or expressions below. In depth research indicates that there might be a few on the list which were no longer in common use by the 1860s or '70s but they will still be used because they serve to convey the spirit of the time. Match or Contest: Game Grounds: Ball field Club or Nine: Team The Line (as in “Striker to the line”): Batter’s box Pitching Point: Forty five feet in front of home plate Ace or Tally: A run or score Apple, Pill, Horsehide, Onion: The base ball Ballist or Baller: Ball player Hand: Offensive player or member of the team at bat Artist: Proficient player Hurler, Bowler, Thrower, Feeder: Pitcher Striker or Batsman: Batter Behind: Catcher Scouts: Fielders Midfielder: Center fielder Short Scout or Rover: Shortstop Base Tenders or Defenders: Basemen Blind Tom: Umpire Hand: Offensive player or member of the team at bat Hand out or Dead: Batter or runner put out Side out or All out: Three outs Make your first, Made his second, Took his third, etc: Phrases that refer to advancing or bases taken following a hit. (The terms Single, Double and Triple did not appear until the 1880s.) Four Baser: Home run Blooper or Banjo hit: Weak fly ball Muff: Error Boodler: Ungentlemanly maneuver First Nine: The nine best players on a team or club Second Nine: The next best players Muffins: Players who are used as a last resort Whitewash or Blind: Hold a team scoreless in an at-bat Stinger: Hard hit ball Dew Drop: Slow pitch Daisy Cutter: Ground ball Sky ball: High fly Dead ball: Not in play, following a foul or fly-out. Live ball: In play or following its return to the pitcher Willow, Ash, Lumber, Timber or Wagon tongue: The bat Spectators or Audience: Fans (a term not used until much later) Cranks: Later 19th century term for fans Brace or Chafe: Argue Ginger, Grit or Pluck: Enthusiasm, determination or fine play Hunkey Dorey: Great or fabulous Bully: Great or special Leg it!: Run hard Stir your stumps!: Run faster or hustle Show some ginger!: Play harder or smarter Huzzah!, Well struck, sir! or Well caught, sir!: Cheers or compliments for a good game or a well made play. (These are terms that were used before, “Cool!”, “Oh yeeeaaaah!”, “Allriiiight!” or “Hooh, hooh, hooh!”.) Tallykeeper: Scorekeeper Soaking or Plugging: Putting a runner out by hitting him with the ball. This was done away with in 1845. |
| Spectators' and Players' Guide to Vintage Base Ball |