7th Grade Baseball Vocabulary Terms

RBI

Run batted in (plural, runs batted in; and, abbreviated as RBI) is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his or her at bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play

Saves

Save (baseball), when a pitcher finishes a game for the winning team under certain prescribed circumstances.

Battery

The battery includes two baseball players, the pitcher and the catcher.

Cleanup

The fourth batter in the batting order. Usually a power hitter.

Count

The number of balls and strikes on a batter. For example a 3/2 count means there are three balls and two strikes on the batter.

Steal

When a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is pitching the ball to home plate.

Full count

When the pitch count has 3 balls and 2 strikes. The next strike or ball will end the at bat. If the batter hits the baseball foul, then the count remains 3 and 2.

Hit and run

A baseball play where the base runner begins to run when the pitch is released. It's the batter's responsibility to hit the baseball into play so the runner will not get out. This gives the base runner a head start.

Farm team

A club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher level at a given point

Knuckleball

A knuckleball or knuckler is a baseball pitch thrown so as to minimize the spin of the ball in flight, causing an erratic, unpredictable motion.

Error

A mistake in fielding the baseball by the defense that allows a batter to reach base or a base runner to advance.

Pinch runner

A substitute base runner.

Position player

Any baseball player but the pitcher.

Runners at the corners

Base runners on 1st and 3rd.

Slide

Dropping to the ground when going into a base to avoid being tagged

Switch hitter

In baseball, a switch-hitter is a player who bats both right-handed and left-handed—right-handed against left-handed pitchers, and left-handed against right-handed pitchers

Deck

In baseball, on deck refers to being next in line to bat. In a professional game, the batter who is on deck traditionally waits in a location in the foul territory.

Bullpen

In baseball, the bullpen (or simply the pen) is the area where relief pitchers warm-up before entering a game.

Clutch hitter

Is a baseball player with a knack for coming up with the "big" hit. The big hit is typically a game-deciding hit, sometimes a home run, often coming with two outs,

No-hitter

Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in at least nine innings recorded no hits.