Baseball Slang you need to know

It's the MLB Playoffs. You're new to the sport and want to know what the announcers are saying and how to talk to your coworkers about last nights game, here's what you need to know.

Can of Corn: A fly ball so routine the outfielder barely has to move. 

Cheese: A fastball, usually a good one. If someone's "bringing the cheese," get ready for it to be over quickly.

Chin Music: A pitch thrown up and in, close enough to make a hitter duck. More warning shot than strategy.

Cup of Coffee: A short stint in the majors before getting sent back down. Just enough time to taste the glory.

Dinger: A home run, plain and celebratory. Say it out loud and you can practically hear the crowd stand up.

Ducks on the Pond: Runners sitting on base, waiting to be driven in. 

Frozen Rope: A line drive hit so hard and flat it looks like it's on a wire strung between bases.

Hot Corner: Third base, where the ball comes off the bat fastest and reaction time shrinks to nothing.

Mendoza Line: The unofficial batting average threshold: .200. Named after Mario Mendoza, if a hitter goes below this line, their roster spot starts to feel shaky.

Pickle: A rundown between two bases, with a runner caught in the middle and no good options.

Punch-Out: A strikeout, especially one where the bat never leaves the shoulder. Called because of the umpire's signature fist pump.

Rally Cap: Wearing your hat inside out or backward late in a close game, superstition dressed up as strategy.

Small Ball: An offense built on bunts, steals, and moving runners one base at a time, instead of waiting around for the big hit.

Southpaw: A left-handed pitcher, named for the direction his throwing arm faces in old ballpark layouts that ran east to west.

Table Setter: The hitter whose job is getting on base so someone else can drive them in. 

The Show: The major leagues.