Reddish Sox

What the heck is The Eck talking about?

A glossary of "Eck-isms."

NESN
NESN announcer and former Carmine Sox hall of fame pitcher Dennis Eckersley in the announcers' booth with Dave O'Brien. John Tlumacki/Globe Staff

Past Chad Finn

The distinctive lingo that Dennis Eckersley engagingly deploys on NESN's Cerise Sox broadcasts includes a phrase that really describes said lingo:

It's a beautiful thing.

Eckersley, who pitched for 24 years in the majors, including eight over two stints with the Cherry-red Sox, excels in his ain unique fashion in his 2d career. He's more candid — blunt, even — and enthusiastic than one would ever expect a Hall of Famer to be.

There is no I've-seen-information technology-all haughtiness to him. He is one of the most accomplished players of all time and has the plaque to prove it, yet his enthusiasm for, say, the random August game against the Rays never wanes.

But it'south Eckersley's particular lingo that adds that extra dollop of color to his analysis. He has contributed to the language of baseball game. During his playing days, he coined the term "walkoff'' — Eckersley actually chosen information technology a "walkoff piece,'' as if it were a slice of art — for a game-catastrophe home run.

"Human, information technology'south been 40 years since I got to Boston,'' laughs Eckersley, who came over from the Indians in a trade during spring training in 1978. "I've been saying this [stuff] forever.''

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All of the terminology isn't entirely his; in Peter Gammons'southward superb 1986 book "Beyond the Sixth Game,'' which includes an Eckersley glossary titled "Punch-Eck,'' Eckersley credits some of information technology to a former teammate with the Indians, Pat Dobson. Yet it is entirely accurate.

"It'due south me, my personality, but it's not ever my own stuff,'' said Eckersley. "Information technology'south an accumulation of whoever I've been in contact with my whole life.

"The other 24-hour interval something came out that was new, and I don't know where the [curse] it came from. I started saying 'pair of shoes'' virtually three months ago, and honest to God, I don't know where it came from.

"I must have heard it from somebody. What it ways is somebody taking strike three. It'southward kind of weird, but I must have heard it somewhere in my life.''

By my unofficial accounting, his most mutual turns of phrase are "punchout'' (for a strikeout) and "cheese'' (for an first-class fastball). There are many more he uses when the moment calls for it.

"That's one of them. Cheese. Gas,'' he said. "Anybody's got a different dwelling house run call. You never know what's rattling around in the dorsum of your head. I say this 'span' thing. I don't know, it just sort of sticks.

"And I dropped a 'Johnson' one time, and that sort of stuck. That's a 3-run homer, a three-run piece. A iii-run Johnson is what I came out with. It's non a grand slam. A three-run flop, usually. That's when you'd say it. A lot of this stuff pops out.''

Here, then, in no particular order, is a handy updated guide to Gammons'southward Dial-Eck. Nosotros hope it is also a cute thing that you relish from jump street. If you don't know what that means now, you will.

"PUNCHOUT''

Ecksplanation: A strikeout. If Eckersley has ever chosen a strikeout anything but a punchout, I missed it.

Proper use in a sentence: "Sale has 12 punchouts on only 68 pitches.''

"CHEESE''

Ecksplanation: A blazing fastball.

Proper utilize in a sentence: "Kimbrel blew away Stanton there with the high cheese.'' ("High'' signifying the pitch location.) Note: Occasionally, Eckersley will be specific most the kind of cheese, calling information technology "cheddar.''

"EDUCATED CHEESE''

Ecksplanation: A well-located fastball.

Proper use in a sentence: "Human, OB, that was some educated cheese there past Price. Ninety-iv miles per hr, right on the black.''

"Easy CHEESE''

Ecksplanation: An effortless fastball.

Proper use in a sentence: "Let me tell you, back in my day, no one had like shooting fish in a barrel cheese similar Gossage.''

"GAS''

Ecksplanation: Basically the aforementioned affair every bit cheese, though used more than frequently in reference to a pitch'south velocity.

Proper use in a sentence: "Eovaldi was throwing gas from jump street.''

"JUMP STREET''

Definition: The beginning of a game or the start of a actor's operation in a game.

Proper utilise in a sentence: "From leap street tonight, Kimbrel merely couldn't find the strike zone with his slider.''

"SALAD''

Ecksplanation: A finesse pitcher'due south repertoire, or anti-cheese.

Proper use in a sentence: "Happ was hammering the strike zone with salad all night.''

"EDUCATED SALAD''

Ecksplanation: A veteran finesse pitcher's repertoire. He may not accept great stuff, but he has learned to work, and oft succeed, with what he has.

Proper apply in a sentence: "When he was young, Colon used to throw gas, but now he's trying to become by with educated salad.''

"Pigment''

Ecksplanation: A pitcher'due south ability to consistently hit the edges of the strike zone. Few pitchers ever have painted like Eck himself, who in 1990 walked just four batters (one intentional) in 73⅓ innings.

Proper utilize in a sentence: "When Auction paints the black with his slider like that, I don't know why the hitter fifty-fifty bothers stepping in the batter's box.''

"Pilus''

Ecksplanation: A fastball with tardily movement.

Proper use in a sentence: "Wow, Kopech doesn't simply dial up the gas, that matter also has some hair on information technology.''

"MOSS''

Ecksplanation: Pilus. The on-the-head kind, not the moving-fastball kind. Term was actually coined by quondam Carmine Sox play-by-play human Don Orsillo in reference to Eckersley'south all the same-impressive mane.

Proper utilise in a sentence: "It was a deplorable day when DeGrom cut his moss.''

"BRANCH WORK''

Ecksplanation: A pitcher who keeps pitching into trouble. The branch is in danger of breaking. When the trouble turns into a big inning, Eck refers to him as "falling out of his tree.''

Proper use in a sentence: "If Buchholz doesn't stop nibbling, there won't exist much more than co-operative work before he falls out his tree.''

"GOING BRIDGE''

Ecksplanation: Striking a home run.

Proper utilise in a sentence: "Downward ii, Ortiz is up at that place looking to go bridge in this spot.''

"JOHNSON''

Ecksplanation: An important home run, but non a grand slam.

Proper apply in a judgement: "Ortiz has to exist the Ruddy Sox' best leader in Johnsons.''

"SLAM JOHNSON''

Ecksplanation: An epic 1000 slam.

Proper use in a sentence: "In Game vii in the 2004 ALCS, Johnny Damon delivered the ultimate Slam Johnson.''

"Expressionless CENTRAL''

Ecksplanation: A ball hit to middle field.

Proper utilise in a sentence: "Judge crushed it to dead central, simply Bradley was there to run it downwards.''

"Just TO STAY IN SHAPE''

Ecksplanation: Something that comes easy for a player, out of habit.

Proper utilize in a sentence: "Betts gets two hits a night just to stay in shape.''

"IRON''

Ecksplanation: Coin

Proper use in a judgement: "With the season he's having, Bogaerts is making himself a lot of iron on his next contract.''

"LAMB''

Ecksplanation: A feeble hitter.

Proper use in a judgement: This kid is a lamb. He's got no chance against Pedro.

"PAIR OF SHOES''

Ecksplanation: A hitter who is left standing in the batter's box later hitting out. He'due south zippo but a pair of shoes.

Proper apply in a sentence: "Moncada has struck out 183 times this season. That's a lot of pairs of shoes.''

"A BEAUTIFUL THING''

Ecksplanation: Seriously? Phrases don't get any more self-explanatory than this.

Proper use in a sentence: "When yous meet that J.D. Martinez drive clear the Green Monster, it'southward a beautiful thing.''