Baseball Terms: This Is a Whole New Ballgame

有關棒球術語：這是一場新的球賽（全新的局面）

13 August 2006

Now, the VOA Special English program, Words and Their Stories.

Baseball is America’s national sport.  So it is not unusual that many popular expressions come from baseball.  But first, let me explain a little about the game. 

Each baseball team has nine players.  The pitcher of one team throws the ball to a batter from the other team.  The batter attempts to hit the ball.  If he misses, it is called a strike.  If a batter gets three strikes, he loses his turn at bat and is called out.  The batter also is out if he hits the ball in the air and an opposing player catches it.  But if the batter hits the ball and it is not caught, the batter tries to run to one or more of the four bases on the field.  The batter can run to all four bases if he hits the ball over the fence or out of the ballpark.  Such a hit is called a homerun. 

Now, here are some common expressions from baseball.  Someone who is “on the ball” is intelligent and able to do a good job. But a person who “threw a curve ball” did something unexpected.  Someone who “steps up to the plate” is ready to do his or her job.  A “pinch hitter” takes the place of someone else at a job or activity. 

A person who “strikes out” or “goes down swinging” attempted something but failed.  We also might tell the person that “three strikes and you are out.”  But someone who “hit a homerun” or ”hit it out of the park” did something extremely well.  

Sometimes I have to give information quickly, without time to think it over.  Then I would say something “right off the bat.”  If someone is doing an extremely good job and is very successful, you might say he or she is “batting one thousand.”   

If I say I want to “touch base” with you, I will talk to you from time to time about something we plan to do.  I might say I “touched all the bases” if I did what is necessary to complete a job or activity.  And if I “covered my bases” I was well prepared.  However, someone who is “way off base” did something wrong or maybe even dishonest or immoral.  A person with strange ideas might be described as “out in left field.”

Let us say I want to sell my car but I do not know exactly how much it is worth.  If someone asks me the price, I might give “a ballpark figure” or “a ballpark estimate.”  

If someone offers me an amount that is close to my selling price, I might say the amount is “in the ballpark.”  However, if I say “we are not in the same ballpark,” I mean we cannot agree because my ideas are too different from yours.  

Finally, when a situation changes completely, we say “that is a whole new ballgame.”

This VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Shelley Gollust.  I’m Faith Lapidus.


中文解釋：

on the ball  既聰明又有才能

to throw a curve ball 做出令人意想不到的事 (投出曲球)

to step up to the plate準備著手展開工作

pinch hitter代理者（代打者）

to strike out失敗 (打擊手被三振)

to go down swinging 失敗

Three strikes and you are out. 失敗（三好球出局）

to hit a homerun非常成功 (全壘打)

to hit it out of the park非常成功 (把球打出場外)

right off the bat沒有準備就做或說某件事

to bat one thousand  非常成功

to touch base和某人討論某事的計劃與進展

to touch all the bases把該做的事都完成了

to cover one’s bases妥善準備

way off base做出不名譽的事

out in left field想法奇怪

a ballpark figure大略的數字

a ballpark estimate約略估計的數目

in the ballpark  在接近的範圍之內

We are not in the same ballpark. 意見相左

21.That is a whole new ballgame. 全新的局面


棒球術語(中英)

球隊

投手 Pitcher / P   捕手 Catcher / C 

一壘手 First-Base Man / 1B    二壘手 Second-Base Man / 2B   三壘手 Third-Base Man / 3B 

游擊手 Shortstop / SS   左外野 Left-Fielder / LF   中外野 Center-Fielder / CF 

右外野 Right-Fielder / RF   指定打者 Designated Hitter / DH

代打 Pinch Hitter / PH   代跑 Pinch Runner / PR

代號

A / assists / 助殺   AB / at bats / 打數   AL / American League / 美國聯盟 

1B / first baseman / 一壘手 / 一壘安打 

2B / second baseman / 二壘手 / 二壘安打 

3B / third baseman / 三壘手 / 三壘安打 

B / balls / 壞球數    BA / batting average / 打擊率 

BB / bases on balls / 四壞球   BF / batters faced / 投球人次 

BFS / batters faced per start / 投手過勞指數 

BK / Balks / 投手犯規數   BS / blown saves / 救援失敗 

C / catcher / 捕手   CF / center fielder / 中外野手 

CG / complete games / 完投場次 

CS / caught stealing / 阻殺   DH / designated hitter / 指定打擊   DL / disabled list / 受傷名單 

DP / double plays / 雙殺   DPB / Double Play Bat / 雙殺打 

E / errors / 失誤    ER / earned runs / 投手責任失分 

ERA / earned run average / 投手防禦率 

FA / free agents / 自由球員 

FB / fly balls hit against pitcher / 投手被擊出飛球 

FPCT / fielding percentage / 守備率 

FO / Fly Out / 飛球  GO / Ground Out / 滾地球 G / games / 出賽次數 

GF / grounders to flies ratio / 滾地球對飛球之比率 

GB / games behind ; groundballs / 球隊勝差 ; 投手被擊出滾地球 

GDP / times grounded into double plays / 擊出雙殺打的次數 

GM / general manager / 球隊總教練 

GS / games started / 投手先發場次

H / hits ; holds / 安打 / 投手被安打 ; 中繼成功 

HBP / hit by pitch / 觸身球 

HP / times hit by pitch / 觸身球次數 

HR / home runs / 全壘打 ; 投手被全壘打 

IBB / intentional bases on balls / 故意四壞球 

IF / infielder / 內野手 

IP / innings pitched / 投球局數 

IR / inherited runners / 救援投手上場時已在壘上的跑者 

INT / Interference / 妨礙 

IS / inherited runners who scored / 救援投手讓 IR 得分的數量 

K / killed 三振 / 打擊手被三振 

L / loses / 敗投 / 敗場    LF / left fielder / 左外野手 

LOB / left on bases / 殘壘數 

MLB / Major League Baseball / 美國職棒大聯盟 

MVP / most valuable player / 最有價值球員 

NL / National League / 國家聯盟 

OB / 妨礙跑壘    OBP / on base percentage / 上壘率 / 投手被上壘率 

OF / outfielder / 外野手 

PA / plate appearances / 打席 

PO / put outs / 使出局數 

PPO / pitcher pickoffs / 投手牽制成功數 

PSS / probability of a successful steal / 盜壘成功率 

R / runs / / 得分 / 投手失分 

RBI / runs batted in / 打者打點 / 投手被打點 

RF / right fielder / 右外野手 

ROY / Rookie Of the Year / 年度新人王 

RPA / run production average / 攻分率 

SB / stolen bases / 盜壘成功 / 投手被盜壘數 

SF / sacrifice flies / 高飛犧牲打數 / 投手被高飛犧牲打數 

SH / sacrifice hits / 犧牲觸擊 / 投手被犧牲觸擊數 

SHO / shoutouts / 投手完封場數 

SLG / slugging percentage / 長打率 / 投手被長打率 

SO / strike outs / 三振 / 打擊手被三振 

SP / save points / 救援點  SS / shortstop / 游擊手  SV / saves / 救援成功 

SVOP / save opportunities / 救援成功率 

TA / total average / 攻擊率  TB / total bases / 壘打數 

TBF / total batters faced / 投球人次 

TC / total chances / 守備機會 

TP / Tripple Play / 三殺 

W / wins ; walks / 勝投 / 勝場 ; 保送 / 打擊手被保送 

WP / wild pitches / 暴投 

WS / World Series / 美國大聯盟冠軍賽(世界大賽) 

MLB 名詞解釋

Fair = 界內    Foul = 界外 

Back to Back Homerun / 連續兩棒擊出全壘打

Grand Slam / 滿壘全壘打    Hit a Cycle / 完全打擊

Solo Homerun / Solo Shot (美俚語) = 陽春全壘打 

3 Run Blast (美俚語) = 三分全壘打  Go Ahead Run = 超前分 

Go Ahead Homerun = 超前分全壘打 

Tied Run = 追平分    Scoring Pisition = 得點圈 

Runner = 跑者    Ground Rule Double = 場外二壘打 

Infield Hit = 內野安打   Line Drive = 平飛打 

Infield Fly = 內野高飛球   Base Hit = 一壘安打 

Off the Wall = 擊中全壘打強的球    Bunt = 觸擊短打 

Squeeze Play = 以犧牲短打來使三壘跑者回本壘得分 

Hit and Run = 打帶跑    Short Hop = 很近防守員的低彈跳球 

Charge = 趨前防守    Diving Catch = 飛撲防守 

Frozen Hit (美俚語) = 指非常強勁的穿越安打 

Hit to Another Zip Code (美俚語) = 指場外全壘打 

Wild Pitch = 暴投   Perfect Game = 完全比賽 

Heater (美俚語) = 指快速直球   Off Speed (美俚語) = 指慢速球 

Breaking Ball (美俚語) = 指變化球 

Chin Music (美俚語) = 指非常近打者頸部以上的球 

Pitch Out / 牽制出局  Umpire = 裁判    Head Coach = 總教練 

Line Up = 先發陣容   Rosters = 球隊陣容 

Head Coach = 總教練    Pitching Coach = 投手教練 

Bating Coach = 打擊教練   Rotatino = 先發投手輪替序 

SP / Starting Pitcher = 先發投手 

RP / Relief Pitcher = 中繼投手 

CP / Closer (Closer Pitcher) = 救援投手 

INF / Infielder = 內野手  OF / Outfielder = 外野手  Bench Player = 替補選手 

Utility Player = 非先發選手  Switch Hitter = 左右開弓打者 

Lefty (美俚語) = 左投手  Lead Off Man (美俚語) = 一棒打者 

Slugger (美俚語) = 指長打力很強的打者 

Clean Up Batter (美俚語) = 指具有高打點能力的打者 

Batting Up = 站上打擊區