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Baseball Terms Glossary
(Starting with "I")
By Wikipedia,
the free encyclopedia,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_baseball
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This is an alphabetical list of selected unofficial and specialized terms,
phrases, and other jargon used in baseball, and their
definitions, including illustrative examples for many entries.
I
ice cream cone
- Colorful term used to describe the appearance of a baseball caught in the tip of the webbing of a glove. The partially protruding white ball contrasted with the tan-colored glove resembles a large waffle cone. Also occasionally referred to as a "snow cone."
immaculate inning
- A half-inning in which the pitcher strikes out all three batters he faces on exactly nine pitches; that is, throwing nothing but strikes.
in the batter's eyes
- A high fastball, usually at or near the batter's eye level. Above
the strike zone, so a ball, and hard to hit, but also hard to lay off.
Infield fly rule
- The umpire calls the batter out when (a) there are less than two outs
in the inning, and (b) the batter hits a fly ball that can be caught
with ordinary effort by an infielder in fair territory, and (c) there
are runners on first and second or the bases are loaded.
- The batter is automatically called out in this situation whether or not a fielder attempts to catch the fly ball, but assuming that the ball stays in fair territory. The rule states that the umpire is supposed to announce, "Infield fly, if fair". If the ball will be almost certainly fair, the umpire will likely yell, "Infield fly, batter's out!" or just "Batter's out!"
- This rule is intended to prevent the fielder from intentionally dropping
the ball and getting force outs on the runners on base. The rule is
a little mystifying to casual fans of the game, but it has been a fundamental
rule since 1895, allegedly to prevent the notoriously tricky Baltimore
Orioles from intentionally dropping the ball.
infielder
- First baseman, second baseman and third baseman, plus the shortstop,
so called because they are positioned on the infield dirt. The pitcher
and catcher are typically not considered infielders, but instead as
the battery. However, for purposes of implementing the Infield Fly Rule,
the catcher, pitcher, and any player stationed in the infield when the
pitch is delivered are included as infielders.
inherited runner
- If a relief pitcher enters a game with runners already on base, he
inherits runners. If those inherited runners later score, the runs are
attributed to the previous pitcher or pitchers for purposes of calculating
statistics such as earned runs allowed or earned run average.
inning
- An inning consists of two halves. In each half, one team bats until
three outs are made. A full inning consists of six outs, three for each
team; and a regulation game consists of nine innings. The first half-inning
is called the top half of the inning; the second half-inning,
the bottom half. The break between the top and bottom halves
is called the middle of the inning. The visiting team is on offense
during the top half of the inning, the home team is on offense during
the bottom half. Sometimes the bottom half is also referred to as the
home half.
inside baseball
- The inside baseball is an offensive strategy that focuses on teamwork
and good execution. It usually centers on tactics that keep the ball
in the infield: walks, base hits, bunts, and stolen bases. This was
the primary offensive strategy during the Dead Ball Era. Inside baseball
is also a common metaphor in American politics to describe background
machinations. The equivalent modern term is small ball.
inside-the-park
home run
- A play where a hitter scores a home run without hitting the ball out
of play.
insurance run
- A run that is scored in the late innings when the leading team is
only ahead by one or two, providing a margin of safety against a rally.
intentional pass
- Same as intentional
walk.
intentional walk
- A walk given by the pitcher throwing (normally) four straight balls
well outside of the strike zone (though occasionally a pitcher will
start an at-bat by pitching around the hitter, and if he gets into a
hitter's count he will "give in" and intentionally walk the
hitter. The catcher must stand in the catcher's box and will usually
extend a hand away from the batter as an obvious sign. (Although the
pitcher's "intention" is to walk the batter, if he does not
take care to pitch far enough outside, the batter may still be able
to hit the ball safely, which would be rare but legal.) Often an "intentional
walk" will occur with first base open since then the walk doesn't
dramatically benefit the offense, and opens the possibility of a double
play. An "intentional walk" is seen as both a compliment to
the batter being walked, and an insult to the batter on deck, who is
considered to be an easy out. See also pitch around.
interference
- Interference is an infraction where a person illegally changes the course
of play from what is expected. Interference might be committed by players
on the offense, players not currently in the game, catchers, umpires,
or fans; each type of interference is covered differently by the rules.
See the Wikipedia article on interference for details on the varieties
of interference calls.
Internet baseball
awards
- While Major League Baseball calls on the Baseball Writers Association
of America (BBWA) to name the most valuable player, rookie of the year,
and Cy Young Award winner each year, since 1997 Baseball Prospectus
has conducted an on-line poll to make Internet Baseball Awards in those
categories as well as manager of the year.
interstate
- A term used to describe a batting average below .200. A player with
a batting average of .195 is said to be on I-95, a reference to the
numbering on the Interstate Highway System. See also the Mendoza Line.
in the books
- The game is over. "This game's in the books [the records]."
in the hole
-
- The spaces between the first baseman and second baseman and between
the shortstop and the third baseman, one of the usual places where
a ground ball must go for a hit. Infielders try to field balls hit
into the hole. "Ozzie went deep in the hole to get that one"
does not mean that Ozzie went under ground to get the ball. Despite
Ozzie's best efforts, the ball may "find a hole" through
the infield and into the outfield. See also up the middle and down
the line.
- Due up to bat after the on-deck batter. Probably derived from
boating, where it was originally "in the hold," the place
prior to being "on deck."
- Used to describe an unfavorable count. A pitcher would be "in
the hole" 3-0 and a batter would be "in the hole"
0-2.
in the (his) kitchen
- Another term used to describe pitching in on the hitter's hands.
in play
-
- A game is in play when the umpire declares "play ball" at the
beginning of the game or after a time-out.
- Any batted ball is "in play" until either the play ends,
the umpire calls the ball foul, or there is fan interference or
some other event that leads to a dead ball. A ball hit into foul
territory but in the air is in play in that a fielder may attempt
to catch the ball for an out and a runner may attempt to advance
after such a catch, but if it then falls to the ground or hits the
fence in foul territory it would then be called foul and no longer
be in play.
- In sabermetrics, a special definition of "ball in play"
is used to calculate a "batting average on balls in play"
(BABIP), which excludes home runs even though they are fair balls.
- Also see play.
See all sports glossaries:
Published - February 2011
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