Baseball

Baseball is a ball game played between two teams of nine on a field with a diamond-shaped circuit of four bases. It is played chiefly in the US, Canada, Latin America, and East Asia.

It is often called the national pastime of the United States. Millions of Americans enjoy playing and watching this exciting "bat and ball" game.

Baseball is essentially an American sport. But it has also spread to many other parts of the world. It is so popular in the United States that it is often called the na­tional pastime. Every spring and summer, millions of people throughout the country play this exciting "bat and ball" game. Millions also watch baseball games and closely follow the progress of their favourite teams and players.

In the United States there are organized baseball teams for every age group from 6-year-olds to adults. The teams that attract the most interest are those of the two major leagues: the American League and the Na­tional League. These teams are made up of men who rank as the world's best players. Every year, about 50

Baseball terms*

Balk is an illegal act by a pitcher with one or more runners on base. Runners advance one base on a balk. There are 13 ways to balk. For example, a balk occurs when a pitcher, with a foot on the pitcher's rubber, feints a throw to first base but does not throw.

Batting average shows the percentage of times that a player gets a base hit. To find a player's batting average, divide the number of hits by the number of official times the player has been at bat. Carry the answer to three decimal places. Diamond is a nickname for the infield, used because the infield is shaped somewhat like a diamond. Sometimes, the term is used to mean the entire field.

Double play is a play on which the fielders put out two oppo­nents. Most double plays result from ground balls hit in force situations.

Earned-run average is the average number of earned runs scored against a pitcher every nine innings. An earned run is one that is scored without the aid of an error. To find a pitch­er's earned-run average, divide the number of innings pitched by 9. Then, divide that total into the number of earned runs

million people flock to ballparks to watch major league baseball games. Many more millions watch games on television, listen to them on radio, read about them in newspapers, and discuss them with their friends.

Baseball began in the eastern United States in the mid-1800's. By the late 1800^rs, people throughout the country were playing the game. The National League was founded in 1876, and the American League in 1900. Over the years, baseball spread from the United States to other parts of the world. Today, professional and am­ateur baseball are the most popular sports played in Japan and South Korea. Baseball is also a major sport in many Central American countries. In addition, it is widely played in Canada, Italy, the Netherlands, South Africa, and Taiwan. In 1986, the International Olympic Committee decided baseball would become a medal sport in the Olympics, beginning in 1992.

the pitcher allowed. Carry the answer to two decimal places.

Hit-and-run play occurs when a runner on first base runs to­ward second when the pitcher releases the ball. This forces the second baseman or shortstop to cover second base. The batter tries to hit the ball through the "hole" left open by the fielder.

Official scorer is an official of a baseball game who keeps a record of every play. The official scorer also makes such deci­sions as whether a batter reached base as the result of a base hit or by a hit on error. Usually, a former newspaper reporter or local sports official serves as the official scorer.

Runs batted in are runs scored as a result of a batter's base hits, outs (except double plays), sacrifices and sacrifice flies, walks, or being hit by a pitch.

Sacrifice occurs when a batter bunts a ball and is put out, but the play allows a base runner to advance. When a batter flies out and a runner scores from third base after the catch, it is a sacrifice fly.

Squeeze play calls for a batter to bunt the ball so that a runner can score from third base.

A baseball game is played on a large field between two teams of 9 or 10 players each. The teams take turns at bat (on attack) and in the field (on defence). A player of the team in the field, called the pitcher, throws a base­ball toward a player of the team at bat, called the batter. The batter tries to hit the ball with a bat and drive it out of the reach of the players in the field. By hitting the ball, and in other ways, players can advance around the four bases that lie on the field. A player who does so scores a run. The team that scores the most runs wins the game.

The information in this section is based on the rules of American major league baseball. Most other leagues follow much the same rules, though there are some ex­ceptions. For information on softball, a popular game based on baseball, see Softball.

Players and equipment

Players. American National League baseball teams consist of nine players: a pitcher, catcher, first baseman, second baseman, shortstop, third baseman, left fielder, centre fielder, and right fielder. Each player plays a de­fensive position when his team is in the field and takes a turn as the batter when his team is at bat.

American League teams include the same players, but they may—and almost always do—also use a tenth player. This player, called the designated hitter (dh) bats in place of the pitcher. The dh does not play a defensive position. All other players except the dh and the pitcher both bat and play in the field.

Baseball teams also have substitute players. A substi­tute may replace any player except the pitcher at any time. A pitcher must face at least one batter before leav­ing the game. A player who leaves a game for a substi­tute may not return to the game.

Other members of a baseball team include a manager and several coaches. The manager decides which play­ers will play in the game and directs the team's strategy. The coaches assist the manager.

Equipment. A baseball is a small, hard, round ball. It measures from 9 to 9£ inches (23 to 23.5 centimetres) in circumference and weighs between 5 and 5| ounces (142 and 148.8 grams). A tiny cork ball forms the centre of the ball. Tightly wrapped layers of rubber and yarn surround the cork. Two strips of white cowhide sewn together with thick red thread cover the ball. Until 1974, the cover was made of horsehide. For this reason, base­balls are sometimes called horsehides.

A baseball bat is a long, rounded piece of wood.

Most bats are made of ash wood, but some are made of hackberry or hickory. A major league bat may not meas­ure more than 42 inches (107 centimetres) long or 2} inches (7 centimetres) in diameter at its thickest point.

Each defensive player wears a padded leather glove, and uses it to catch the ball. There are three kinds of gloves: the catcher's mitt, which is worn by the catcher; the first baseman's glove, which is worn by the first baseman; and the fielder's glove, which is worn by all other players.

All players wear shoes with spikes on the soles so they can stop and start quickly. Most players wear shoes with metal spikes. But some wear shoes with synthetic rubber spikes when they play on fields covered by artifi­cial turf. Players also wear uniforms, which include socks, trousers, a jersey, and a cap. The batter wears a

special plastic cap called a batting helmet. The helmet is designed to prevent injuries to batters who are hit on the head with a ball.

A catcher also wears special equipment for protec­tion. A metal mask protects the catcher's face. A chest protector of padded cloth covers the catcher's chest and stomach. Plastic shin guards protect the catcher's legs. Baseball was originally played without much protective equipment Catchers soon began to wear the mask. The batting helmet was a modern addition to player safety.

The field

A baseball field comprises three sections. They are (1) the infield, (2) the outfield, and 13) foul territory. The in­field and outfield make up fair territory. Walls or fences surround the baseball field. The size and shape of the outfield and foul territory vary from ballpark to ballpark. However, the infield has the same size and shape in every ballpark.

A baseball field is covered partly by grass, or artificial turf, and partly by earth. The diagram in this article shows a typical field. But some of the newest fields have artificial turf, rather than earth, between the bases. A small, dirt sliding pit surrounds each base.

The infield is a square area with a base at each cor­ner. The bases are—in anticlockwise order—home plate, first base, second base, and third base. Each base lies 90 feet (27.4 metres) from the next one.

Home plate is a slab of white rubber sunk into the ground so that its top is level with the ground. The front of the plate—the part that faces the rest of the infield—is 17 inches (43 centimetres) wide. The plate tapers off to a point in the back.

First base, second base, and third base are white can­vas bags filled with kapok or some other soft material. Each bag is 15 inches (38 centimetres) square and from 3 to 5 inches (8 to 13 centimetres) thick. Spikes anchor the bags to the ground.

White lines made by chalk, lime, or some other material mark the boundaries of a batter's box on the left and right sides of home plate. Each box is 6 feet (1.8 me­tres) long and 4 feet (1.2 metres) wide. A catcher's box is 3 feet 7 inches (1.1 metres) wide and extends behind the plate. Technically, the catcher's box lies in foul territory. But it is usually considered part of the infield.

A straight white line called a foul line extends out from each side of home plate. These lines run past first and third base to the walls or fences at the end of the outfield. Each foul line is 3 inches (8 centimetres) wide.

A pitcher's mound rises near the centre of the infield. It measures 18 feet (5.5 metres) in diameter and is 10 inches (25 centimetres) high at its centre. A slab of white rubber called the pitcher's rubber, is sunk into the ground at the centre of the mound. The rubber meas­ures 24 inches by 6 inches (61 by 15 centimetres). It lies 60 feet 6 inches (18.4 metres) from the home plate.

The outfield lies between the infield and the walls or fences farthest from home plate. Technically, the out­field begins directly behind first, second, and third base. But people usually think of the area just behind the bases as part of the infield. They consider the grass line the dividing point between the infield and the outfield. The grass line is the part of the field where the earth be­yond the bases ends and grass or artificial turf begins. In fields that have an artificial turf infield, a white line marks the location of the grass line.

The size of the outfield varies from field to field. But an American major league rule sets minimum sizes. The rule requires that in ballparks opened before June 1, 1958, the outfield must be big enough that the distance from home plate to the left and right field walls or fences at the foul lines is at least 250 feet (76.2 metres). The distance for ballparks opened after that date must be at least 325 feet (99.1 metres) down each foul line and at least 400 feet (121.9 metres) in centre field.

Foul territory is the part of the field behind home plate and across the foul lines from the infield and the outfield. There is no standard size for foul territory, but the American major league rule book recommends that the distance between home plate and the wall behind it be at least 60 feet (18.3 metres).

Two dugouts— one for each team—are built into the wall in foul territory. One lies behind first base, and the other behind third. Usually, the managers and other team members not on the field sit in the dugouts.

White lines outline two coach's boxes in foul terri­tory-one near first base and the other near third. The boxes measure 10 feet by 20 feet (3 by 6.1 metres).

An on-deck circle 5 feet (1.5 metres) in diameter lies between each dugout and home plate. The batter who follows the one at bat awaits a turn at bat in the circle nearest the dugout of the team at bat.

A field also includes a bull pen for each team. These areas have space where substitutes can warm up (prac­tise) before entering the game. In some ballparks, the bull pens lie in foul territory across the foul lines from the outfield. In other parks, they are located beyond the outfield walls or fences.

Player positions. The pitcher of the team in the field stands on the pitcher's mound. The pitcher must have one foot in contact with the pitcher's rubber when throwing the ball. The catcher crouches behind home plate, within the boundaries of the catcher's box. The catcher makes hand signals that tell the pitcher what kind of pitches to throw and catches balls that pass the batter. The pitcher and catcher are called the battery.

The first baseman and second baseman play between first and second base, and the shortstop and third base­man between second and third. These players, called in­fielders, try to catch bails that are hit short distances by batters.

The left fielder, centre fielder, and right fielder spread out across the outfield. Called outfielders, these players try to catch balls hit past and over the heads of the in­fielders.

The batter of the team at bat stands in a batter's box. Left-handed batters stand in the box to the right of home plate. Right-handers stand in the box to the left of the plate.

A coach of the team at bat stands in each coach's box. The coaches receive hand signals regarding strategy from the manager. They relay the signals to batters and base runners.

Umpires serve as the officials of baseball games. In most American major league games, there are four um­pires. One umpire stands near each base.

Baseball skills

Basically, baseball matches the skills of the pitcher against those of the batter. But fielders and base runners also play key roles in the game.

Pitching. A good pitcher can throw a variety of pitches. The most common pitches are the fast ball, the curve ball, and the slider. A fast ball thrown by an Amer­ican major league pitcher may travel at a speed close to 160 kilometres per hour. A curve ball thrown by a right- handed pitcher breaks sharply to the left and downward as it reaches the batter. A left-hander's curve breaks to the right and downward. A slider resembles a curve ball, but seems to "slide" rather than break sharply, and does not move downward. Other pitches include the screwball, which breaks just like—but in the opposite di­rection from—the curve ball; the sinker, which drops sharply as it reaches the batter; and the knuckle ball, which may break to the left or right, or downward. See Bernoulli's principle.

Batting. Many experts believe that a batter's job of hitting a ball thrown by an American major league pitcher is the hardest thing to do in any sport. The ball reaches the batter in a fraction of a second. It may move in any of the ways described above as it reaches home plate. Even so, batters are able to follow the flight of the ball, whip the bat around quickly, and drive the ball sharply into the field. A batter may take a full swing and try to hit the ball as hard and far as possible. Or, a batter may take less than a full swing and try to poke the ball between fielders. This batting strategy is called place hitting.

Fielding. Good fielders can catch almost any ball hit near them and race far after balls and catch them. They can also throw the ball with great speed and accuracy to put out runners. A single outstanding play by a fielder can win a game for a team.

Base running. Good base runners can steal bases, and take an extra base (one more base than usual) on batted balls. They can quickly judge when to try to ad­vance and when to stay near the base. A base runner, like a fielder, can win a baseball game with one out­standing play.

The game

Before a baseball game begins, the manager of each team makes a list that shows that team's lineup and bat­ting order. A lineup tells which player will play each de­fensive position. A batting order shows the order in which the players will take their turns at bat.

The team on whose field the game is played is called the home team. The other team is the visiting team. The visiting team takes the first turn at bat and the home team players go to their positions in the field. The team's turn at bat lasts until its players make three outs. Every time a player advances around the bases during the turn at bat, the team is credited with a run. When the visiting team's turn at bat is over, the home team comes to bat and the visitors take the field.

One turn at bat by each team is called an inning. A regulation baseball game lasts nine innings. The team with the most runs at the end of the game wins. If the | two teams have the same number of runs after nine in­nings, they play extra innings until one of them scores more runs than the other in an inning.

Each player who comes to bat during a baseball game tries to reach base and advance around the bases. The pitcher and other players of the team in the field try to put each batter out. There are many ways in which the players make outs, reach base, and advance around the bases.

Outs by batters. Most batters make outs in one of three ways—by strikeouts, ground outs, or fly outs.

Strikeouts. A batter strikes out by making three strikes during a turn at bat. There are four kinds of strikes—swinging strikes, called strikes, foul strikes, and foul tips.

A batter makes a swinging strike by swinging at a pitch and missing it. A called strike occurs when a batter takes (does not swing at) a pitch and the home plate um­pire rules that the pitch was within the strike zone. A pitch within the strike zone is one that passes over any part of home plate between the batter's armpits and the top of the batter's knees.

A batter makes a foul strike by hitting a foul ball when there are fewer than two strikes against the batter. Foulballs include all batted balls that (1) settle in foul terri­tory between home plate and first base or home plate and third base, (2) bounce or roll past first or third base in foul territory, or (3) land in foul territory beyond first or third base. Usually, a foul bail hit after two strikes does not count as a strike. But if the batter bunts (taps the ball) foul after two strikes, it does count as a strike.

A foul tip occurs when a batter hits a ball directly back to the catcher and the catcher catches the ball on the fly (in the air). All foul tips count as strikes, no matter how many strikes the batter already has.

Ground outs. A batter gounds out after hitting a fair ball that touches the ground by failing to reach first base before a fielder holding the ball touches the base or tags the batter with the ball. Fair balls include all batted balls that: (1) settle in fair territory between home plate and first base or home plate and third base, (2) bounce or roll past first or third base in fair territory or hit either base, (3) land in fair territory beyond first or third base, or (4) pass over an outfield wall or fence in fair territory. Almost all ground outs result from balls hit to infielders or the pitcher.

Fly outs. A batter flies out after hitting a fair ball or foul ball if a fielder catches the ball on the fly. The foul tip, described earlier, is an exception to the fly out rule. Foul tips count as strikes, rather than outs.

Fly outs hit short distances and high into the air are often called pop outs. Those hit hard and on a fairly straight line are line outs.

Other outs. There are several less common ways in which batters can make outs. For example, batters are out if they hit a fair ball and run into the ball, or if they bat out of turn and the opposing manager points out this violation to the home plate umpire.

Reaching base. Most batters reach base through base hits. A batter makes a base hit by (1) hitting a fair ball that is not caught on the fly, and (2) reaching first base before a fielder holding the ball touches the base or tags the batter with the ball. A batter who makes a base hit may continue to run around the bases. But if a fielder tags the batter with the ball while the batter is off base, the batter is out.

A base hit that enables a batter to reach first base is called a single. One on which a batter reaches second base is a double, third base a triple, and home plate a home run. Most singles result from balls hit into the in-field or past the infielders but in front of the outfielders. Most doubles and triples are made on hits that get past the outfielders. Almost all home runs result from batted balls hit over an outfield wall or fence. A batter who makes such a hit can simply trot around the bases, and cannot be tagged out.

A batter who hits a ball and reaches base because of a fielder's mistake is credited with a hit on error, rather than a base hit. One who reaches base because the fielders tried to put a base runner out is credited with a fielder's choice.

Batters can also reach base without hitting the ball. The most common way is to receive a walk, or base on balls. A batter walks if the pitcher throws four balls (pitches outside the strike zone) during that batter's turn at bat. A batter who walks goes to first base. A batter also goes to first base if the pitcher hits that batter with the ball. In addition, a batter goes to first base on catcher interference. Catcher interference occurs when the catcher touches the bat when a batter is swinging.

Base runners—advancing and outs. A batter who reaches base becomes a base runner. Base runners try to advance around the bases and score runs for their team. The defensive players try to put the base runners out.

Base runners may try to advance at any time. But they usually wait until the batter hits the ball, and then decide whether or not to try to advance. If there are no outs or one out and a batter hits a ball that is likely to be caught on the fly, base runners stay near their bases. They do so because they must tag up (touch their bases) after a fly out. If a runner fails to tag up before a fielder holding the ball touches the runner's base or tags the runner with the ball, the runner is out. After tagging up, a run­ner can try to advance to the next base. The runner must reach the base before being tagged with the ball by a fielder, or else the runner is out.

When there are two outs, runners usually try to ad­vance as soon as a fly ball is hit. They do so because their team's turn at bat ends when the ball is caught.

Base runners do not have to tag up if a batter hits a ball that touches the ground. But depending on the situ­ation, runners may stay near their bases or run toward the next base on a ground ball. They stay near their bases if they judge that they will not be able to reach the next base before being tagged with the ball. This situa­tion usually occurs on ground balls hit sharply to infield­ers. If runners believe they can get to the next base be­fore being tagged, they run toward the base. They are out if they fail, and safe if they succeed.

in some situations—called force situations—base run­ners must try to advance to the next base. A force situa­tion exists when a batter hits a ground ball and a runner occupies a base another player is entitled to. A batter who hits a ground ball is always entitled to first base. As a result, the runner on first base is always forced to ad­vance on a ground ball. If a team has runners on first and second base—or on first, second, and third base- all the runners are forced to advance on ground balls. In such cases, each runner forces the runner on the next base. The runners make a force out if they fail to reach the next base before a fielder with the ball touches the base. The fielder does not have to tag the runner in order to put the runner out.

Sometimes, base runners run with the pitch. That is, they race toward the next base as soon as the pitcher throws the bail. This strategy has both advantages and disadvantages. If the batter takes the pitch, and the run­ner gets to the next base before being tagged with the ball by a fielder, the runner is safe at the base. This play is called a stolen base. But if the runner fails to reach the base before being tagged, the runner is out. A runner who runs with the pitch can often advance farther on a hit than one who waits until the batter hits the ball. How­ever, the runner risks being put out on a fly ball. Such a runner may end up so far from the base that it is impos­sible to get back to tag up before a fielder holding the ball touches the base.

Base runners can make outs and advance in other ways than those already described. For example, a run­ner is out if hit by a batted ball while in fair territory and not on a base. A runner on first base advances to second if the batter walks or is hit by a pitch. If the team also has a runner on second base—or runners on second or third base—those runners also move to the next base.

Umpires. Most American major league games have four umpires. They are the home plate umpire, first base umpire, second base umpire, and third base umpire. Every time a batter takes a pitch, the home plate umpire must decide whether the pitch was a ball or a strike. The home plate umpire also decides whether runners at­tempting to reach home plate were safe or out. The first base umpire rules on plays at first base, the second base umpire on plays at second base, and the third base um­pire on plays at third base. The first base and third base umpires also decide whether balls hit down the foul lines were fair or foul.

Baseball Around the World

Baseball has become popular in a number of coun­tries outside the United States. It is especially strong in Japan and is widely played in Australia, it has also spread to other countries in the Americas, including Canada, Cuba, Mexico, and Venezuela, and to countries in Europe. In 1953, European countries formed the Federation Europeenne de Baseball to organize the Eu­ropean Baseball Championship. Nine countries take part—Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, The Neth­erlands, Poland, Spain, and Sweden.

In Japan, baseball has become the national sport. Baseball was introduced to Japan by an American teacher at Kaisei School in Tokyo, in 1873. The game grew rapidly in popularity among students of all ages. Today, thousands of secondary schools and colleges field baseball teams.

Professional baseball in Japan began in 1934, when the Tokyo Yomiuri Giants team was organized. In 1935,

the Osaka Tigers team was founded. In 1936, seven teams formed the Japan Professional Baseball Federa­tion. The Federation was disbanded during World War II. Since 1950, two professional leagues, each compris­ing 6 teams, have competed. The teams play 130 games during the season, which lasts from April to October. The champions of each league then compete in a 7-game tournament for the national championship.

in Australia, over 20,000 adults belong to 500 baseball clubs that field about 1,500 teams. Junior teams con­trolled by senior clubs have an additional 20,000 players. Visiting American miners introduced the game to Aus­tralia in 1873. Five states began competing for the Claxton Shield in 1934. The game increased in popularity after it changed from a winter sport to a summer sport in 1965. Australia became a member of the Baseball Fed­eration of Asia in 1970. In 1978, Australia qualified for the first time to participate in the World Amateur Series.

History

Baseball developed in the United States in the mid- 1800's from an old English game called rounders. In spite of this evidence, many people believe that Abner Doubleday of the United States invented baseball.

Early development

Rounders. People in England played rounders as early as the 1600's. Rounders, like baseball, involved hit­ting a ball with a bat and advancing around bases. Al­though rounders resembled baseball, there were many differences between the two games. For example, field­ers threw the ball at runners. If the ball hit a runner who was off base, the runner was out This practice was called soaking or plugging runners.

From rounders to baseball. American colonists in New England played rounders as early as the 1700's. They called the game by several names, including town ball, the Massachusetts game, and— sometimes— baseball. Rules for the game appeared in books from time to time. Even so, people generally played the game accord­ing to their local customs. The number of players on a side, the number of bases and distance between them, and other rules varied from place to place.

Americans gradually changed the game into baseball. One of the key points in this development took place when players replaced the practice of soaking runners with the present practice of tagging them. Historians be­lieve players in New York City probably made the change in the 1830's or 1840's.

The Abner Doubleday Theory. In spite of evidence showing that baseball developed from rounders, many people believe that Abner Doubleday invented the game in Cooperstown, New York, in 1839. Doubleday later became a general in the United States Army. Fie died in 1893.

The Doubleday Theory arose from a dispute over the origin of baseball in the early 1900's. Albert G. Spalding, a sporting-goods manufacturer and former ballplayer, suggested the appointment of a commission to settle the question of the game's origin. Many people told the commission that baseball developed from rounders. But the commission's report, published in 1908, credited Doubleday with inventing the game. It based its conclu­sion on a letter from Abner Graves, who had been a boyhood friend of Doubleday's. Graves said he had been present when Doubleday invented baseball in Cooperstown in 1839.

Historians now believe that Doubleday had little, if anything, to do with baseball. They also point out that the game described by Graves included the practice of soaking runners. Thus, it was not essentially different from rounders.

Alexander Cartwright, a New York City sportsman, is called the father of organized baseball. In 1845, he started a club whose only purpose was playing baseball. Called the Knickerbocker Base Ball Club of New York, it

was the first organization of its kind. Cartwright wrote a set of baseball rules when he organized the club. These rules, together with rules added in 1848 and 1854, did much to make baseball the game it is today.

The 1845 rules set the distance between the bases at 90 feet (27.4 metres), and provided for nine players on each side. They contain the first known mention of the need to tag runners rather than to soak them. The 1848 addition includes the present-day rule of tagging first base to put a batter out on a ground ball. The force out rule was added in 1854.

The first known box score of a game appeared in the New York Morning News. It reported on a game played on Oct. 21,1845, between the New York Ball Club and a team from Brooklyn. It was played on the Elysian Fields in Hoboken, New Jersey. New York won, 24 to 4.

Related articles: Aaron, Henry; Oh, Sadaharu; Cobb, Ty; Ruth, Babe; DiMaggio, Joe; Softball; Doubleday, Abner; Young, Cy; and Mantle, Mickey

Outline

How the game is played: Players and equipment, The field, Baseball skills, D. The game

Baseball around the world

History

Questions

What is a balk?

What is the Abner Doubleday Theory?

When do baseball teams play extra innings?

What is the main baseball competition in Australia called?

Which was the first Japanese professional team?