For Memorial Day, we revisit our earlier conversation about "Ninety Percent Mental" - that's what Yogi Berra said about baseball, and it's also the title of former Major League pitcher Bob Tewksbury's new book. After years in "the show" Tewksbury is now part of the growing trend in baseball focusing on psychological strategies to maximize performance. Yogi Berra's quote continued with "the other half is physical" and Tewksbury will also reminisce about some of the game-changing characters from his time on the mound.
This program will air on Monday, May 28, at 9 a.m., and will be rebroadcast again at 7 p.m. It was originally broadcast on May 1, 2018.
GUEST:
- Bob Tewksbury - author of "Ninety Percent Mental," and retired Major League Baseball pitcher. He is the current mental skills coach for the San Francisco Giants and former mental skills coach for the Boston Red Sox. He played professionally for the New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, Texas Rangers, San Diego Padres and the Minnesota Twins. In high school he played for Merrimack Valley High School in Penacook, N.H.
Read up on why baseball is now more of a mental game than ever.
Insider's Guide to Baseball Lingo
Baseball seems to have a lot of lingo. Here's an insider's guide to baseball terms and phrases. How many do you know?
ace -- A team's best starting pitcher
alley -- The section of the outfield between the outfielders. Also the gap
around the horn -- A double play going from third to second to first
backdoor slider -- A pitch that appears to be out of the strike zone, but then breaks back over the plate
bag -- A base
Baltimore chop -- A ground ball that hits in front of home plate (or off of it) and takes a large hop over the infielder's head or is high enough for the batter to reach first
bandbox -- A small ballpark that favors hitters
bang-bang play -- A play in which the base runner hits the bag a split-second before the ball arrives or vice versa
basket catch -- When a fielder catches a ball with his glove near belt level
Bronx cheer -- When the crowd boos
brushback -- An inside pitch that almost hits a batter
bush -- Also bush league. An amateur play or behavior
can of corn -- A fly ball that is an easy catch by a fielder
caught looking -- When a batter is called out on strikes
cellar -- Last place. Also basement
cheese -- Also good cheese. Refers to a good fastball
chin music -- A pitch that is high and inside
circus catch -- An outstanding catch by a fielder
closer -- A team's relief pitcher who finishes the game
cup of coffee -- a brief stay in the majors
cutter -- A cut fastball (one with a late break to it)
cycle -- When a batter hits a single, double, triple and home run in the same game.
dinger -- A home run
dish -- Home plate
ducks on the pond -- base runners in scoring position
fireman -- A team's closer or late-inning relief pitcher
frozen rope -- A line drive that doesn't change height after initial contact
fungo -- A ball hit to a fielder during practice. It's usually hit by a coach using a fungo bat, which is longer and thinner than a normal bat
gap -- See alley. A ball hit here is a gapper
gopher ball -- A pitch hit for a home run, as in go fer (coined by Lefty Gomez)
heat -- A good fastball. Also heater
high and tight -- Referring to a pitch that's up in the strike zone and inside on a hitter. Also known as up and in
hill -- Pitcher's mound
hit for the cycle -- a single, double, triple and home run in the same game by the same player
homer -- A home run. Other terms include: blast, dinger, dong, four-bagger, four-base knock, moon shot, tape-measure blast and tater
hot corner -- Third base, because so many hard hit balls go that way
in the hole -- The batter after the on-deck hitter
jam -- When a hitter gets a pitch near his hands, he is jammed. Also when a pitcher gets himself in trouble, he is in a jam
leather -- Refers to how good a player plays defensively or handles the glove, as in He flashed some leather on that play
meatball -- An easy pitch to hit, usually right down the middle of the plate
Mendoza line -- A batting average of .200, as in a .190 average being below the Mendoza line
moon shot -- A very long, high home run
nail down -- As in nail down a victory. Refers to a relief pitcher finishing off the game
neighborhood play -- pivot men at second base will get the force out call by the umpire if their foot is close to the base before they throw to first
nosebleed seats -- the highest level in the stadium seating area
on the screws -- When a batter hits the ball hard. Also on the button.
painting the black -- When a pitcher throws the ball over the edge of the plate.
payoff pitch -- pitch delivered when there is a full count
pea -- A ball traveling at high speed, either batted or thrown.
pepper -- Pepper is a common pre-game exercise where one player bunts brisk grounders and line drives to a group of fielders who are standing about 20 feet away. The fielders try to throw it back as quickly as possible. The batter hits the return throw. (Some ballparks ban pepper games because wild pitches could land in the stands and injure spectators)
pick -- A good defensive play by an infielder on a ground ball. Also a shortened version of pick-off
pickle -- A rundown
punchout -- A strikeout
rhubarb -- A fight or scuffle
ribbie -- Another way of saying RBI. Also ribeye
rope -- A hard line drive hit by a batter. Also frozen rope
rubber game -- The deciding game of a series
run-down -- When a base runner gets caught between bases by the fielders
Ruthian -- With great power
seeing-eye single -- A soft ground ball that finds its way between infielders for a base hit
set-up man -- A relief pitcher who usually enters the game in the 7th or 8th inning before the closer
shoestring catch -- A running catch made just above the fielder's shoe tops
southpaw -- A left-handed pitcher
stoppers -- starting pitchers whose victories tend to end losing streaks
sweet spot -- The part of the bat just a few inches down from end of the barrel
table setter -- Batter whose job is to get on base for other hitters to drive him in. Usually a leadoff or # 2 hitter
tape-measure blast -- An extremely long home run
tater -- A home run
Texas Leaguer -- A bloop hit that drops between an infielder and outfielder
tools of ignorance -- Catcher's equipment
touch 'em all -- Hitting a home run (touching all the bases)
twin killing -- A double play
Uncle Charlie -- Curve ball
utility player -- A player who fills in at many positions
wheelhouse -- A hitter's power zone. Usually a pitch waist-high and over the heart of the plate
wheels -- A ballplayer's legs
whiff -- Strikeout
yanker -- Curve ball
(courtesy of http://www.stevetheump.com/Nicknames.htm)
