Baseball Idioms and Everyday Language Use

Watching TV this past week, I was pleasantly surprised to hear three unexpected references to baseball. These references reminded me of how much baseball informs our everyday language use, specifically, how new baseball idioms find their way into our talk about non-baseball activities. Neither football nor basketball terminology matches the range and scope of baseball’s infiltration.

In one instance, I was listening to commentary about the current political scene and the viability of a candidate to survive the rugged campaign trail. In evaluating that candidate, the speaker surmised, “I wonder if he still has a fast ball.” The commentator seemed to be wondering about the effectiveness of the candidate’s low-key style of interaction with other candidates. I had never heard this reference to throwing a fast ball in describing a candidate’s campaign style. A potential idiom being born?

In another instance, I was viewing a college football game in which a receiver made an acrobatic catch along the sidelines and ran the ball into the end zone for a touchdown. In this case, the announcer remarked, “He’s a home run hitter on the edge.” His remark expressed awe for that player’s successful maneuverability, especially along the sidelines. Again, I had never heard of a reference to a home run in regard to an outstanding reception in football. Another idiom in the making?

Finally, a sports call-in show caught my attention during a discussion on a new coach at a major university who will start a new position without any previous collegiate coaching experience. The discussants around this issue agreed on this point — “He’s going to have to make some home run hires.” Their assessment suggested that a head football coach with little experience definitely needs to surround himself with highly qualified and experienced assistants if he plans to succeed. One more idiom arising?

It’s intriguing that these new baseball idioms arise so easily and unexpectedly. They lengthen the long list of baseball idioms which enrich our everyday discourse in a variety of settings. Here’s a partial list reflecting various aspects of the game:

Batting

“Will you go to bat for me?”

“He was born with two strikes against him.”

“It was a smash hit.”

“Her proposal is a home run.”

“Let’s bat that suggestion around.”

“It’s time for you to step up to the plate.”

“You might as well go for the fences at this point.”

“They’re bringing in their heavy hitters now.”

“We’ve got to take the bat out of his hands.”

“I’m just pinch hitting for my friend.”

“Don’t go anywhere. You’re on deck.”

“Are you willing to be our lead-off man.”

“That was a swing-and-miss moment.”

Bases

“You won’t get to first base with that proposal.”

“I hope you’ve covered all of the bases in that report.”

“Let’s touch base when I return to town.”

“That idea is really off-base.”

Pitching

“She threw me a curve ball with that suggestion.”

“They’re about to make a pitch.”

“It’s time for you to head to the showers.”

“He’s got a lot on the ball.”

Fielding

“He’s way out in left field with that idea.”

“I’m prepared to field any and all questions.”

“Do you catch the drift of my question?”

Ballparks/Ball game

“This suggestion is more in the ballpark than that one.”

“Can you give me a ballpark figure regarding the cost?”

“That’s the ball game!”

“That’s another ball game together.”

Standards

“It’s a major league accomplishment.”

“He’s a bush leaguer.

“Do you agree with the three strikes policy?”

“So you want to play hardball.”

“She’s definitely a team player.”

“The performance was a smash hit.”

Miscellaneous

“I’ll take a rain check on that order.”

“I call ’em as I see ‘em.”

“They’re putting on a squeeze play.”

It’s interesting that one can cite more idioms based on the batting activity than on other aspects of the game. One might think that pitching would provide more references because of its unique importance in the game of baseball — that the pitcher, representing the defense, initiates all play. Only baseball and its relatives share this feature. All other sports assign the offense that responsibility. Perhaps the batting activity generates more idioms because of its special circumstance of one batter facing nine fielders. There are many everyday situations which match that condition.

It’s also intriguing that idioms from the game of baseball would be so easily applied to other sports like football. The reverse does not appear to be true. Images referenced in the game of football or basketball rarely arise in describing action on the baseball field. Phrases such as the “battle in the trenches” or a “full court press” do not capture the interaction during a baseball game. Nor do they apply to events in everyday life, except in very special situations. Football and basketball idioms lack the flexibility and applicability of baseball examples.

It’s fun to discover new, potential baseball idioms like the unexpected ones I heard recently on the TV. We know that language is a medium which constantly changes, reflecting new words and phrases invented by language users. These idioms and more illustrate the impact of the game of baseball on our everyday life through language use. Baseball reflects life, and life reflects baseball.