Tie Goes to the Banger

The various sources for new terms on Batter Chatter are of course ballplayers, along with scouts, and sportswriters too--all fairly colorful factions in their own right. 

But those dour-faced figures known as umpires have their own lingo as well.

 Whereas an extremely close play at first is known as a "bang-bang play," to an umpire, it is simply a "banger."

Discussing the plan to increase instant replay usage in Major League Baseball, Jim Evans, who put in 28 years umping in the American League, told the NY Times the replays will  typically vindicate the boys in blue.

“I want the replay to show the umpires are actually right on those bangers 99 percent of the time,” Evans said. “And when you have that unusual play which the ump can’t adjust to, then you go to replay.” 

When I think of "banger", I think of Irish sausages on a bed of mashed potatoes. Yet the "bangers and mash" context is only the #5 definition that pops up over on Urban Dictionary.

The other four:

If a Song is extremly tight or just unbelivably awesome. It is a banger

An intense party, which involves large amounts of drinking, beer pong, and plenty of skanks to grind on.

 

A girl with an attractive body

An old, delapidated worn out car or less commonly, van. 

There is nothing, as if this writing, on Urban Dictionary about bangers being close plays.