Kitesurfing in San Francisco Bay, with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background. (That's not me. Safer to take the picture.)
 Targets in English
Baseball Idioms Dictionary

Baseball Idioms

Baseball has long been called America's (and Canada's) favorite pastime, and it has become a favorite sport in places in Latin America, Asia, and Europe. Many of the idioms and slang terms that developed in baseball have become common in English for uses outside of sports. What does it mean if someone hit it out of the park? What does it mean if you are in scoring position? Learn these and other baseball idioms in Targets in English's Online Idioms Dictionary.
​​26. minor league
27. ninth inning
28. off base (adj. phr.)
29. off base (adv. phr.)
30. on deck
31. on the ball
32. out in left field
33. out of left field
34. out of (one's) league
35. pinch hitter
36. play ball
37. play hardball
38. right off the bat
39. rain check
40. second-guess
41. step up to the plate
42. strike out
43. that's the way to ball bounces
44. this stage of the game
45. three strikes
46. thriw a curveball/curve
47. touch bases (with)
48. two strikes against
49. whole new ballgame
50. wild pitch

Baseball Idioms List

People become emotional about sports, both players and spectators, and they talk about it a lot. It's not surprising, then, that numerous idioms have developed from our favorite sports and games. What does it mean if a competition comes down to the wire? How correct is a ballpark figure? Sports idioms like these help make English colorful.
From the Baseball Idioms Dictionary in Targets in English's English for Baseball.
Idioms 1: Money—
Hit the Jackpot
Available Now
Coming Soon:
Idioms 2: Sports—
Hit a Home run
Idioms 3: Foods—Going Bananas

Idioms 4: Study—Hit the Books

​Idioms 5: Body—Thumbs Up

Idioms 6: Colors—Seeing red

Idioms 7: Emotions—Laugh Your Head Off

Idioms 8: Animals: Monkey Business

Baseball Idioms Index

​​1. ballpark figure     2. bat around     3. bat a thousand     4. big league(s)     5. bush league     6. Charley horse     7. cover (one's ) bases
8. down to (one's) last out     9. drop the ball     10. early innings     11. extra innings     12. first base     13. glass arm     
14. go to bat for     15. grand slam     16. grandstand play     17. heavy hitter     18. home free     19. home run     
20. in the ballpark     21. in there pitching     22. in scoring position     ​23. in the same league     24. knock out of the park     25. major league
26. minor league     27. ninth inning     28. off base (adj.)     29. off base (adv.)     30. on deck     31. on the ball
32. out in left field     33. out of left field     34. out of (one's) league     35. pinch hitter      36. play ball     37. play hardball
38. right off the bat     39. rain check     40. second-guess     41. step up to the plate     42. strike out     43. thar's the way the ball bounces
44. this stage of the game     45. three strikes     46. throw a curve/curveball     47. touch bases (with)     48. two strikes aainst (one)
49. whole new ballgame     50. wild pitch​

Babe Ruth, Boston Red Sox, 1919.