Unlike certain other sports (soccer, basketball, track), baseball does not have a worldwide following. Outside the United States it is played chiefly in Latin America, Canada and Japan. The game became very popular in Japan during the American occupation after World War II. The following section describes the rules of the professional baseball in the United States.
How Baseball is Played
The Players. The nine-man defensive team is made up of a pitcher and catcher (together called the battery); a first, second, and third baseman and a shortstop (infielders); and a left, center and the right fielder (outfielders). In some leagues the team at bat may employ a "tenth man," a designated hitter, who bats for the traditionally weak-hitting pitcher but does not play in the field. A professional squad also includes substitutes, coaches, and a manager, who directs the team. Players may be shifted from one position to another during the game, but except for the pitcher for whom the designated hitter bats, a player once removed may not reenter the game. Major league squads are limited to 25 active players-40 after September 1.
Equipment and Uniforms. All Players on a team wear uniforms identical in color trim, and style. The uniform usually consist of knee stockings, knickers, and a half-sleeved shirt, under which a long-sleeved jersey is worn. The shirt usually displays the name of the team and number, or a number plus a last name, to identify the players. A visor ed cap, often with team initials, completes the uniform. Players wear oxford-style shoes with spiked soles. The regulation baseball is a sphere formed by winding yarn around a core of cork and rubber; its cover consists of two stripes of tightly stitched white cowhide (formerly horsehide). The ball must weigh not less than 5 or more than 51/4 ounces and measure not less than 9 or more than 91/4 inches in circumference. The bat, a smooth, round stick generally made of ash, can be no point than 23/4 inches in diameter at its thickest point and no more than 42 inches in length. Each of the infielders (except the first baseman), each outfielder, and the pitcher wear on one hand a flexible leather finger gloves with some padding. the catcher uses a heavily padded glove with a cleft between the thumb and index finger and wears a chest protector, shin guards, and a wire mast to protect his face. The first basemen uses a glove smaller and more flexible than the catcher's. At bat, the player usually wears a plastic helmet as a skull protector.
The Playing Field. Much of the play of the game takes place within the square called the infield or diamond. The sides of this square measure 90 feet and its four corners constitute four bases, the most important of which is the home base, called home plate First base is diagonally to the right and third base diagonally to the left of home plate. The distance between home plate and second base, and between first base and third base, is 127 feet, 33/8 inches. White lines (called the foul lines) run from home plate past first and third base to the grandstands or out-field fences. All of the territory within the 90o angle formed by the foul lines is called fair territory; that outside is considered foul territory.
Home plate, 17 inches long and 17 inches wide, is marked by a five-sided slab of whitened rubber at ground level. At each of the other three bases are white canvas bags, 15 inches square and not less than 3 inches nor more than 4 inches thick. The bags are tied down by straps or by pegs inserted into the ground and are located within fair territory. The pitcher's rubber is a slab 2 feet long and 6 inches from plate in the direction of second base. It is located on the pitcher's mound, also called the "hill"; this is a circular mound with gradual slopes, which rises to a height of 10 inches above the base lines and home plate at its greatest elevation.
Beyond the infield are the wide ranges of the outfield, which vary in area in different ball parks (although there has been a recent tendency to standardize playing fields). Under present rules, the minimum distance from home plate to an outfield grandstand or fence at the foul lines is 250 feet. However, since 1958 no professional club has been permitted to build a new field that does not have a minimum distance of 320 feet at the foul lines and 400 feet in the center field.
Home plate, 17 inches long and 17 inches wide, is marked by a five-sided slab of whitened rubber at ground level. At each of the other three bases are white canvas bags, 15 inches square and not less than 3 inches nor more than 4 inches thick. The bags are tied down by straps or by pegs inserted into the ground and are located within fair territory. The pitcher's rubber is a slab 2 feet long and 6 inches from plate in the direction of second base. It is located on the pitcher's mound, also called the "hill"; this is a circular mound with gradual slopes, which rises to a height of 10 inches above the base lines and home plate at its greatest elevation.
Beyond the infield are the wide ranges of the outfield, which vary in area in different ball parks (although there has been a recent tendency to standardize playing fields). Under present rules, the minimum distance from home plate to an outfield grandstand or fence at the foul lines is 250 feet. However, since 1958 no professional club has been permitted to build a new field that does not have a minimum distance of 320 feet at the foul lines and 400 feet in the center field.
General Principles of the Game. The object of baseball is the scoring of more runs than the opposition, and the zest of the game and all of its strategy hinge on the continuous struggle between the offense (the team at bat), which attempts to score, and the defense (the team in the field), which attempts to prevent such scoring. Initially, and throughout much of the game, the struggle is centered in the contest between the pitcher and the batter. As the pitcher throws (pitches) the ball to the catcher behind the plate, the batter attempts to judge whether the pitch is in the strike zone and, if it is, to hit out of reach of the defensive players in the field. Members of the offensive team come to bat one at a time, each attempting to reach base safely, that is without being put out. When a batter reaches base, he becomes a runner, and it becomes the task of the succeeding batter to advance him to the next base. Only one runner may occupy a base at any one time. A run is scored when a member of the at the bat, having advanced around the diamond counterclockwise, touching first, second, and third base in succession, completes the circuit and touches home plate. Three putouts (that is, the retirement of three players) retires the side, whereupon the team that has been defending comes to bat and its opponents take the field.
Each team's time at bat constitutes a half inning, an inning being that portion of the game in which both teams take one turn at bat. The standard game consists of 9 innings. The visiting team bats first, and if the home team is ahead after 8 1/2 innings, the game ends. if the score is tied after 9 innings, the game continues until the tie is broken (provide the home team is given the chance to bat), unless darkness or other conditions prevent further play. when a game is ended by rain, lighting failure, or another factor that in the umpire's judgement interferes with play, 5 innings make up legal game (4 1/2 innings) if the home team is ahead).
The Start of the Game. before the game begins each round team presents to the umpire in chief its starting lineup or batting order, the order in which the players will bat. As play is about to start. the home team players take their positions on the playing field. The pitcher takes his place on the mound; the catcher stands in a prescribed catcher's box (a rectangular area marked out behind home plate); and the other players move to the best strategic positions to cope with a ball hit in fair territory by the batter. Infielders rarely "hug" their bases, standing 5 to 20 feet from the bags, and the shortstop generally plays far back ("deep") in the infield between second and third base. The game begins when the umpire calls "Play ball".
Balls and Strikes. The batsman or batter stands in either of two 4-foot by 6-foot batter's boxes marked out on either side of home plate (for hitters). The pitcher directly faces the batter in one of two legal pitching positions-the windup or the set. His purpose is to throw the ball in the strike zone, the space directly over the plate and between the batter's armpits and the top of his knees as he takes a natural stance. A pitch in this area, if not hit by the batter, is called a strike. A strike is also a legal pitch that is struck at by batter and missed; or which is hit into a foul territory, when the batter has less than two strikes against him; or which is nicked (or tripped) by the bat and is held by the catcher; or which touches a batter while he swings at the ball. Three strikes constitute a putout (in this instance called a strikeout), and the man thus retired is succeeded at the plate by the next player in the batting order.
Any pitch outside of the strike zone is called a ball if not struck at by the batter. Four balls, called a base on balls (also called a walk or a pass), permit the batter to go to first base. The batter also reaches first base if hit by a pitched ball which he has tried to avoid, or if the catcher or any other fielder interferes with his batting swing.
Base hits and Errors. The primary aim of the batter is to get a base hit, that is, to hit the ball anywhere in fair territory and reach as many bases as he possibly can without being put out. A hit is called a single, when the batter stops at first base; a double, when the batter safely reaches second base; a triple, when he reaches third base; and a home run (or homer) , when makes a complete circuit of the bases and touches home plate. the great majority of home runs occur when the ball is hit on the fly (in the air without touching the ground) over an outfield the barrier the batter is usually required to stop at second base (a "ground rules" double).
A batter may also reach base safely on an error. An error occurs when, in the opinion of the official scorer, a fielder mishandles the ball.
Bunts. In some situations the batter, instead of swinging at the ball, may try to bunt-that is to make contact with and tap the ball onto the infield. If the batter is retired while a runner advances, the play is called a sacrifice. Some fleet-footed batters try to bunt for a base hit, especially when the infielders are playing deep.
A batter may be awarded a sacrifice fly (and not charged with a time to bat) if his fly ball enables a runner to advance after the catch is made.
Putouts. The aim of the team in the field is to make three putouts (or outs) and thus to retire the team at bat. The defensive players may make putouts in a number of ways; by catching a ball hit by the batter in either fair or foul territory before it touches the ground (called a fly ball or a fly); fielding a grounder (that is catching a ball bouncing on the ground in the fair territory) and relaying the ball to a defensive player at first base before the batter reaches base , by tagging a runner between bases; or , in certain circumstances, when there is runner on base, by throwing the ball to succeeding base before the runner reaches it. This last called a force-out and is possible only when a runner on base, by throwing the ball to the succeeding base before the runner reaches it. This last is called a force-out and is possible only when a runner is forced to advance by one base to prevent a putouts from being made, as when the runner is on first base and the batter hits a grounder.
Three strikes also constitute an out, provided the catcher does not drop the third strike. In the event that a third strike is dropped, the out can be secured only if the batter is tagged before he can run to first base or the ball is thrown to first base before he can reach the bag.
Outs are also made: when a batter against whom there are two strikes bunts foul; when, with two or three runners on base and less than two outs, the batter hits an infield fly; when the batter attempts to hit a third strike and the ball touches him; when, in the umpire's judgement, a spectator's interference clearly prevents a fielder from catching a fly ball; or when a runner is hit by a batted ball.
Double and Triple Plays. It is often possible to retire two men on one play, as when, with a runner on the first base, the batter hits a grounder to the second baseman. The latter may step on out second base, "forcing" the runner (putting him out on a force play), and then relay the ball to the first baseman, who may touch first base, retiring the batter before he can reach the bag. This is called a double play and can reach the only if less than two men are out before the play begins. Another type of double play may result when for instance, an infielder catches a hard-hit ball (a line drive) before it touches the ground, automatically retiring the batter, and steps on the base behind a runner, "doubling off" the runner. This possibility arises from a rule which forbids a runner to advance to the next base before a fly ball is caught and which therefore makes it mandatory for him to "tag up," that is, to touch his base after the catch is made. Since runners normally take a "lead" (move several steps toward the nest base before the pitch is thrown) in order to take full advantage of a hit, or to be in a position to steal, or to protect themselves against a force play, they are occasionally unable to return to their base and are doubled off.
Triple plays, or three outs on one play, are rare, but, through a various combinations of the circumstances describe above, they cad and do occur. A triple plays is possible only when there are no outs and two or more runners are on base.
Strategy. The strategy followed by each team during the course of a game is determined by manager, aided by the coaches. The manager decides which players are to play, when substitutions are to be made, where the players should play, how batters should swing or not swing at a particular pitch. The catcher is expected to know the weaknesses of opposition hitters and, before each pitch, to "call" for a certain kind of pitch by means of a hidden signal to the pitcher, and the pitcher is permitted to request a different call from the catcher by shaking his head negatively, but both men often operate under strict instructions from the manager.
When there is a runner on second or third base and first base is unoccupied, the manager may order his pitcher to deliver an intentional base on balls to a dangerous hitter to set up possibility of a double play, or in order to have a pitcher face a weaker hitter; such a decision may often hinge on a consideration of the right-handed pitcher's slight advantage over right-handed batter as against a left handed-batter, fact borne out by voluminous statistics.
Much of baseball's strategy has to do with the running game, that is, the tactics resorted to by men on base in their efforts to advance and score. The team at bat stations coaches in foul territory behind first and third bases to coach the runners. The third base coach has the responsibility of deciding whether a runner speeding toward third base can reasonably be expected to score before the ball is relayed to home plate, and he must signal the runner accordingly.
The stolen base is an important part of the running game. A runner is permitted to attempt to steal a base, that is, advance to the next base while the pitcher is in the process of delivering a pitch to the batter. (If the batter hits a foul ball, the runner is not allowed to advance, and if he hits a fly or line drive which is caught in either foul or fair territory, the runner must tag up, as described in the section above.) Chances of success in the base-stealing maneuver depend on several variables,including among others, the element of surprise, the runner's speed, and the catcher's ability to throw accurately to the fielder who moves over to defend the base (and who, in order to retire the runner, must actually tag him with a ball before he reaches the bag). The manager often reserves to himself the decision as to whether the steal is involved that is, when two runners simultaneously attempt to advance by means of stolen bases). The hit-and-run play is almost invariably undertaken only on the manager's initiative and requires prearrangement with the batter and the runner, who are usually informed that they are to attempt the play, by means of secret signals relayed to them by one of the coaches. In the typical hit-and-run play, a runner at first base begins to steal as the ball is pitched, drawing the second baseman toward second base to defend against the steal. The batter, knowing that this will happen, attempts to hit the ball through the wide gap created in the right side of the infield when the second baseman leaves his normal fielding position. The success of the play usually results in advancing the runner to third base and putting another runner on first base.
The art of moving runners around the bases by means of the stolen base, the sacrifice bunt and the hit-and-run play has been called "inside baseball." Such great teams as the Baltimore Orioles (1894-1896) and the Chicago Cubs (1906-1910) were most adept exponents of inside baseball, and John McGraw who managed the New York Giants from 1902's, inside baseball has largely given way to what has been facetiously termed "outside baseball." While there were 358 home runs hit in the major leagues in 1910, 3,644 were hit in 1977. This development has been variously ascribed to a livelier" ball, to changes in the design of the bat, or to the increasing average size and strength of ballplayers, but whatever the reason, most managers today prefer to play for a block of runs from a home run, rather than for a single run. Many successful teams today combine running speed with power hitting to maximize scoring opportunities at all times.
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