In (American) English, there are a number of metaphors about baseball, including “hit a home run” and “touch base”. This is also the case in Japanese, the language of the country where baseball is one of the most popular sports. This article introduces unique Japanese baseball metaphors that you can “pitch” in a casual conversation! (However, don’t go overboard, as you may sound like a middle-aged baseball fanatic!)
Table of Contents
ストライク (すとらいく, sutoraiku)
Original Meaning
a strike
Metaphorical Meaning
one’s taste of men/women; men/women one finds OK or acceptable
Examples
え、あの子がストライク？お前ストライクゾーンが広いな！
Wow, is that girl your “strike”? Your “strike zone” is very wide!
Related Word
Likewise, a “ball” refers to men/women out of your “strike zone”. To describe someone on the borderline, you may say “ぎりぎりストライク/ボール” (borderline strike/ball). Here, “ぎりぎり” is an adjective that means something is on the borderline (e.g., 締(し)め切(き)りギリギリ: very close to the deadline).
変化球 (へんかきゅう, henkakyū)
Original Meaning
a breaking ball/curveball
Metaphorical Meaning
something twisted, unorthodox, unusual, surprising
Examples
1. たまに変化球的なプレゼントを彼氏にあげても良いんじゃないかな。
It’d be good to give a present like a “breaking ball” (= unusual) to your boyfriend sometimes.
2. 面接中に変化球の質問が来て、答えられなかった
During the interview, I was asked a “breaking-ball” (unexpected, twisted) question and couldn’t answer it.
直球（ちょっきゅう, chokkyū）
Original Meaning
a fastball
Metaphorical Meaning
straightforward, blunt
* To put emphasis, ド is often added before 直球.
Examples
1. 「なんで離婚したの？」とド直球な質問をした
“Why did you divorce”, I asked a “fastball” (very blunt) question.
2. 直球な言葉で好きな人に思いを伝えるのが大事だ
It’s important to confess your feelings for your crush using “fastball” (straightforward) words
置(お)きに行(い)く (oki ni iku)
Original Meaning
to pitch a slow ball so that you can surely get a strike (as if putting an egg on the strike zone)
Metaphorical Meaning
to opt to take a secure and passable route and avoid doing something challenging or risky
Examples
置きに行ったファッション
OK/clichéd fashion
あの会社は最近似たような商品ばかり作って置きに行っていると批判されている
That company has been recently criticised for “pitching a slow ball” by only making similar products.
打席に立つ (だせきにたつ, daseki ni tatsu)
Original Meaning
stand at a batter’s box/be at bat
Metaphorical Meaning
make an action/try something without worrying about the outcome
* Instead of 打席 (だせき), the katakana word バッターボックス loaned from “batter box” can also be used.
Examples
1. 彼女を作るには、まずはたくさん打席に立って色々経験する必要がある
To make your girlfriend, you first need to “stand at a batter’s” box many times (make some actions) and experience various things.
2. 成功するためには、バッターボックスに立ち続けることが大切だ
To be successful, it is important to keep “standing at a batter’s box” (= “making actions”) .
代打 (だいだ, daida)
Original Meaning
a pinch hitter
Metaphorical Meaning
a person who does something on behalf of someone who cannot make it
* The katakana word ピンチヒッター from “pinch hitter” can also be used
Examples
1. 彼は出張中なので、今日は私がこの仕事を彼の代打として担当します
Because he is on his business trip, I am in charge of this work today as a “pinch hitter” for (on behalf of) him.
2. 合コンで彼がいけなくなったので、ピンチヒッターとして呼ばれた
Because he was not able to go to the group blind-date, I was invited as a “pinch hitter” (instead).
See the post about 合コン: Japanese-style group blind date
キャッチボール (きゃっちぼーる, chatchi bōru)
Original Meaning
playing catch
Metaphorical Meaning
a mutual conversation/communication
* It’s often used as “言葉/会話のキャッチボール” meaning “playing catch of words/conversation”
Examples
1. 親子間での言葉のキャッチボールはとても大切だ。
“Playing catch of words” (mutual communication) is very important between a child and parents.
2. ちゃんと相手の話を聞かないと、会話のキャッチボールは出来ない
Without listening to others, you cannot do “playing catch of a conversation” (have a mutual conversation)
ホームラン (ほーむらん, hōmuran)
Original Meaning
a homerun
Metaphorical Meaning
big success
* In comparison to “homerun”, ヒット (a hit) is used as a small success.
Examples
1. ホームランを打つには、諦めずに努力し続けるしかない。
In order to “hit a homerun” (make a big success), you must keep striving without giving up.
2. 一本のホームランではなく多くのヒットを打つことを狙っていこう。
Let’s aim to hit many hits (small success), not a homerun (big success).
逆転ホームラン (ぎゃくてんほーむらん, gyakuten hōmuran)
Original Meaning
a come-from-behind home run
Metaphorical Meaning
big success after failure
* To put emphasis, you can add 大 (だい, dai) meaning “large”, or 一発 (いっぱつ, ippatsu) meaning “one-shot” before the phrase.
Examples
1. 全ての大学が不合格だった一年後に、東大に合格する逆転ホームランを打った
One year after I failed all the entrance exams for universities, I “hit the come-from-behind home run” (a very big success) – I got into The University of Tokyo.
2. 投資では一発逆転ホームランを狙わない方が良い
In investment, you should not aim for a “one-shot come-from-behind home run” (one big success after failure).
トップバッター (とっぷばったー, toppu battā)
Original Meaning
a leadoff hitter/a batter who bats first
Metaphorical Meaning
someone who performs something first
* トップバッター literally means “top batter”, but actually indicates a leadoff hitter in baseball.
Examples
1. 明日の発表でトップバッターになったから緊張する
Because I am “the leadoff hitter” of tomorrow’s presentations (“the first person who gives a presentation”), I feel nervous.
2. 今日の番組のトップバッターはAKB48です！
The “the leadoff hitter” (the first performing group) on today’s TV show is AKB48!
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外野（がいや, gaiya）
Original Meaning
outfield/outfielder
Metaphorical Meaning
people who are not concerned with or not responsible for one’s things
Examples
1. 外野は黙ってろ
Shut up, “outfielders” (those who are not concerned with our things)
2. 外野からいろいろ言ってごめんね
Sorry for saying lots of things from “the outfield”
= Sorry for saying lots of things although I’m not in charge of/related to your things.
九回裏ツーアウト満塁 (きゅうかいうら つーあうと まんるい, kyuukaiura tsūauto manrui)
Original Meaning
loaded bases, two outs (out of three) in the bottom of the ninth (= last) inning
Metaphorical Meaning
a last stand, a last big chance, a win-or-lose situation
* To put more emphasis on this expression, you can add フルカウント (full count) after it.
Examples
1. これはまさに九回裏ツーアウト満塁の状況だ
This is exactly the situation when “bases are loaded, two outs in the bottom of the ninth”, (a last big chance)
(Trivia) It is said that ファイナルファンタジー (“Final Fantasy”, a globally popular Japanese video game) was named after the idea that this game was going to be the “final dream” — the company was then facing a last stand without any big hits. In the end, the company hit the “come-from-behind home run” in the situation when “bases are loaded, two outs in the bottom of the ninth”.
Related Word
背水の陣 (Haisui No Jin): ‘Last-Stand Moment’
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