The Belle’s Lexicon

Whether you’re new to Cleveland baseball or missed a season when MLBTV did something weird, the terms we use for our sport can be confusing.

Cleveland Specifics

  • The Land: A beloved nickname for Cleveland. Originally from local hip-hop culture, it’s now the rallying cry for all Cleveland sports. We don’t just live here; we Guard the Land.
  • The Corner: Refers to the corner of Carnegie and Ontario, the physical home of Progressive Field. If a Belle says, “See you at the Corner,” they’re heading to the game.
  • The GOAT (José!): José Ramírez is our perennial All-Star, the King of the hustle-double, protector of the land, and the heart of the franchise. If he’s up to bat, you better be ready to join the choir and sing.
  • The Guardians of Traffic: The eight massive Art Deco statues on the Hope Memorial Bridge (right next to the stadium) that gave our team its name. They symbolize protection and progress.
  • Hammy and Rosey: Our stalwart radio announcers! Tom Hamilton is a living legend who learned his craft from the great Herb Score. Alongside Jim Rosenhaus (affectionately called “The Oooooold Rosebud”), they provide the soundtrack to Cleveland baseball. If you hear Hammy shout, “Swing and a drive, a waaaay back, and gone!!”, you know something special just happened.
  • The Drunkles: Our affectionate term for Matt Underwood and Rick Manning, the TV announcers. They and Andre Knott keep us well informed on the games.

Historical Terms

  • The Jake: The original name of the stadium (Jacobs Field). You’ll still hear old-school fans call it this; a Belle knows they mean Progressive Field and will forgive this transgression.
  • Down Goes Anderson: While José is properly embarrassed by his brawl on the diamond, a Belle appreciates him standing up to Tim Anderson (then from the White Sox) for jawing and harassing the rookies. Hammy’s call “They’re swinging! They’re fighting! Down goes Anderson! Down goes Anderson!” lives in infamy.
  • The Curse of Colavito: A legendary “curse” stemming from the 1960 trade of home-run king Rocky Colavito. While Belles don’t dwell on the past, we acknowledge this bit of lore with a wink when the bounces don’t go our way.

Ballpark Basics

  • Dollar Dog Night: A Cleveland institution thanks to Sugardale, it is exactly what it sounds like: hot dogs for a dollar. Wear a napkin; those onions are slippery.
  • K / Backwards K: A strikeout. A “K” means the batter swung and missed; a backwards ꓘ means they stood there and watched the third strike go by (which is when a Belle might have a choice word for the umpire).
  • Around the Horn: When the infielders throw the ball to each other (3rd to 2nd to 1st) after making an out. With the advent of the Pitch Clock, this is increasingly rare.
  • Can of Corn: An easy, towering fly ball that the outfielder catches without breaking a sweat.
  • Duck Snort: A ball that somehow greases its way past the shortstop and second baseman into the outfield for a hit. Also known as a Seeing Eye Single, it’s not always pretty, but a Belle knows a hit is a hit.
  • Ground Rule Double: If the ball leaves the ball park but isn’t a home run (bounces over a side wall for example), then the hitter gets a double instead of a single. Those are pretty rare in Cleveland.

MLB Terms

  • ABS: Automated Balls and Strikes (aka RoboUmp). Introduced in 2026, players can challenge the umps calls a few times a game.
  • Pitch Clock: New in 2024, the pitch clock is there to speed up the game. Pitchers have a set time to throw a pitch once the batter is in the box. Of course, the batter also has a set time to get in the box, just to be fair.
  • Manager Challenge: A manager gets one challenge per game to overturn a call. If they get it right, they keep their challenge and can do it again. If not, that’s it until the 9th inning when they get an extra.
  • Umpire Review: Sometimes the umps keep themselves honest. If one makes a call the others don’t agree with, they’ll have a sit down and go over it.

Belle-isms

  • Ballpark Chic: The official dress code, which is a mix of high and low. Think vintage Guardians tees paired with a classic string of pearls. Don’t worry, pearls aren’t required.
  • Scorekeeping: The art of tracking every pitch and play in a paper program. A Belle is always ready to help a neighbor who missed a play because they were busy getting a beer.
  • Deadnaming: Using the team’s former name. We are the Guardians now. Remember, a Belle looks forward, not backward.