フォアボール

フォアボール is a wasei-eigo (Japanese-made English) term combining "four" + "ball." The official term in Japanese baseball rules is 四球(しきゅう), but in everyday speech and broadcasts フォアボール is far more common. In English baseball, the equivalent expressions are "a walk" or "a base on balls" (BB) — never "four balls."

Common collocations

• フォアボールで出塁(しゅつるい)する: to get on base with a walk
• フォアボールを出(だ)す: (pitcher) to give up a walk
• フォアボールを選(えら)ぶ: (batter) to draw a walk (literally "choose a walk" — i.e. lay off bad pitches)
• フォアボールを連発(れんぱつ)する: to give up walks repeatedly
• 満塁(まんるい)フォアボール / 押(お)し出(だ)しのフォアボール: bases-loaded walk that forces in a run

Related words

• 四球(しきゅう): walk / base on balls (the formal/written term)
• デッドボール: hit by pitch (also wasei-eigo; English uses "hit by pitch" / HBP)
• ストライク: strike
• ボール: ball (a pitch outside the strike zone)
• 三振(さんしん): strikeout
• 敬遠(けいえん): intentional walk

Usage

• The verb pairs with the agent: a pitcher "gives up" a walk (フォアボールを出(だ)す) while a batter "draws / takes" a walk (フォアボールを選(えら)ぶ).
• Despite the name, only four balls (without three strikes first) are needed; the count goes up to a maximum of three balls and two strikes before the fourth ball results in a walk.