March 31 marked the the start of baseball season; the Texas Rangers take on the Houston Astros at the Astros ball diamond. Ahhh baseball, that all-American sport! It makes me want to reminisce.
I used to play softball for a rec team when I was younger. My dad was my coach, so as you can imagine I heard a lot of “keep your eye on the ball” when I was up to bat. And unfortunately, I also heard a lot of that “a swing and a miss” phrase too. I never got one out of the park.
But I redeemed myself as a pitcher; I did strike out a couple of batters in my day. And I threw a couple of people out at first after they tried to bunt (and subsequently realized that was a bad idea).
Keep in mind this was a rec league, so there wasn’t any base stealing and tie games were allowed (just to keep things rolling) -- no extra innings for us. But I got a nice participation medal for my effort.
diamond -- relating to baseball, the diamond is the whole playing field or the square formed by the four bases.
diamond -- a transparent, flawless or almost flawless piece of this stone especially when cut and polished, valued as a precious gem.
team -- a number of persons forming one of the sides in a game or contest: a football team.
teem -- to abound or swardm; be prolific or fertile (usually followed by with).
eye on -- part of a popular phase in baseball and golf, “keep your eye on the ball”.
ion -- one of the electrically charged particles formed in a gas by electric discharge or the like.
bat -- a wooden club used in certain games, as baseball and cricket, to strike the ball.
bat -- any of numerous flying mammals of the order Chiroptera, of worldwide distribution in tropical and temperate regions, having modified forelimbs that serve as wings and are covered with a membranous skin extending to the hind limbs.
miss -- to fail to hit or strike: to miss a target.
miss -- a title of respect for an unmarried woman, conventionally prefixed to her name or to the name of that which she represents: Miss Mary Jones; Miss Sweden.
park -- an enclosed area or stadium used for sports: a baseball park.
park -- to place or leave (a vehicle) in a certain place for a period of time.
pitcher -- Baseball. the player who throws the ball to the opposing batter.
pitcher -- a container, usually with a handle and spout or lip, for holding and pouring liquids.
strike -- in baseball, a pitch that is swung at and missed by the batter, or a pitch that passes through the strike zone and is not swung at by the batter.
strike -- a concerted stopping of work or withdrawal of workers’ services, as to compel an employer to accede to workers’ demands or in protest against terms or conditions imposed by an employer.
batter -- a player who swings a bat or whose turn it is to bat, as in baseball or cricket.
batter -- a mixture of flour, milk or water, eggs, etc., beaten together for use in cookery.
threw -- Baseball. to cause to be out by throwing the ball to a fielder, especially an infielder, in time to prevent a batter or runner from reaching base safely: The shortstop backhanded the ball and threw the batter out at first.
through -- in at one end, side, or surface and out at the other: to pass through a tunnel; We drove through Denver without stopping. Sun came through the window.
thru -- an informal, simplified spelling of through.
bunt -- Baseball. to bat (a pitched ball) very gently so that it rolls into the infield close to home plate, usually by holding the bat loosely in hands spread apart and allowing the ball to bounce off it.
bunt -- nautical. the baggy cenre of a fishing net or other piece of fabric, such as a square sail.
base -- the bottom support of anything; that on which a thing stands or rests: a metal base for the table.
bass -- low in pitch; of the lowest pitch or range: a bass voice; a bass instrument.
steal -- Baseball. (of a base runner) to gain (a base) without the help of a walk or batted ball, as by running to it during the delivery of a pitch.
steel -- any of various modified forms of iron, artificially produced, having a carbon content less than that of pig iron and more than that of wrought iron, and having qualities of hardness, elasticity, and strength varying according to composition and heat treatment: generally categorized as having a high, medium, or low-carbon content.
tie -- to make or be the same score; be equal in a contest: The teams tied for first place in the league.
tie -- a necktie, a cord, string, or the like, used for tying, fastening, binding, or wrapping something.
medal -- a flat piece of metal, often a disk but sometimes a cross, star, or other form, usually bearing an inscription or design, issues to commemorate a person, action, or event, or given as a reward for bravery, merit, or the like: a gold medal for the best swimmer.
meddle -- to involve oneself in a matter without right or invitation; interfere officiously and unwantedly: Stop meddling in my personal life!
