As you may know, in (American) English there are many 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!)
ストライク (すとらいく, sutoraiku)
(Original): a strike
(Metaphorical): one’s type of girls/boys, girls/boys 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!
Similarly, a “ball” refers to a girl/boy out of your “strike zone”. If they are on the borderline, you may say “ぎりぎりストライク/ボール”, where ぎりぎり is an adjective that describes something is on the borderline (e.g., near the deadline).
変化球 (へんかきゅう, henkakyū)
(Original): a breaking/curve ball
(Metaphorical): something twisted, unorthodox, unusual, surprising
Examples
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.
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) : a fast ball
(Metaphorical): straightforward, blunt
* To put emphasis, ド is often added before 直球.
* ド is also used to emphasise the meaning of 変態 (へんたい, hentai), “pervert”
Examples
「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 “fast-ball” (very blunt) question.
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 “fast-ball” (straightforward) words
打席に立つ (だせきにたつ, daseki ni tatsu)
(Original): stand at a batter’s box/be at bat
(Metaphorical): 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” is also used.
Examples
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.
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): a pinch hitter
(Metaphorical): 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” is also used
Examples
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.
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): playing catch
(Metaphorical): 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): a home run
(Metaphorical): a big success
In comparison, ヒット (a hit) is used as a small success.
Examples
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 home run” (make a big success), you must keep striving without giving up.
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 single home run (big success).
逆転ホームラン (ぎゃくてんほーむらん, gyakuten hōmuran)
(Original): a come-from-behind home run
(Metaphorical): a 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
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 couldn’t get into all the universities I applied for, I “hit the come-from-behind home run” (a very big success): I got accepted into The University of Tokyo.
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): a leadoff hitter/a batter who bats first
(Metaphorical): 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
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.
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!
外野（がいや, gaiya）
(Original): outfield/outfielder
(Metaphorical): those who are not concerned with/not responsible for one’s things
Examples
外野は黙ってろ
Shut up, “outfielders” (those who are not concerned with our things)
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): loaded bases, two outs (out of three) in the bottom of the ninth (= last) inning
(Metaphorical): a last stand, a last big chance, a win-or-lose situation
To put emphasis, you can add フルカウント (full count).
Synonym: 背水の陣 (Haisui No Jin): ‘Last-Stand Moment’
Examples
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”.
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