Random
the ball’s in your court
When it’s someone’s responsibility to make the next move. In tennis, it means that it’s the other person’s turn to hit the ball.
to hit a homerun, to knock it out of the park, to hit a grand slam
To do something very successfully.
a swing and a miss
A situation when someone tries but fails.
play hardball
To act aggressively in a negotiation.
Hail Mary
A plan, often made out of desperation, that likely won’t work (and it’ll be a miracle if it does). While this has clear religious connotations, it was popularized because of the “Hail Mary” passes in football, which are far passes that are unlikely to be caught.
sucker punch
To hit someone when they’re distracted.
take a rain check
To postpone.
throw a curveball
To do something unexpected.
step up to the plate
To take on some sort of responsibility.
run interference
To deal with problems as they arise so someone else doesn’t have to. In football, a strategy where a player blocks the other team.
the gloves are off
To fight very aggressively.
strike out
To do something unsuccessfully.
whole new ball game
When a team scores and ties up the game, announcers might say it’s “a whole new ball game” because the odds of either team winning are evened out. In regular life, a whole new ball game can refer to any situation where something has happened to drastically change the circumstances.
batting a thousand
To perform perfectly. If a baseball player were “batting a thousand,” that means they’re getting a hit every time they go up to the plate. This never actually happens in baseball (at least not for a long time), but it can apply to any situation when someone is doing well in regular life.
buzzer beater
Something accomplished at the last possible moment. In basketball, it’s when the ball gets through the net right before the buzzer announces the end of the quarter.
beat to the punch
To do something before someone else has the chance to do
in the ballpark, a ballpark figure
A rough estimate, an approximation
in your wheelhouse
Within a person’s interests or knowledge. While the word “wheelhouse” originally referred to the room where a captain would steer a ship, baseball announcers started using it to refer to the area over home plate where a batter is able to hit the ball best. This area differs from batter to batter.
on deck
Up next. In baseball, it refers to the player who is next up at bat.
slam dunk
Generally, something that is very good (“This idea is a slam dunk”).
game, set and match
Basically, “it’s over.” In tennis, the umpire will declare the winner by using this phrase followed by the winner’s name.
go to bat for
To support someone else
extra innings
When something goes on longer than expected, referring to how baseball games are extended beyond the ninth inning if the score is tied
pinch hitter
Someone who will substitute for someone else. A pinch hitter in baseball is someone who substitutes for another batter. A pinch hitter in regular life can take over for someone else in any situation, and it’s often implied that they have some skill that would make them especially useful.
move the goalposts
To change someone’s goal after they’ve started, often making it more difficult to complete a task.