GENERAL SPORTS AND BASEBALL REFERENCES

To Play Ball (with)      To cooperate with, deal withOut of the Ball Park     In baseball, a "home run" -- but also meaning"irrelevant," "impossible to deal with"Ball park figures        Within acceptable limits, rough estimateOut of our league        Better than usNot in our league        Inferior to usMajor, big leagues       Highest level of "professionalism""Bush" league            Cheap, lower-than-acceptableprofessionalism or ethicsJock                     Originally from 'jock strap', made by the Jockeysportswear company; colloquial for "athlete",stereotype of "not intellectual", jock mentalityBatting 1000             Doing perfectly, successful at everystage, in every way.To Score                 General:  to achieve, to impress someone (Ireally scored with her).  Sexual:  to make asexual conquest, to consummate a sexualrelationship (Did you score?;Getting to 1st base      Baseball.  Getting started, being encouraged,usually as in a relationship (I didn't even getto 1st base!)It's a new ball game     A new chance, a fresh slate; a situation in whichwe start again "from scratch"Playing hard ball        Playing with no rules, no holds barred; toughnegotiations; no prentense of politeness.Beanball, "duster"       To "dust one off" -- intimidate, throw a baseballat or near one's head as a warning or asretaliation"Left field"             (Way out in left field, all the way from leftfield, etc) Implies remote position or distancefrom the mainstream, not being a part of the coreaction, etc.Touch base with          Check with, keep in touch with people, keep themposted on a situation.To strike out            To fail (baseball)Time out                 A breather, time to pause and rest from what oneis doing, reconsider.Locker room (talk)       male privacy, familiarity; frank sexual talk, notfor "mixed company"7th inning stretch       Pause near end of an activity, to refresh,reflect on encounter, etc.Throw a curve            To deceive, trick, tactically confuse2 strikes against him    Down to his last option, no "second chance", oddsloaded against successHe struck out            He failedHe has "clout"           Power, influence, leverageSqueeze play (baseball)  "Sneaking" something through with a minor actionwhere a major action might normally have beenexpectedTo field questions       (baseball) Handling questions with dexterity,counter to "sidestepping the issue"(bullfighting)Doubleheader             Two main parts or features to an eventDouble play              Two "victories" with the same action