Pepper (baseball)

Pepper is both a common batting and fielding exercise and a competitive game in baseball, where one player hits brisk ground balls to a group of fielders who are standing close-by.

Exercise

Pepper is a common pre-game exercise where one player hits brisk grounders and line drives to a group of fielders who are standing around twenty feet away. The fielders throw to the batter who uses a short, light swing to hit the ball on the ground towards the fielders. The fielders field the ground balls and continue tossing the ball to the batter. This exercise keeps the fielders and batter alert, and helps to develop quickness and good hand-eye coordination.

Game

Pepper is also a competitive game in which a group of fielders stand in a line fifteen to twenty feet away from a batter; one end of the line is the "front," the other is the "back." One of the fielders throws the ball to the batter, who attempts to hit grounders to the fielders standing in the line. When a fielder cleanly plays the ball, he/she throws it back to the batter, generally as quickly as possible, who tries to hit the ball again to the fielders. If the fielder makes an error fielding the ball, he/she must move to the back of the line. If the batter hits a foul ball (generally, hits it behind him/her) or strikes swinging at the ball, he/she is retired as batter, becomes a fielder, and moves to the end of the line. The fielder at the front of the line then becomes the batter. If the batter hits a line drive or pop-up to the fielders, whoever catches the ball, regardless of their position in the line, becomes the new batter; the batter moves to the end of the line.

Banning

Some ballparks have banned pepper games because of the danger of balls landing in the stands and injuring spectators or because its concentrated play damages the grass on the field. Many ballparks display "NO PEPPER" warnings behind or near home plate.

NO PEPPER sign posted at public baseball field park in Brentwood, CA

References

External links

"Once a revered ritual, pepper becomes passe", St. Petersburg Times, July 26, 2003

Baseball concepts

Outline, Glossary

Rules	Rules of baseball Ground rules Infield fly rule Interference

Field	Backstop Baseball diamond Batter's box Batter's eye Bullpen Dugout Foul pole Foul territory Infield On-deck circle Outfield Warning track

Equipment	Ball Bat Batting cage Batting glove Batting helmet Cap Doughnut Glove (defense) Pitching machine Protective cup Shin guard Stirrups Uniform Uniform number

Game process	Batting order Extra innings Innings On-deck Out Positions Run Seventh-inning stretch

Batting	At bat Baltimore chop Bat flip Chinese home run Batting count Bunt Checked swing Cleanup hitter Designated hitter Double Double switch Foul ball Foul tip Golden sombrero Grand slam Ground rule double Hat trick Hit Hit and run Hit by pitch Hitting for the cycle Home run Infield hit Inside-the-park home run Leadoff hitter Lefty-righty switch Line drive Moonshot Plate appearance Platoon system Pull hitter Sacrifice bunt Sacrifice fly Single Slap bunt Strikeout Strike zone Sweet spot Triple Walk Walk-off home run

Pitching	Balk Beanball Breaking ball Brushback pitch Changeup Curveball Eephus Fastball Full count Inside pitching Knuckleball No-hitter Passed ball Perfect game Pitch count Pitchout Quick pitch Screwball Shutout Slider Spitball Strikeout Striking out the side Time of pitch Wild pitch

Base running	Balk Bases loaded Caught stealing Contact play Left on base Obstruction Safe Scoring position Slide Small ball Squeeze play Stolen base Tag up

Fielding	Appeal play Assist Catch Defensive indifference Double play Error Fielder's choice Force play Fourth out Hidden ball trick In-between hop Infield fly rule Infield shift Interference Pickoff Rundown Tag out Triple play Unassisted triple play Uncaught third strike Wall climb Wheel play

Miscellaneous	Bench jockey Bench-clearing brawl Blocking the plate Dead ball Jargon In flight Pepper Scorekeeping Series Shagging Slump Streak (losing) Streak (winning)

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