Korean Baseball Terminology

Note: Romanizations are done according to the government standard (as seen on public transportation, street signs, etc.) with slight modifications to ensure proper pronunciation.

Basics

  • 야구 (ya-gu): Baseball (the game itself)
  • 공 (gong): Ball
  • 배트 (bae-teu): Bat
  • 공격 (gong-gyeok): Offense
  • 수비 (su-bi): Defense
  • 투수 (tu-su): Pitcher
  • 타자 (ta-ja): Hitter
  • 주자 (ju-ja): Runner
  • 심판 (shim-pan): Umpire
  • 승리 / 패배 / 무승부 (seung-li / pae-bae / mu-seung-bu): Win / Loss / Draw

Gameplay

  • 볼 / 스트라이크 (bol / seu-teu-ra-i-keu): Ball / Strike
  • 헛스윙 (heos-seu-wing): Swinging strike
  • 파울 (pa-ul): Foul
  • 페어 (pe-eo): Fair
  • 삼진 (sam-jin): Strikeout
  • 볼넷 (bol-net): Base on balls ("ball four")
  • 몸에 맞는 공 (mom-e man-neun gong): Hit by pitched ball ("body-hitting ball")
  • 아웃 (a-ut): Out
  • 안타 (an-ta): Base hit ("safe hit")
  • 장타 (jang-ta): Extra-base hit ("long hit")
  • 2루타 (i-ru-ta): Double ("two base hit")
  • 3루타 (sam-lu-ta): Triple ("three base hit")
  • 홈런 (hom-leon): Home run
  • 플라이 (peul-la-i): Fly ball
  • 땅볼 (ddang-bol): Ground ball
  • 직선타 (jik-seon-ta): Line out
  • 견제 (gyeon-je): Pickoff attempt
  • 도루 (do-ru): Steal
  • 실점 (shil-jjeom): Run allowed (by a team/pitcher)
  • 득점 (deuk-jeom): Run scored
  • 타점 (tat-jeom): RBI
  • 적시타 (jeok-shi-ta): RBI hit
  • 만루 (mal-lu): Bases loaded
  • 무사 / 1사 / 2사 (mu-sa, il-sa, i-sa): None out, one out, two out

Field & Positions

  • 내야 / 외야 (nae-ya / we-ya): Infield / Outfield
  • 내야수 / 외야수 (nae-ya-su / we-ya-su): Infielder / Outfielder
  • 수비수 (su-bi-su): Defender (typically someone fielding a ball in play)
  • 야수 (ya-su): Fielder (i.e. not a pitcher)
  • 투수판 (tu-su pan): Pitcher's plate (aka "the rubber")
  • 1루/一루 (il-lu): First base
  • 2루/二루 (i-ru): Second base
  • 3루/三루 (sam-lu): Third base
  • 홈 (hom): Home
  • 좌익 / 우익 (jwa-ik / u-ik): Left field / Right field
  • 중견 (jung-gyeon): Center field
  • X루 베이스 (X-lu be-i-seu): X base (the physical bag itself)
  • 투수 (tu-su): Pitcher
  • 포수 (po-su): Catcher
  • 1루수/一루수 (il-lu-su): First baseman
  • 2루수/二루수 (i-ru-su): Second baseman
  • 3루수/三루수 (sam-lu-su): Third baseman
  • 유격수 (yu-gyeok-su): Shortshop
  • 좌익수 (jwa-ik-su): Left fielder
  • 중견수 (jung-gyeon-su): Center fielder
  • 우익수 (u-ik-su): Right fielder
  • 대타 / 대주자 (dae-ta / dae-ju-ja): Pinch hitter / Pinch runner

Advanced

  • 우투/좌투 (u-tu/jwa-tu): Throws Right / Throws Left
  • 우타/좌타 (u-ta/jwa-ta): Bats Right / Bats Left
  • Example from player profile: 우투좌타 = Throws Right, Bats Left
  • 우타자 / 좌타자 (u-ta-ja/jwa-ta-ja): RHH/LHH
  • 우완투수 / 좌완투수 (u-wan-tu-su/jwa-wan-tu-su): RHP/LHP
  • 내야안타 (nae-ya an-ta): Infield single
  • 병살 (byeong-sal): Double play
  • 삼중살 (sam-jung-sal): Triple play
  • 병살타 (byeong-sal-ta): GDP (i.e. the hit that leads to a double play)
  • 견제사 (gyeon-je): Pickoff (successful pickoff that results in an out)
  • 좌중간 / 우중간 (jwa-jung-gan / u-jung-gan): Left-center gap / right-center gap
  • 사구/四구: (sa-gu): Base on balls (older term, from Japanese baseball)
  • 사구/死구: (sa-gu): Hit by pitch (older term, from Japanese baseball)
  • 사사구/四死구 (sa-sa-gu): Bases on balls + hit by pitches (this term is still in use as a useful abbreviation)
  • 주심/루심 (ju-shim/lu-shim): Plate umpire / 1B/3B umpire
  • 도루 시도/성공/실패 (do-ru shi-do/seong-gong/shil-pae): Steal attempt/success/failure
  • 도루 저지 (do-ru jeo-ji): Steal prevention (i.e. throw from the catcher)
  • 파울/페어 지역 (pa-ul/pe-eo ji-yeok): Foul / fair territory
  • 투구 / 포구 (tu-gu / po-gu): Throwing / Catching
  • 자책점 (ja-chaek-jeom): Earned run
  • 평균자책점 (pyeong-gyun ja-chaek-jeom): Earned run average
  • 승률 (seung-yul): Win percentage
  • 교체 (gyo-che): Player substitution
  • 타율 / 출루율 / 장타율 (ta-yul / chul-lu-yul / jang-ta-yul): Batting average / on-base percentage / slugging percentage
  • 득점권 (deuk-jeom-ggweon): Scoring chance (runner(s) in scoring position)
  • 타석 / 타수 (ta-seok / ta-su): Plate appearance / At-bat
  • 희생 (hui-saeng): Sacrifice
  • 기습 번트 (gi-seup beon-teu): Surprise bunt
  • 오심 (o-shim): Blown call (by an umpire)
  • 합의 판정 (hab-eui pan-jeong): Replay review (on a disputed call on the field)

At the Stadium

  • 지정석 (ji-jeong-seok): Designated seating
  • 자유석 (ja-yu-seok): Open seating (i.e. get there early)
  • 응원석 (eung-weon-seok): Cheering section
  • 매표소 (mae-pyo-so): Ticket office
  • 암표상 (am-pyo-sang): Ticket scalper

Bonus: Terms Used by Players

  • 포볼 (po-bol): Base on balls ("four ball")
  • 데드볼 (de-deu-bol): Hit by pitched ball ("dead ball")
  • 풀베이스 (pul be-i-seu): Bases loaded ("full base")
  • 다이 (da-i): Out (as in "one out" or "two out," which players shout to each other as a reminder)
  • 뛴다! (dduin-da): He's going! (when the runner takes off)
  • 잘 본다! (jal bon-da): Good eye! (to a hitter, when he lays off a ball)
  • 기다려! (ki-da-ryeo): Be patient! (to a hitter, when the pitcher is struggling with control)
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