The Spanish Lexicon of Baseball: Semantics, Style, and Terminology draws on nearly 7,000 published MLB game summaries to explore the contours of baseball terminology in Spanish. Organized in a logical sequence that corresponds to various aspects of baseball (field of play, player positions, getting on base, types and modes of hits, scoring, runs-batted-in, umpire involvement and calls, pitching, and defense), the work combines narrative style and illustrative examples with keen lexical analysis. The result is an entertaining and informative volume that is neither folksy nor linguistically overcomplicated.

Spanish is an important source for terms and expressions that have made their way into the English of the southwestern United States. "Vocabulario Vaquero/Cowboy Talk" is the first book to list all Spanish-language terms pertaining to two important activities in the American West--ranching and cowboying--with special reference to American Indian terms that have come through Spanish. In addition to presenting the most accurate definitions available, this A-to-Z lexicon traces the etymology of words and critically reviews and assesses the specialized English sources for each entry. It is the only dictionary of its kind to reference Spanish sources.

The scholarly treatment of this volume makes it an essential addition to the libraries of linguists and historians interested in Spanish/English contact in the American West. Western enthusiasts of all backgrounds will find accessible entries full of invaluable information.

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