By Kimberly Dunbar

Like sports OK but feel a little intimidated by all the “inside” terminology that your baseball obsessed friends throw around? Don’t worry, here are a few key terms demystified for you ~ they’ll help you understand all that ball talk a little better ~ and they just may impress the hell out of those friends when you use them at the game!

Mendoza line ~ When a batter’s average dips below .200

Baltimore Chop ~ Made famous by the Baltimore Orioles, this is a ball that hits right in front of or on home plate and takes a hop over the infielder’s head.

Bronx cheer ~ Boos or raspberries.

Chin music ~ A pitch high and tight in the zone, whizzes by the batter’s face

Ribbie ~ Slang for “Runs Batted In” (RBI); when a hitter’s at bat results in a runner scoring

Texas leaguer ~ A ball that lands in between the infielder and outfielder

Uncle Charlie/Yakker ~ Both slang for a curve ball

Flash leather ~ Make a great defensive play or catch

Bandbox/Crackerbox ~ A ballpark that is friendly to offenses, i.e. easy to hit homeruns.

Bush-league ~ A cheap, unprofessional, or minor league-esque play

Can of corn ~ An easily caught fly ball

Ducks on the pond ~ A term used when there are runners on second and third bases, or when the bases are loaded

Golden sombrero ~ When a player strikes out four times in the same game

Daisy cutter ~ A hard ground ball that skims the surface of the grass

Fireman ~ A late inning relief pitcher or closer

Rhubarb ~ A fight between players on the field, or an argument between a coach and an umpire

Tater ~ A homerun

Wheelhouse ~ A batter’s “power zone,” where his swing has the most power; also can be referred to as a “crush zone”

Bazooka ~ Good throwing arm

Duck snort ~ A bloop single that goes over the infielder’s head and lands in the outfield

Five o’clock hitter ~ A batter who does well in batting practice but not during the game that night (also referred to as a six o’clock hitter)

Four-fingered salute ~ An intentional walk

Keystone sack ~ Second base

LOOGY ~ Stands for “Lefty One Out GuY,” in reference to a left-handed pitcher who is brought in to get a left-handed batter out. These specialists usually only pitch to a few batters, sometimes only one.