restrictor plate a metal plate mounted at an engine's intake to limit power, a safety feature required for many racers.
retaining wall the outside wall that prevents cars from accidentally running off the track or crashing into the grandstand.
reverse start a start in which the fastest qualifying cars are lined up last.
roll bar a hollow steel tube that prevents the roof of a car from collapsing on top of a driver in the event of a rollover.
roll cage a network of roll bars for increased protection of the driver during a crash and rollover.
shoes racing tires.
short track a track that is less than a mile long.
shutdown to defeat a competitor in a drag race.
shutdown strip the end of the racing strip where dragsters slow down and stop.
slicks smooth, treadless tires.
slingshot a passing method in which the trailing car pulls out of the draft of the leader, which produces a vacuum that pulls the lead car back.
slipstream the vacuum created behind a fast-moving car.
spoiler an aerodynamic device for improving handling of the car at high speed.
sponsor any large company that pays a race team to advertise a product on their car or uniforms.
sprint car a single-seat race car having a wheelbase of at least 84 inches and a front engine producing 575 horsepower.
stage to align a drag racer at the starting line.
stock car a standard sedan modified for racing. Also known as a production car.
superspeedway a racetrack that is one to two miles long, or longer.
T-bone to crash into another car broadside or to run straight on into a retaining wall.
tire tether Kevlar straps that prevent tires from flying off and injuring someone during a crash.
tri-oval a racetrack in the configuration of an oval with a hump, or fifth turn.
weight jacking adjusting the weight of a car to give more traction to one side or the other.
baseball
AAA the principal minor league from which the major league draws players.
abbreviations box score and scorecard abbreviations include some of the following:
A
assist
AB
at bat
AL
active list, American League
B
bunt
BA
batting average
BB
base on balls/walks
BK
balk
CG
complete game
CS
caught stealing
DH
designated hitter, doubleheader
DL
disabled list
DP
double play
E
error
ER
earned run
ERA
earned run average
F
foul out
FC
fielder's choice
FO
force out
FP
fielding percentage
G
game
GS
games started
H hit
HB
hit batter
HR
home run
IP
innings pitched
IW
intentional walk
K
strikeout
KC
strikeout, called
KS
strikeout, swinging
LOB
left on base
LP
losing pitcher
OF
outfield
PB
passed ball
PO
put out
R
run
RBI
runs batted in
S
sacrifice
SB
stolen base
SF
sacrifice fly
SHO
shutout
SO
strikeout
SS
shortstop
T
total time of game
2B
double
3B
triple
TP
triple play
WP
wild pitch, winning pitcher
aboard
on base; as in "two men abo;
ace
a team's best pitcher.
air it out to hit a ball deep into the outfield or over the wall for a home run.
alive a pitch that appears to rise or move on its own accord.
alleys the open areas between the center fielder and the left fielder and the center fielder and the right fielder.
Annie Oakley a free pass to a game.
apple old slang term for the baseball.
around the horn describing a double play in which the ball is fielded by the third baseman, thrown to the second baseman for one out, and then thrown to the first baseman for the second out.
artillery a team's best batters.
Astroturf brand name of a type of artificial grass.
back-door slide intentionally sliding wide of the bag to avoid being tagged out and then quickly grabbing the bat with the hand.
backstop the screen behind home plate that protects the spectators from being hit by foul balls.
bad-ball hitter a batter who tends to swing indiscriminately at pitches outside the strike zone and who either strikes out a lot or produces a lot of fly balls.
bad hop a hit or thrown ball that takes an unexpected hop, making it difficult to field.
bag commonly used term for either first, second, or third base.
balk an illegal motion made by a pitcher with the intention of deceiving a base runner into starting a run for the next base.
balloon a slow-pitched ball that, to the batter, appears big and easy to hit.
baptism the roughing up of a smooth, new baseball with special mud, performed by the umpire prior to a game.
barrel the heavy, top, or hitting portion of a bat.
base on balls a walk. A batter's pass to first base after the pitcher pitches four balls out of the strike zone, at which the batter doesn't swing.
bases loaded runners on every base.
basket catch catching a fly ball at belt level with cupped hand and glove, a risky technique.
batfest an inning or game with an unusually high number of hits.
batter's box either one of the 6-foot by 4-foot rectangles a player must stand in while at bat.
battery collective term for the pitcher and catcher.
batting average a percentage determined by dividing the number of hits a player has by the number of times he has been up to bat. 1.000, would be perfect.
More realistically, however, .300 is excellent and .400 or above is extraordinary and rarely achieved.
bazooka a powerful throwing arm.
bean to hit a batter in the head with a pitched ball.
beanball a ball intentionally pitched at the batter's head to intimidate or to move him back away from the plate.
beanball war retaliatory pitches at a batter's head by both teams.
behind in the count referring to a batter, having more strikes than balls; referring to a pitcher, having more balls than strikes.
bellywhopper a head-first, diving slide into a base.
benchwarmer a player who rarely plays and can usually be seen sitting on the bench.
big guns artillery.
bleachers the cheap seats or benches located around the outfield.
bloop to hit a short fly ball that lands between the infielders and outfielders for a hit. Also known as a Texas Leaguer.
blooper a short fly ball that lands between the infielders and outfielders for a hit.
blow it by to pitch a ball so fast that the batter can't possibly hit it.