Use shortstop for both the position and the player in baseball or softball. Context usually shows whether the place on the field or the person is meant.
Use shortstop for both the position and the player in baseball or softball. Context usually shows whether the place on the field or the person is meant.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| The shortstop plays between first and second base. | The shortstop plays between second and third base. |
| She is the team's shortstop hitter. | She is the team's shortstop. |
| He shortstopped the ground ball to first. | He fielded the ground ball at shortstop and threw to first. |
| The shortstop is an outfield position. | The shortstop is an infield position. |
Use shortstop mainly in darkroom or photographic-processing contexts. In general writing, stop bath is the clearer term.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| The shortstop develops the image on the paper. | The developer develops the image on the paper. |
| After the shortstop, the print is already fixed. | After the shortstop, the print still needs fixer. |
| Pour the shortstop into the tray before the developer. | Pour the shortstop into the tray after the developer. |
| Shortstop is another name for the final wash. | Shortstop is another name for stop bath. |
Use shortstop as a sports term by default. The photography sense is technical and usually clearer as stop bath outside darkroom writing.
Placing the shortstop between first and second base is wrong, and the darkroom sense should not be confused with developer or fixer.
Formed from short and stop. It is recorded in cricket in 1837 for a fielder near the wicketkeeper, and in baseball by 1857 for the player between second and third base.
What is a shortstop in baseball?
A shortstop is the infielder who plays between second and third base and handles many balls hit to the left side of the infield.
Can shortstop mean the player and the position?
Yes. shortstop can name the fielding position or the player assigned to that position.
Is shortstop used in softball?
Yes. Softball also has a shortstop, with a similar role between second and third base.
How is shortstop abbreviated?
Shortstop is commonly abbreviated SS in lineups, box scores, and scorekeeping.
What skills does a shortstop need?
A shortstop needs range, quick reactions, clean fielding, a strong arm, and good communication with other infielders.
Why is shortstop scored as 6?
Modern baseball scorekeeping assigns shortstop the number 6, though older systems varied before the convention settled.
What does shortstop mean in photography?
In photography, shortstop can mean a stop bath, the chemical bath that halts development before fixing.
Is shortstop the same as fixer?
No. A shortstop or stop bath halts development, while fixer makes the image stable and less light-sensitive.