When you think of the word “shortstop,” it’s actually a rather funny sounding word. Breaking it down, the player plays short (meaning, not way out in the outfield, but short in on the field towards home plate). And they are to stop the ball from going to the outfield. Shortstop.
The location is the first word, the duty is the second word. Merge them together to get the name of the position.
This happens other sports:
Soccer’s Mid-Fielder
–Location: Middle of the field
–Duty: Fielder
Basketball’s Point Guard
–Location: At top, or point
–Duty: Guard (applies better for when on defense)
Baseball’s Outfielder
–Location: plays way outside of the infield
–Duty: fields the ball
Football tends to mess things up a bit. Football’s Linebacker –Location: They don’t really play in the line, here the empasis is on the duty first –Duty: backs up the line Football’s Tight End. –Location: player plays tight in. –Location: at the end of the line Football’s Quarter Back –Location: Quarter, sets him self a bit further back from the line –Location: Back
nice way of integrating an r.b.i. baseball graphic into a blog post. is that how “shortstop” really came about or is that your interpretation?
That is my interpretation. I don’t really know the real etymology behind the word “shortstop.” Then again I guess this post shouldn’t have been titled “semantics,” becauase we aren’t really talking about semantics, it’s more etymology.
Having played shortstop I have to say that I agree with you on your interpretation of the word.
Tom at shortstop! What number were you? Were you a vacuum cleaner getting every ball that came your way?
I played SS for 3 years in Pony League [everyone can start laughing now”>. I was pretty good, but never got a cool nickname like “the vacuum”. Now that would have been SWEET! I wore No. 2
Good thing you weren’t called the vacuum, cuz then kids might say “you suck.” which would be so not true.
By the way, I think it was Nietzsche who said “There are no facts just interpreatations”
#2? oh no! derek jeter wears #2 and he is a shortstop. i bet you were better than derek jeter.