GENERAL SPORTS AND BASEBALL REFERENCES

To Play Ball (with)      To cooperate with, deal with
Out of the Ball Park     In baseball, a "home run" -- but also meaning
"irrelevant," "impossible to deal with"
Ball park figures        Within acceptable limits, rough estimate
Out of our league        Better than us
Not in our league        Inferior to us
Major, big leagues       Highest level of "professionalism"
"Bush" league            Cheap, lower-than-acceptable
professionalism or ethics1
Jock                     Originally from 'jock strap2', made by the Jockey
sportswear company; colloquial3 for "athlete",
stereotype4 of "not intellectual", jock mentality5
Batting 1000             Doing perfectly6, successful at every
stage, in every way.
To Score                 General:  to achieve, to impress someone (I
really scored with her).  Sexual:  to make a
sexual conquest, to consummate7 a sexual
relationship (Did you score?;
Getting to 1st base      Baseball.  Getting started, being encouraged,
usually as in a relationship (I didn't even get
to 1st base!)
It's a new ball game     A new chance, a fresh slate8; a situation in which
we start again "from scratch"
Playing hard ball        Playing with no rules, no holds barred; tough
negotiations9; no prentense of politeness.
Beanball, "duster"       To "dust one off" -- intimidate10, throw a baseball
at or near one's head as a warning or as
retaliation11
"Left field"             (Way out in left field, all the way from left
field, etc) Implies remote position or distance
from the mainstream12, not being a part of the core
action, etc.
Touch base with          Check with, keep in touch with people, keep them
posted on a situation.
To strike out            To fail (baseball)
Time out                 A breather, time to pause and rest from what one
is doing, reconsider.
Locker13 room (talk)       male privacy, familiarity; frank sexual talk, not
for "mixed company"
7th inning stretch       Pause near end of an activity, to refresh,
reflect on encounter, etc.
Throw a curve            To deceive, trick, tactically confuse
2 strikes against him    Down to his last option, no "second chance", odds
loaded against success
He struck out            He failed
He has "clout"           Power, influence, leverage
Squeeze play (baseball)  "Sneaking" something through with a minor action
where a major action might normally have been
expected
To field questions       (baseball) Handling questions with dexterity,
counter to "sidestepping the issue"
(bullfighting)
Doubleheader             Two main parts or features to an event
Double play              Two "victories" with the same action