Five Baseball Terms That Don’t Work Anymore

Baseball is an old sport. Its first professional leagues were established in the late 1800s, years before any other major North American sport had ever formed. So naturally, young people have a perception that the game is too old-fashioned and slow to be more popular than football or basketball. Over the recent years, players and fans have started to question the traditional style of play. Manager Tony La Russa clashed with his Chicago White Sox players over their adherence to unwritten rules. It seems that the old guard that is a gatekeeper to traditional, and maybe outdated, baseball philosophy is starting to change.

This can also be seen in the evolving use of baseball slang. These terms have connected baseball fans to the players by creating an inside knowledge that is universally understood. Slang develops a game within the game — a secret language that hooks a viewer into becoming a fan. In this two-part series, I’ll be breaking down five terms from new and old baseball terminology.

Baltimore Chop — Alabaster Blast

A Baltimore Chop is a ball hit directly down, typically landing right in front of the plate and then bouncing reasonably high up, preventing the catcher from instantly fielding it. According to “Old Time Baseball: America’s Pastime in the Gilded Age,” the original Chop resulted from the Baltimore Orioles placing cement in that part of the infield, under the dirt, to cause higher bounces. When the Chop bounced extra high due to the hard ground at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh Pirates broadcaster Bob Prince called it an Alabaster Blast. The Orioles were the primary perpetrators of the Chop. They used the tactic to help them finish first in the National League from 1894-1896. The Chop should be put on a similar level as sign-stealing. A rule-bending style of gamesmanship that has existed since the sport’s inception.

Mendoza Line

The Mendoza Line is an expression that defines the cut-off point of incompetent hitting. It describes a hitter with a batting average under .200 and that they are probably on the cusp of being sent to the minors. IF Mario Mendoza hit under .200 for half of his career in the majors but ironically retired with a .215 batting average, playing 686 games over a nine-year career. 

While with the Seattle Mariners, the clubhouse made fun of Mendoza’s inability to hit. They coined the term to identify a player’s incompetence in one critical skill, overshadowing any other value they bring to the field. Mendoza was only kept around in the majors because his defense was so good. 

This expression is fading in baseball because hitters aren’t judged based on batting average like they once were. While my colleague Ben Schnieder would still choose a contact hitter over a power hitter, there’s no doubt that the league has prioritized players who hit home runs and extra-base hits, regardless of how low their batting average is.

Evil Empire 

The Evil Empire is a nickname for the New York Yankees. Derived from the “Star Wars” franchise, the name solidifies the Yankees as the bad guys of baseball. This involves spending atrocious amounts of money to pry beloved players from small-market teams and boasting about the high-brow reputation of the organization. Unfortunately for Yankees fans, the nickname is no longer relevant. The Yanks haven’t been back to the World Series since 2009, plus they have lost their “bad guy” reputation to the Houston Astros and their sign-stealing ways. The Yankees have had scary-good teams over the past five seasons but haven’t been able to get past the divisional series on their longest playoff runs. In addition, with teams shifting their focus toward advanced statistics like on-base percentage and WAR, the Yankees’ advantage in outbidding any other organization for top-tier free agents has evaporated. This season, they made a gamble at the trade deadline by acquiring 1B Anthony Rizzo and OF Joey Gallo. Still, another season below expectations could mean fresh faces in the general manager and manager roles — possibly even a complete rebuild.

Salami Slam

The mention of Salami makes its way into two of my favorite home run calls. With the professionalism needed in the broadcast booth, baseball commentators cannot experiment with their catchphrases. These are two catchphrases that wouldn’t have existed in the current baseball era.

There’s sportscaster Dave Niehaus’ “get out the rye bread and mustard this time, Grandma! It is a Grand Salami!” — a catchphrase that Nihaus used whenever a Mariner hit a grand slam during a game. Nihaus’ most famous use of the phrase came in Game 4 of the 1995 ALDS. The Mariners were tied with the Yankees 6-6 in the bottom of the eighth when DH/3B Edgar Martínez cranked a pitch from RHP John Wetteland over the centerfield fence. The Mariners won and forced a decisive Game 5 that gave us “the double,” again from Martínez. 

Then, of course, there’s sportscaster Matt Vasgersian’s “walk-off Salami! Have a bite of Rondell’s (White) walk-off salami sandwich! Friars win it, Santa Maria!” A classic moment of Vasgersian getting overly excited during his homerun calls. This Padres’ win was essentially meaningless, as they had a losing record during the 2003 season. Still, try not to laugh at how much charisma Vasgersian brings to this moment. 

Manufacturing Runs

Manufacturing runs is still a current baseball phrase, but the context may be lacking. It was a way to compliment a team on their ability to play small ball. A runner would hit a single, be bunted over to the second base, then be in a better position to score. The process of getting the runner into scoring position involves more work than simply hitting a home run over the wall, so it has the connotation of being manufactured.

The phrase in that context is dying off because hitters are focusing on launch angle and bat speed rather than increasing the chances of scoring a run. It’s not that current players aren’t working as hard; rather, the style of play has become more modern.

There are still modern teams that prioritize small ball tactics. For example, the 2015 World Series Champion Kansas City Royals were a team that embodied the small-ball mentality.

Terminology in baseball helps fans feel like they are a part of the game. It’s through this more profound knowledge that a casual fan can become a baseball fan for life. Ruling out old slang is a sign that a new generation of baseball is beginning to take over — one that wants baseball to be more entertaining and accessible to young people.

Cover photo courtesy of Gail Burton/AP Photo