Allen Barra writes about what he sees as the demise of baseball jargon in the Atlantic Monthly.
Baseball language once drew newcomers into the game. Now, it’s becoming a language that shuts many people out, one that makes them feel as if what’s happening on the field is something a little more complicated than they thought. The ultimate result is that we all end up knowing less—particularly about baseball.
I don’t buy all of Barra’s arguments but I certainly see where he’s coming from. Modern sports in general has become more “jargon-happy” in this sound byte generation.