Etc...

Oops, sorry about that

Melvin Ainsworth was wearing his official San Francisco 49ers jacket one day late last month, but he never expected that would get him tackled from behind as though he was running for the goal line . In fact, the Crockett, Calif., retiree was only out for his daily stroll across the Carquinez Bridge to Vallejo when, without warning, he was flattened ... by a police officer. Why? Well, the cops were responding to a report of a man dressed the same way and acting as though he was about to leap into the water 158 feet below . Ainsworth came out of the experience with some cuts and bruises. As for the police, they've apologized for their mistake - and now are bracing for a possible lawsuit.

With the opening of another Major League Baseball season, dedicated fans will demonstrate their zeal in such ways as water-cooler debates about the merits of teams and players. It's a time you'll hear "inside baseball" terms, which may be puzzling. Example: What is the difference between a Baltimore chop and a pork chop? (The former is a batted ball that hits on or near home plate and bounces over an infielder's head.) To help the most casual fan understand the game's jargon, here are a few common terms with their plain-English translations:

can of corn: an easy catch
cheese: a fastball
chin music: high, inside pitch
dinger: home run
dish: home plate
hot corner: third base
K: a strikeout
Mendoza Line: a weak batting average, around .200
moon shot: long, high-arching home run
pick: a sparkling play by an infielder on a ground ball
ribbie: run batted in
rope: a hard line drive
tater: another term for a home run
twin killing: a double play
wheelhouse: a batter's favorite part of the strike zone
yakker: a curve ball
- Major League Baseball