AG: The origin of "can of corn" is the most-repeated question received here. Although it was answered a few seasons ago, here it is again. A couple of possible sources of the phrase are cited in the definitive "New Dickson Baseball Dictionary." The most accepted: The phrase, first used in 1896, makes reference to a long-ago practice where a grocer would use a stick to tip a can of vegetables off a high shelf, then catch it in his hands or outstretched apron. Another possible source: Such a pop fly is as easy to capture as "corn from a can."

AG: Hold your Comet! The Mariners claim the bricks are cleaned after every game, but are bound to show wear and tear when 6 million feet trudge through the ballpark yearly. A sealant is also applied for protection, but the bricks will never look the way they did when Safeco first opened (or if they had been displayed on a wall, not a walkway). If you continue to be dissatisfied with the cleanliness of your fan brick, stop at a Guest Services booth and report the problem, which will be forwarded to the ballpark's maintenance director.

AG: This is one of those ingrained baseball practices that seems to violate the rules, but does make sense. The runner is called out on the presumption that the fielder was close enough to the base to have touched it when he had the ball. Not requiring an actual touch of the base is a way to avoid collisions between fielders and runners, and possible serious injuries.