Words search

I found it!

Several years ago, while reading William Safire’s “On Language” column, I got the idea to write a blog – yes, another one – about the language of baseball. It seemed like a great idea at the time. I remembered I had bought The Dickenson Baseball Dictionary (first edition) in the early 90s, and that would make a terrific resource.

As I began thinking of ideas for the blog, I was also searching around my bookshelves and boxes for the dictionary. But it wasn’t turning up. I knew there was no way I had tossed the book because I used to love thumbing through the nearly 500 pages, checking out the meanings and etymologies of the numerous baseball words and phrases I was familiar with, and many I had no idea about.  

Kangaroo cave?

Anyway, the dictionary was nowhere to be found. It was more elusive than a .400 season. I thought, “someone will get picked off first base to lose a World Series game before I find that book.” Ok, I didn’t really foresee Kolten Wong’s Game 4 slip-up.

But then it happened; I found my dictionary. It wasn’t in a box of books or in the back of a closet. It was in an old storage building. Imagine that.

So, of course, I immediately thought about the blog again. Maybe it would be fun. It will take some work, a lot of work. And that’s what usually dooms my other blog projects.

It’s not that I’m lazy – well, maybe a little – but, like many aspiring and well-intentioned bloggers, I have little time between work, an hour-plus commute and family to do research for blog posts.

But with that said, I am thinking about it again.

I’ll need a name.

On Baseball Language? Maybe!

Chad’s Baseball Words Blog? No!

$hit Ballplayers Say? No, but that’s kind of funny.

I’ll keep thinking and searching for the perfect name.

I’m sure I’ll find it.