The Baseball Thesaurus

Sluggers deposit Ballantine Blasts in the nosebleeds. The top of the lineup sets the table for the heart of the order. The infield pinches in at the corners. A lumberjack sits dead red, hoping for number one in his wheelhouse, only to be crossed up by an Uncle Charlie.

Baseball is a sport with its own lingo and jargon, a colorful patois that developed over decades and millions of games. In the second edition of The Baseball Thesaurus, enhanced with even more rare photos and little-known anecdotes, Jesse Goldberg-Strassler storyteller, commentator, voice delves into the language of the national pastime: from Vin Scully s philosophy on no-hitters to Red Barber s classic turns of phrase to a definitive listing of broadcasters trademark home run calls.

Who should read The Baseball Thesaurus? It s for the beat writer, the radio listener, the blog reader, the talk-show caller, the minor-league diehard, the Strat-O-Matic devotee, the seventh-inning stretcher, the crank, the t-ball coach, the baseball Annie, the purist, the casual rooter who has no need to attend both games of a doubleheader, and the fan who takes pride in scoring the game and teaching the tradition to others.

A home run is never just a home run, says Goldberg-Strassler. It s a roundtripper, a four-bagger, a dinger, a tater, or a jack. Baseball s language is unmatched in both its color and its poetry.