Language of Scouting
Arm Speed: refers to how quickly the pitcher whips his throwing arm forward during the act of throwing the ball. A pitcher must pocess a quick arm action in order to throw with good velocity.
Breaking Pitch: Refers to any pitch from curveball, slider, screwball, forkball or slit-finger fastball.
Command: The ability to throw fastballs and breaking pitches for strikes at any time in the count.
Co-op Team: A minor league team whose players are owned by several different major league teams.
Crow Hop: Refers to the little step infielders use to gave velocity on throws to first base.
Draft and Follow: A player is drafted by a major league team who monitors the players progress in junior college. The team retains the drafted players rights until one week before the next draft.
Extended Spring Training: Spring training for minor league players who have not yet been assigned to a minor league club for the season.
Filler: A player that is considered a marginal prospect by the organization. The player is considered just filling out the roster around the teams real prospects.
First Round Pick: A player that is drafted in the first round in the June amateur draft.
Five Tools: Hitting, Power, Speed, Fielding and Arm.
Gamer: A prospect who performs better during the game than a practice or tryout setting.
Good Athletics Body: Describes a ball player with good physique, agility, and
speed.
Good Baseball Instincts: A player that pocesses good decisions in running bases, which base to throw to, and where to play the hitters.
Good Eye: A hitter that rarely swings at pitches outside the strike zone.
Good Face: A player that shows disipline and good majurity.
Good Mechanics: Decribes a pitcher who throws with a smooth fluid motion.
Incentive Clause: Refers to a cash bonus given to a player if he makes it to AA, AAA or the major leagues.
Independent Club: a minor league club is made up of ball players are not under
contract with any major league clubs. The players are paid by the individual owner of the franchise and can have their contracts sold to any major league teams.
Independent League: A professional baseball league not affilated with the National
Association of Professional Baseball. Owners of individual teams are responsible for paying teams salary and expenses.
Instructional League: Reserved for each teams top prospects during late September through early November, where the players work with the teams minor league instructors to improve their skills for next season.
June Draft: Held during the first week during June where the major league teams draft eligible high school and college players in order to replenish the minor league rosters.
Just A Thrower: A pitcher who throws with good velocity but lacks control, breaking pitchers or how to set up hitters.
Major League Velocity: A pitcher that throws in the high 80s on the radar gun.
Meal Money: Refers to the money given to players to pay for eating expenses in the minor leagues.
Movement: A pitch that rises, sinks, or moving up or down in the strike zone.
Non-Drafted Free Agent: A player who is signed to a minor league contract after being bypassed in the June Amateur Draft.
One Tool Player: A player that pocesses only one major league tool.
Potential: A player who has the talent to suceed in professional baseball but has not perform as expected yet.
Prospect: A player that pocesses the physical tools to suceed at the professional level.
Quick Bat: A hitter that pocesses good batspeed and hits the ball powerfully.
Quick Feet: A player with good agility, balance, and lateral movement.
Quick Hands: The ability to adjust rapidly with one hands to bad hops or throws.
Quick Release: A catcher that can catch the ball and throw to second base under 2 seconds on an attempted steal.
Range: It is the ability to move quickly in all directions or how much ground the in-fielder can cover.
Signing Bonus: Refers to one time cash payment made to a player for signing a minor league contract.
Six Year Free Agent: A player with six years of minor league experience not on the major league roster is free to sign with other major league teams.
Sleeper: A player who is no highly scouted but bloosoms in pro ball when given a chance.
Slider Speed Bat: A hitter that can not get around on a major league fastball, but is able to hit breaking pitches.
Slow Bat: A hitter that is not able to get around and hit a major league fastball with authority.
Soft Hands: The ability to field the ball smoothly and gracefully in a smooth routine action.
Suspect: A player whose professional potential is questionable.
Two Way Shot: A player that has major league potential as a position player and pitcher.
Unconditional Release: When a team decides to release a player from their contract. The player is now able to sign a minor league contract with any other club interested in him.
Velocity: Refers to the speed of the pitch as measured by a radar gun.
Winter Ball: Professional baseball during the winter months in Arizona, Hawaii, Australia, Puerto Rico or Dominican Republic, usually reserved for minor league players with Triple A or major league experience. Winter ball helps players earn extra money and stay in shape during the time from November to start of spring training.
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