How Do You Spell PLATE APPEARANCE?

Pronunciation: [plˈe͡ɪt ɐpˈi͡əɹəns] (IPA)

The term "plate appearance" commonly used in baseball refers to an instance in which a batter gets up to bat. Despite looking relatively simple, the spelling of this phrase can be a bit tricky. It's pronounced "pleɪt əˈpɪərəns" with the stress on the second syllable. The word "plate" is easy enough to spell, but the tricky part is making sure to use "appearance" (rather than "apparance," for example) and to remember not to use a hyphen in between the two words.

PLATE APPEARANCE Meaning and Definition

1. Plate appearance refers to an event in a baseball or softball game during which a hitter steps up to the plate to face a pitcher. It is a statistical term that measures the number of times a batter comes up to the plate in an official capacity, regardless of the outcome of the at-bat. A plate appearance occurs when a player steps into the batter's box with the intent of taking a turn at bat, as recognized by the official scorer. This includes all types of at-bats, including walks, strikeouts, base hits, flyouts, groundouts, hit by pitches, sacrifice bunts, and sacrifice flies, among others.

   Importantly, a plate appearance excludes certain instances, such as interference, a balk, or a catcher's interference, where the at-bat is essentially nullified. It is a vital statistic used to evaluate a batter's performance, determine their batting average, on-base percentage, and other valuable metrics used for statistical analysis. Plate appearances are often used to compare players across different seasons or leagues, providing a standardized measure of how often a hitter comes to the plate to contribute to their team's offensive performance. In summary, a plate appearance is a statistical record of the number of times a player comes up to bat in a baseball or softball game, encompassing all types of at-bats except for certain exceptions where the at-bat is invalidated.

Etymology of PLATE APPEARANCE

The term "plate appearance" has its roots in the sport of baseball.

The word "plate" refers to home plate, which is the final base that a batter must touch in order to score a run. It is a flat, pentagonal rubber slab that is placed at the rear of the batter's box. The term "appearance" refers to the act of a batter appearing at the plate to take his turn to bat.

The concept of plate appearances emerged in the early years of baseball as a way to measure a batter's individual performance. It refers to the number of times a batter appears at the plate for an official at-bat, including hits, walks, sacrifices, and other offensive actions. Plate appearances are distinct from at-bats since they include additional events like walks, hit-by-pitches, and sacrifices that do not count as official at-bats.