The Dickson Baseball Dictionary: Third Edition by Paul Dickson

(W. W. Norton & Co., 2009)  1008 pages

Baseball fans rejoice! When Paul Dickson first put together a baseball dictionary in 1989, he created an essential reference that could only be bettered by an updated edition issued in 1999.  As reviewed previously, the ‘New’ dictionary had built on its predecessor to reflect the many changes in the use of language during the previous ten years.  The only problem with the book is that its use as a reference guide has slightly diminished as the language has continued to evolve since its publication.

A decade is a long time in baseball and it’s also a long time to wait for a book. However, in the case of the third edition of Dickson’s Baseball dictionary, it has been more than worth the wait. 

The central vision and purpose behind the dictionary has remained constant since its first incarnation.  It brings together official terms, historical references and slang to create an incredible guide to the rich language of the game.  With clear definitions, the origins of the terms and examples of use, it is both an invaluable reference tool as well as a fascinating alternative history of the game. 

Anyone who owns a copy of the 1999 edition will not need any convincing to buy the latest version.  Its usefulness will be obvious, as will the benefits of owning a substantially revised and expanded edition that reflects the history of baseball’s language as it stands today. 

The new version includes updated definitions and some 3,000 new terms to take the total to over 10,000.  Many of the new terms reflect changes that have taken place in baseball over the last ten years.  Most of these are covered by four broad categories:

Performance-enhancing drugs.  Starting with the negative side to the game, words more commonly used by doctors and chemists have entered the baseball mainstream since 1999.  Definitions of ‘steroids’ and ‘human growth hormone’ are provided as, perhaps saddest of all, is the necessary inclusion of ‘Steroid era’.

Infrastructure.  Many of the most important structural changes to MLB in recent years took place prior to 1999 (introduction of the wild card, interleague play etc), but there has been some important additions since then.  They include taking the ‘Devil’ out of the Rays’ name, updating some of the ballpark references and adding in new terms such as the ‘World Baseball Classic’, the ‘humidor’, and technological developments such as the ‘PITCHf/x’ system.

Baseball’s globalization.  The language of baseball has predominantly consisted of American English (and British English) terms, yet the influx of foreign talent has brought new colour and life to the sport’s vocabulary.  Dickson has included many Spanish terms in this edition, as well as reflecting the growing influence of Japanese baseball in America.

Fantasy baseball and statistical analysis. The final category is the most important.  In the introduction to the 1999 edition, Dickson expressly stated that he had “purposely left out … statistical notations which are limited to a small, argent group of ‘statistorians'”.  Ten years on, the growth of statistical terms, largely a product of the rise of fantasy baseball, has been stratospheric. 

Of course, not all see this as a good thing and the naysayers may wince at the sight of  ‘range factor’ and ‘zone ratings’, ‘VORP’ and ‘WXRL’, ‘linear weights’ and the evolution of the ‘Pythagorean method’.  However it is clear that this development has had an immeasurable impact on the language of the game, so it is completely right that they are included here.  Furthermore, this dictionary provides some of the most succinct and clear descriptions I have found of what can be quite complex statistical theories.  Even if you are far from keen to embrace the statistical jargon, you will at least be able to understand what others are talking about.

Many other new terms have developed, or become more commonplace, in the last ten years.  The constantly evolving nature of language is one of its joys; variations on old themes are created and new reference points are embraced.  ESPN analyst Joe Morgan is fond of referring to sliders as a ‘slide piece’, while some pitchers like to talk about their ‘Nintendo slider’ or their ‘Bugs Bunny changeup’ and these terms can all be found in the dictionary.  Such embellishments are what turn language from being a blunt method of communication into being an intrinsic part of a culture or way of life.  Far from being superfluous, these terms get to the heart of the way people think, the way they relate to each other and the (baseball) world around them.  Dickson not only makes you aware that every term tells a story, he tells that story to you.

Just as new terms enter the language, existing ones take on new meaning.  The 2009 edition includes revised definitions, where necessary, of terms that were included in the previous edition.  I noted in my review of the 1999 edition that the definitions for ‘the Curse of the Bambino’ and ‘winter meetings’ had become out of date and these, as well as many others, have now been changed to reflect the current situation (i.e. the Curse has been broken and the winter meetings have regained their previous level of importance).

The other key question I raised in my previous review is whether there is still a place for printed reference books, particularly for a subject that takes its strength from the way it evolves over time. 

This third edition is proof that hard copy reference books are still essential items.  ‘The wisdom of the crowd’ is a nice concept, but too often entries on resources like Wikipedia are of questionable quality.  You only have to read a few pages of this dictionary to appreciate how much research has gone into producing it.  The underlying detective work is brought together by Dickson to ensure that every entry is informative and, most importantly, deserves its place in the book.

The standard alphabetic structure and inclusion of related terms makes it easy to find a specific entry, while browsing the pages is a joy in itself.  A hard copy can’t be updated as quickly as an online resource, but in the vast majority of cases the entries will still be relevant for a good ten years.  Amazon.co.uk currently lists it at £28 with free delivery, which is a fair price for such a substantial tome (1000+ pages, 6.4cm thick, hardcover).  Think of it as a ten-year investment and the price seems relatively cheap.

As a writer, Dickson’s Dictionary is supremely useful.  As a baseball fan, it is a goldmine of information and anecdotes that you will be getting down from the shelf at regular intervals for years to come.  Quite simply, it is an incomparable book and baseball fans should be immensely grateful that Dickson and his team of more than 400 helpers have produced it. 

No baseball library should be without a copy.

Have you read “The Dickson Baseball Dictionary: Third Edition”?  Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.  Can you recommend any other similar books?  If so, let us know.