GENERAL SPORTS AND BASEBALL REFERENCES

To Play Ball (with)      To cooperate with, deal with

Out of the Ball Park     In baseball, a "home run" -- but also meaning
                         "irrelevant," "impossible to deal with"

Ball park figures        Within acceptable limits, rough estimate

Out of our league        Better than us
Not in our league        Inferior to us
Major, big leagues       Highest level of "professionalism"
"Bush" league            Cheap, lower-than-acceptable
                         professionalism or ethics

Jock                     Originally from 'jock strap', made by the Jockey
                         sportswear company; colloquial for "athlete",
                         stereotype of "not intellectual", jock mentality

Batting 1000             Doing perfectly, successful at every
                         stage, in every way.

To Score                 General:  to achieve, to impress someone (I
                         really scored with her).  Sexual:  to make a
                         sexual conquest, to consummate a sexual
                         relationship (Did you score?;

Getting to 1st base      Baseball.  Getting started, being encouraged,
                         usually as in a relationship (I didn't even get
                         to 1st base!)

It's a new ball game     A new chance, a fresh slate; a situation in which
                         we start again "from scratch"

Playing hard ball        Playing with no rules, no holds barred; tough
                         negotiations; no prentense of politeness.

Beanball, "duster"       To "dust one off" -- intimidate, throw a baseball
                         at or near one's head as a warning or as
                         retaliation

"Left field"             (Way out in left field, all the way from left
                         field, etc) Implies remote position or distance
                         from the mainstream, not being a part of the core
                         action, etc.

Touch base with          Check with, keep in touch with people, keep them
                         posted on a situation.

To strike out            To fail (baseball)

Time out                 A breather, time to pause and rest from what one
                         is doing, reconsider.

Locker room (talk)       male privacy, familiarity; frank sexual talk, not
                         for "mixed company"

7th inning stretch       Pause near end of an activity, to refresh,
                         reflect on encounter, etc.

Throw a curve            To deceive, trick, tactically confuse

2 strikes against him    Down to his last option, no "second chance", odds
                         loaded against success

He struck out            He failed

He has "clout"           Power, influence, leverage

Squeeze play (baseball)  "Sneaking" something through with a minor action
                         where a major action might normally have been
                         expected

To field questions       (baseball) Handling questions with dexterity,
                         counter to "sidestepping the issue"
                         (bullfighting)

Doubleheader             Two main parts or features to an event

Double play              Two "victories" with the same action
 (来源：EnglishCN.com)