High and Inside: An A-To-Z Guide to the Language of Baseball

Provides definitions for baseball words and phrases from "ace" to "World Series", and explains the source of nicknames for players and teams

High and Inside is your guide to the often lyrical, frequently absurd, and always colorful oral tradition of the great American pastime. The language of baseball, from the dugout chatter of the minor leagues to the media flash of today's "show me the money" major-league heroes, has evolved in wondrous ways over the years. Universal words and phrases such as "meal ticket," "muff," and "farm system" form a vocabulary that is the backbone of baseball culture. High and Inside offers definitions and origins of baseball's lexicon as well as insightful stories about some of the quirky nicknames, such as Frank "The Big Hurt" Thomas, "Dizzy" Dean, and Bill "Spaceman" Lee. Author Joseph McBride approaches the ballplayers' wacky slang with a humorist's appreciation and a linguist's thoroughness. For the baseball fanatic, the student of the game, and the all-around baseball know-it-all, this book pitches a perfect game. --Lance Judd