Nine everyday phrases that actually come from baseball

Whether you're a baseball fanatic, staying up every night to see the highlights and check the scores, or you're brand new to the sport -- unsure of just what an "inning" is -- baseball has already infiltrated your life.

Do you ever throw on a cap to complete your outfit before racing out the door? While baseball didn't lead to the invention of the chapeau, the sport gave it the popularity that lives on today.

Do you ever warn a misbehaving child with three strikes before putting them in time out? Guess what: That's from baseball, too. But those two examples are far from the only things that have slipped into our lives and lexicon over baseball's remarkable 150-year history. Here are nine phrases you might use at home, the office, or out with friends that are taken from the sport.

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1. Hitting it out the park, or, hitting a home run

Scenario: Following the completion of a successful project, your manager may call you out in the all-hands meeting by saying that you "hit it out of the park."

Baseball origin: This is inspired by home runs, the massive blasts where the ball soars over the outfield wall and "out of the park."

Here are the longest home runs hit last season:

2. Thrown a curveball

Scenario: Your friend calls to say that he's "been thrown a curveball” and can’t meet you for a drink tonight due to problems with the trains.

Baseball origin: A curveball is the oldest "breaking" pitch in baseball history -- that being a ball thrown with the express purpose of bending or "breaking" across the strike zone. Hall of Fame pitcher Sandy Koufax made his career on the pitch, which is one of the hardest to hit.

Here are some of the best curveball artists in the game today:

3. Touch base

Scenario: You get back to your desk on Monday with an e-mail from the finance team asking to “touch base” on the project budget.

Baseball origin: Where did “touch base” originate from, you ask? Naturally, from ballplayers needing to touch the base before the ball or tag gets there. Phillies star Trea Turner is known for his incredibly smooth slides.

Here are some of the best ballplayers on the planet "touching" base:

4. Got all the bases covered

Scenario: You're chatting with your friend about your plans for the upcoming weekend and he responds, "Sounds like you've got all your bases covered."

Baseball origin: While this is similar to our last phrase, it's a little different: This time, we're looking at when all the bases are occupied. If the hitter were to smash a home run in this scenario -- with runners occupying first, second and third base -- then we call that a "grand slam."

Here's Fernando Tatís Sr. -- father of Padres superstar Fernando Tatís Jr. -- hitting two grand slams in a single inning. He's the only player in Major League history to ever accomplish the feat.

5. Ballpark figures

Scenario: While sitting in the monthly budget meeting, Beth from accounts is asking for some “ballpark figures” for next month’s expenditure.

Baseball origin: I mean, this one is almost self explanatory. Want to see some other ballpark figures?

6. Rain check

Scenario: On a quiet Friday night, you text your friend to meet up at the new bar you've been meaning to check out. Unfortunately, they already have plans with their significant other so they ask for a "rain check."

Baseball origin: This phrase comes all the way from the 1880s. Back then, if a game was canceled because of rain or other inclement weather, spectators would be given a "rain check" or a ticket stub that they could use for the postponed contest.

7. Closer

Scenario: With a big client meeting coming up, you know you need to call in your team's star presenter: It's up to them to "close" out the deal.

Baseball origin: Though a relatively modern baseball invention, teams often call in their best relief pitcher to get the last -- and most important -- outs in the ballgame. These pitchers often enter to such fanfare that the songs played for their trip out to the mound becomes forever linked with them. The Yankees' Mariano Rivera ("Enter Sandman"), Boston's Jonathon Papelbon ("Shipping Up to Boston") and the Mets' Edwin Díaz ("Narco") are three closers who will forever be remembered for their entrance song.

8. Keep your eye on the ball

Scenario: While juggling a lot of projects and upcoming deadlines, your manager -- or a concerned partner -- might tell you to focus on the most important part and "keep your eye on the ball."

Baseball origin: This is one of the first instructions a young baseball player will get: When taking a swing at the pitch or trying to catch the ball in the outfield, you have to keep your eye on the ball.

Sometimes it's harder than you'd expect -- especially when the sun gets involved.

9. Smash hit

Scenario: While reading the reviews for the newest plays coming to the theater, a reviewer calls one of the productions a "smash hit."

Baseball origin: When the batter not only gets on base, but hits the ball particularly hard, you may hear the announcer call it a "smash hit."

Before checking out the hardest-hit ball from 2023, make sure you get your tickets to this summer's London Series matchup between the Mets and Phillies.