Glossary of baseball (U) facts for kids

Baseball Terms Starting with U

UA or U.A.

UA or U.A. is a short way to say Union Association. This was a major baseball league that only lasted for one year in 1884.

Ugly Finder

An ugly finder is a funny name for a foul ball. It's a ball hit hard into the team's dugout. The joke is that it might "find" someone who is ugly, or make them look that way if they don't get out of the way!

Ukulele Hitter

A ukulele hitter is a player who doesn't hit the ball very hard. They are also sometimes called a banjo hitter or a Punch and Judy hitter.

Ultimate Grand Slam

An ultimate grand slam is a very exciting type of grand slam. It happens when the home team is exactly three runs behind in the very last inning of the game. If a player then hits a grand slam, it means they score four runs. This not only ties the game but also wins it with one swing! It's a type of walk-off home run.

Umpire

An umpire (often called "the ump") is like a referee in other sports. Umpires are in charge of making sure the game follows all the rules. A baseball game usually has a crew of several umpires.

Unassisted Play

An unassisted play happens when one player does something that usually takes more than one player to complete. For example, if a player on first base tries to steal second, and the shortstop catches the ball and steps on second base all by themselves, that's an unassisted out. An unassisted double play is rare, and an unassisted triple play is extremely rare!

Uncle Charlie

Uncle Charlie is a nickname for a curveball. A curveball is a pitch that curves as it travels toward home plate.

Uncontested Steal or Undefended Steal

An uncontested steal happens when a runner successfully moves to the next base while the pitcher is throwing the ball. However, the catcher does not even try to throw the runner out. Because the defense didn't try to stop the runner, the runner is not given credit for a stolen base in the game's statistics. This is also called defensive indifference.

Up

The word "up" can mean a few different things in baseball:

• A player who is up is the one who is currently at bat or is about to bat.
• "Batter up!" is what an umpire says to start an inning.
• Three up, three down means that three batters came to the plate, and all three of them got out.
• A team that is winning is "up" by a certain number of runs. For example, "They are up by two runs."
• When a player is called up, it means they have been promoted from a minor league team to a major league team.

Up and In

Up and in describes a pitch that is thrown high and close to the batter's body. It's the same as a high and tight pitch.

Up in the Zone

A pitch that is up in the zone is thrown to the upper part of the strike zone. Pitchers often try to throw fastballs high in the zone because they are harder for batters to hit well.

Up the Middle (Adverb)

When a ball is hit up the middle, it means it was batted through the middle of the infield. This is usually over or near second base and goes into the outfield.

Upper Decker

An upper decker can mean two things:

• A home run that is hit so far it lands in the stadium's upper deck seating area.
• It can also refer to a type of chewing tobacco placed in the upper lip (but this is not allowed for players in MLB today).

Uppercut

An uppercut is a type of swing where the batter's bat moves upward as it swings forward. Batters sometimes use an uppercut swing when they want to hit the ball with more power.

Upstairs

Upstairs is a term for a high pitch. It usually means the pitch is above the strike zone.

Up the Elevator Shaft

When a ball is hit up the elevator shaft, it means it's a very high pop-up. The ball goes almost straight up into the air, directly over the batter.

Up the Middle (Area)

Up the middle also refers to an important area on the baseball field. This area is an imaginary line from home plate, through the pitcher's mound, and second base, extending into center field. Baseball teams often try to build their strength "up the middle" by having strong players at catcher, second base, shortstop, and center field.

Utility Player

A utility player is a player who can play several different positions on the field. They are usually bench players who can fill in wherever the team needs them.