Appendix:Glossary of baseball jargon (F)

The following is a glossary of baseball jargon (phrases, idioms and slang):

F

Fall Classic

The World Series -- the championship series of Major League Baseball, in which the champion of the American League faces off against the champion of the National League. Typically, this series takes place in October, so playing in October is the goal of any major league team. Reggie Jackson's moniker "Mr. October" indicates that he played with great distinction in the World Series for the New York Yankees. Another Yankee, Derek Jeter, picked up the nickname "Mr. November" after he hit a walk-off home run in Game 4 of the 2001 World Series just after midnight local time on November 1. By comparison, Yankees owner George Steinbrenner's dubbing another of his players (Dave Winfield) "Mr. May" expressed his disappointment with that player's performance in the Fall Classic.

The one time the Fall Classic was actually played in the summer was 1918, when the season was curtailed due to World War I and the Series was played in early September. Jeter's walk-off homer was the first plate appearance in the month of November in MLB history; the 2001 season was delayed for several days following 9/11, eventually pushing the start of the World Series into the last week of October.

fan

• A strong supporter of a player, a team, or the game in general. This term originated in 19th century England as "the fancy" to refer to those who followed or "fancied" boxing. "The fancy" was shortened to "the fance," then "the fans" was adopted into baseball (replacing the 19th century term "kranks" or "cranks"). Its use was reinforced by its apparent connection to the word "fanatics." [citation needed]
• To "fan" a batter is to strike him out, especially a swinging strike three.

fan interference

When a fan or any person not associated with one of the teams alters play in progress (in the judgment of an umpire), it is fan interference. The ball becomes dead, and the umpire will award any bases or charge any outs that, in his judgment, would have occurred without the interference. This is one of several types of interference calls in baseball.

If a fan touches a ball that is out of the field of play, such as a pop fly into the stands, it is not considered to be fan interference even if a defensive player might have fielded the ball successfully. So the infamous case in Game 6 of the NLCS in which a Chicago Cubs fan, Steve Bartman, attempted to catch a ball in foul territory thereby possibly preventing Cubs leftfielder Moises Alou from making a circus catch, was not a case of fan interference.

farm team

A farm team is a team or club whose role it is to provide experience and training for young players, with an expectation that successful players will move to the big leagues at some point. Each Major League Baseball team's organization has a farm system of affiliated farm teams at different minor league baseball levels.

fencebuster

A slugger.

fastball

A pitch that is thrown more for high velocity than for movement; it's the most common type of pitch. Also known as smoke, a bullet, a heater (you can feel the heat generated by the ball), or a hummer (the ball can't be seen, only heard).

fat pitch

A pitch that is located exactly where the hitter is expecting it. The ball may look bigger than it actually is, and the batter may hit it a long way.

feed

• To throw the ball carefully to another fielder in a way that allows him to make an out. A first-baseman who has just fielded a ground ball will "feed the ball" to the pitcher who is running over from the mound to make the force out at first base. An infielder who has fielded a ground-ball will feed the ball to the player covering second base so that the latter can step on the base and quickly throw to first base to complete a double play.
• To draw energy from the fans. A newly-hired manager might say "I really think we can feed on the excitement that's already here."

field

• A baseball field or baseball diamond upon which the game of baseball is played.
• A ballfield, ballpark, or stadium (e.g., Dodger Stadium, Wrigley Field, Comerica Park).
• To field the ball is to capture or make a play on a ground ball or to catch a fly ball.
• To take the field means that the defensive players are going to their positions, while the other team is on the offense or at bat. "The Reds have taken the field, and Jose Reyes is leading off for the Mets."

fielder

• Any defensive player (as opposed to a batter).
• Often, defensive players are distinguished as either pitchers or position players. Position players are further divided into infielders and outfielders.

field manager

The head coach of a team is called the manager (more formally, the field manager). He controls team strategy on the field. He sets the line-up and starting pitcher before each game as well as making substitutions throughout the game. In modern baseball the field manager is normally subordinate to the team's general manager (or GM), who among other things is responsible for personnel decisions, including hiring and firing the field manager. However, the term manager used without qualification almost always refers to the field manager.

fielder's choice

A fielder's choice (FC) is the act of a fielder, upon fielding a batted ball, choosing to try to put out a baserunner and allow the batter-runner to advance to first base. Despite reaching first base safely after hitting the ball, the batter is not credited with a hit but would be charged with an at-bat.

figger filbert

An old-fashioned and more colorful way of saying "numbers nut", for a fan with a near-obsessive interest in the statistics or "figures" of the game. The first true "figger filbert" was probably Ernest Lanigan, who was the first historian of the Baseball Hall of Fame and prior to that was one of the first, if not the first, to publish an encyclopedia of baseball stats, in the 1920s. In the modern era, Bill James could be said to be the iconic "figger filbert". He is also a founding father of the field of baseball research called sabermetrics.

fireballer

A pitcher who throws primarily fastballs. A flamethrower.

fireman

A team's top relief pitcher who is often brought in to end an offensive rally and put out the fire.

first base

See get to first base

first-ball hitter

A hitter who likes to hit the first pitch in an at bat.

five o'clock hitter

A hitter who hits really well during batting practice, but not so well during games. These were formerly known as "ten o'clock hitters" back when there were no night games.

FL or F.L.

Abbreviation for Federal League, a major league that existed from 1914 to 1915.

flamethrower

A fireballer.

flare

A fly ball hit a short distance into the outfield. "Pudge hit a flare just out of the shortstop's reach."

fly ball

A ball hit high in the air. See also pop fly, infield fly, and ground ball.

foot in the bucket

To act timidly or cowardly. A batter who steps away from home plate with his leading foot (usu. in fear of being struck by a pitched ball) instead of a straight-ahead stride is said to "step in the bucket."

force play

When a runner must advance to another base (after a hit) or retouch (after a fly out), a tag on the baserunner is not required. A fielder can merely touch the base with the ball in hand to force out a baserunner. A batter-runner can always be forced out at first base. (Official Rules of Baseball, Rules 2.00 (Force Play) and 7.08(d))

fork ball

A type of split-finger fastball or splitter in which the fingers are spread out as far as possible. The ball drops sharply and typically out of the strike zone, maybe even into the dirt.

foul lines

Two straight lines drawn on the ground from home plate to the outfield fence to indicate the boundary between fair territory and foul territory. These are called the left-field foul line and the right-field foul line. The foul poles on the outfield walls are vertical extensions of the foul lines.

Despite their names, both the foul lines and the foul poles are in fair territory. Any fly ball that strikes the foul line (including the foul pole) beyond first or third base is a fair ball (and in the case of the foul pole, a home run).

Note that while the foul lines in baseball are in fair territory, just like the side- and end-lines of a tennis court, in basketball or American football the sidelines are considered out of bounds. In other words, hitting the ball "on the line" is good for the offensive player in baseball and tennis, but stepping on the line is bad for the offensive player in basketball and American football. The situation is slightly different in association football (soccer): the sideline and the goal line are inbounds, and the ball is out of play when it has wholly crossed the side line (touch line) or the goal line, whether on the ground or in the air.

foul off

Purposely batting a pitch foul with two strikes in order to keep the at-bat going, in part to tire the pitcher and in part to get another, different pitch that might be easier to hit. Luke Appling was said to be the king of "fouling them off."

foul pole

A pole located on each foul line on the outfield fence or wall. The left-field foul pole and right-field foul pole are used by umpires to determine whether a batted ball is a home run or a foul ball. The foul pole is a vertical extension of the foul line. The term "foul pole" is actually a misnomer, because the "foul pole" (like the foul line) is in fair territory and a fly ball that hits the foul pole is considered to be a fair ball (and a home run).

four-bagger

A home run. Never mind that the 4th "bag" is actually a plate.

four-fingered salute

An intentional walk.

four-seam fastball

A standard fastball, which does not necessarily break though a good one will have movement as well as velocity and location that makes it difficult to hit. The batter sees the four parallel seams spin toward him. A four-seemer. See two-seemer.

frame

• As a noun, a frame is a half of an inning (either the top or the bottom). Announcer: "Two hits, and two runs scored so far in this frame." A bowling term, and suggested by the resemblance of an inning-by-inning scoreboard to a bowling scoresheet.
• As a verb, to frame a pitch is to adjust the position of a catcher's mitt to mislead the umpire into thinking that the ball was caught within the strikezone.

free baseball

Slang for extra innings. The fans get to see extra innings "for free."

free pass

A base on balls. "Free" because the batter doesn't have to hit the ball to get on base.

frozen rope

A hard-hit line drive.

full count

A count of 3 balls and 2 strikes; another strike will result in a strikeout, while another ball will result in a walk.

full house

• Three of a kind (3 balls), and two of a kind (2 strikes): a full count. From the term used in poker. Sometimes called full boat. Instead of holding up fingers indicating the count, the umpire may hold up closed fists, implying "full".
• Capacity crowd; all seats filled in the stadium. From the theatrical term.

fungo

A fly ball hit for fielders to practice catching. It is not part of the game, but is accomplished by a batter tossing the ball a short distance up in the air and then batting it himself.

fungo bat

A lightweight bat with a long, skinny barrel used to hit fungoes. It is not a legal or safe bat to use in a game or even in practice with a live pitcher, because it is too light.

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