This is my opinion. If all 9 hitters actually complete a PA then thats my idea of “batting around”
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When I see the leadoff hitter of that inning standing in the box during the same inning, that’s ‘batting around.’
It’s when the tenth batter gets in the box. Sorry, that’s just the way it is, I don’t make the rules.
What if the 9th hitter hits a double, the leadoff hitter of the inning steps in the box, and the defense appeals the 9th hitter missing first base and he’s called out? Does that count?
What if there’s a pinch hitter?
We need to get this thing codified otherwise people will be talking baseball all willy nilly with no thought to the miniscule, if any, ramifications of what they are saying.
And while we’re at it…the phrase to describe the batter after the hitter on deck is “in the hold”, not “in the hole”. Let’s clean that up, folks.
No.
In the hole is right up there with Cracker Jacks in terms of stupid shit that annoys me.
Can God create a rock so big that he himself can’t lift it?
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If the moon were made of spare ribs, would you eat it?
Yes, but he is smart enough not to.
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Yes.
Yes I would.
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According to “The Dickson Baseball Dictionary”,
In the hole, referring to something stashed away, such as the on-deck hitter, or, by inference, a hidden card in a card game, comes from “in the hold”, which the writer asserts was pronounced “hole” by British seamen. That shortening of words stands to reason, since the words forecastle and boatswain are pronounced “foc-sl” and “bo-sun”.
I’m so glad I came back from the Far East for this. Zero interesting baseball conversation over there.
Going from “hold” to “hole” doesn’t shorten anything. It’s just people who don’t know the correct term. Like misunderstood lyrics in a song.
Badminton fans aren’t nearly as militant about terminology.
Linguistically, it actually does shorten (and simplify) things – which is why it is such a common “simplification”. There is no need to cut off the airflow to make the “d” sound and then restart it for the next utterance. The liquid “l” allows the speech to continue unimpeded and uninterrupted.
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I went to Rice for music, but one of the more memorable classes I ever took there was Linguistics. It’s fascinating how languages evolve.
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I see you there working on multiple classes for use of the tongue.
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My wife has appreciated the effort.
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