Bring a Glove-It’s Time to Practice Your English with Baseball in New York City June 21, 2017

If you’re looking for an incredibly fun activity now that the weather is warming up, I highly recommend checking out a baseball game. New York City has two major league baseball teams: the New York Yankees and the New York Mets. Both home fields are easy to get to, and if the weather is permitting, an afternoon home game can turn an average day into an amazing one.

Baseball is often referred to as America’s pastime. It’s a timeless sport in the United States, and both New York-based teams are treasured units in New York City. Fans of both the Yankees and the Mets take their teams very seriously and are loyal to their traditions. Before you hit either field, I’m prepping you on some phrases that you might overhear while you’re there. This way, you can practice these English phrases before you go, and you’ll know how to shout when your new home team scores a homerun!

1. “Play Ball!”

Right before the game starts, the whole field will salute during the National Anthem. During this song, everyone will stand facing the American flag, and the men will remove their hats and hold them against their hearts. At the end of the song, you’ll hear people shout, “Play Ball!” This phrase will signify the beginning of the game, and it riles everyone up for a great baseball game. It’ll kick-start the whole experience.

2. “It’s Outta Here!”

If a player hits a ball all the way out of the stadium, it’s considered a home run, and it’s one of the greatest plays in the sport. It’s a huge point of celebration, and you’ll hear many people shout this once the ball is declared as a homerun. It’s a great feeling when you’re shouting this with everyone else in the stadium.

3. Seventh Inning Stretch

This is another baseball tradition. The whole game lasts 9 innings, so in the middle of the 7^th inning, the whole stadium will stand up for another song called, “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.” This song is meant to give the players a break during the game, and then it’s also a chance to stretch your legs, get some last minute snacks, or simply participate in a timeless tradition. Check out the song on YouTube and learn the words, so when you get to the stadium, you can sing along in unison with everyone else. It’s a really fun tradition!

4. Bases Loaded

When there are players on all bases, you’ll hear this phrase. This is a really big deal, since it means that if the next player at bat hits a home run, it means that all the players will get to run to home base, which then makes that play a Grand Slam. This doesn’t happen all that often, so if it happens while you’re there, you’re in for a great moment of celebration. It’s really exciting if you get to be a part of it!

5.“Foul Ball!”

If a player hits the ball out of bounds, it means it doesn’t count as a regular hit and the player can attempt to hit the ball again. This can also be a really exciting time, since if your seats are close enough to the field, you might have the chance to catch it and keep the ball! This is one of the coolest parts of going to a game—so make sure you bring a glove!

6.Extra Innings

If the game is a tie by the time of the ninth inning, that means the game will go into extra innings. Again, this isn’t super common, but if you find yourself at a game where this happens, it can also be really exciting just because it is so rare. It can turn into a serious nail-biter, so be prepared!

7.“Steeeeeeeeeeeriiiiiiiike!”

If a player misses a ball, it’s considered a strike. When this happens, you’ll hear the umpire behind the batter say the word strike just like this. It might sound a bit weird, but it’s another really neat tradition in the game of baseball. Once you hear it said this way, you might find that you won’t say it any differently that the umpire did.