He hit three consecutive grand slam dingers ... all in a row

With the Rockies in the playoffs for the first time since 1995, I thought it would be appropriate to discuss some of the errors I often see and hear when following sports media. Just because you hear or read these terms does not mean they are OK. People, listen to me: We have to do better than those who came before us!

There is no such thing as a "new record." If someone sets a record, of course it's new. If you set a record, you establish a "new" record for other people to attempt to break. When someone breaks your record, they set the record. "New record" is redundant.
Example: Barry Bonds set the career home run record by hitting his 762nd in 2007.

Synonym syndrome: I hate it when announcers and journalists try to make up funny synonyms for sports terms. Most of the ones I really hate come from ESPN announcers who seem to think their job descriptions include creating the most ridiculous terms of the week.
A few that annoy me:
• Dinger for home run.
• Go yard for hitting a home run.
• Base poke for hit.

Grand slam home run: A "grand slam" is a home run with the bases loaded. Saying "grand slam home run" is redundant.
Example: Despite a grand slam by the Padres early in the game, the Rockies won in the 13th inning.

Consecutive in a row: Announcers do this all the time. "The Rockies have won 12 consecutive games in a row." If they're in a row, they're consecutive. Talk about redundancy. This one was suggested by my father, the original cranky copy editor.

If you enjoy pointing out stupid sports redundancies as much as I do, you might want to check out Ethan Skolnick's blog at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

And if you have an annoying sports term to add to my list, please let me know with a comment.