The Game

Baseball is played by two teams of nine players each. The teams take turns batting and fielding. The batting team is called the OFFENSIVE team and the fielding team is called the DEFENSIVE team.

The basics of Baseball are very simple.  A player, known as the PITCHER , pitches the ball to the CATCHER, who crouches behind a base, called HOME PLATE.  A BATTER who stands next to home plate swings to try to hit the ball. On fair contact the batter runs around as many bases as possible before the ball is retrieved and returned under control by the defensive team.  The aim of the game is to score more RUNS than the opposition.  A run is scored when a player on the batting team advances around all three bases and returns to the home plate.

Unless you hit a HOME RUN which means that you round all four bases at once, you’ll probably have to stop at first, second or third base on your way and wait for the next batter to hit.  The defensive team’s objective is to get three OUTs.  Once three players on the offensive team are out, the two teams switch: the defensive team comes in to bat and the batting team goes out to the field to defend.

An inning is completed when each team has batted.  A game usually consists of 9 innings.

Players bat in a pre-arranged order.  After the last batter in the order has hit, the first batter comes up again.  A batter who previously was out continues to play and hits every time his number in the order comes up again.

The Playing Field

A Baseball playing area is contained within a 90-degree angle, and is usually called a diamond, because the central part of the playing field – the INFIELD – is diamond shaped.  The OUTFIELD extends outward from the infield to a boundary and is divided in LEFT FIELD, CENTRE FIELD and RIGHT FIELD.  Everything inside the white lines is known as FAIR TERRITORY.  As a basic rule, the batter must hit the ball into the fair territory.  The shaded area outside these lines is called FOUL TERRITORY. If a ball is hit to this area – called FOUL BALL – the game is interrupted; base runners return to their bases and the batter has to receive another pitch.  Everything beyond the fair/ foul territories is called DEAD BALL TERRITORY.  Every ball landing here stops all action and a decision needs to be made by the umpire.

Once a batter hits the ball into the fair territory, the batter runs counter clockwise around the bases, rounding FIRST BASE, SECOND BASE, and THIRD BASE and reaching the forth base, the HOME PLATE.

In the middle of the infield is the PITCHER’S PLATE, a mark for the pitcher that insures that the same pitching distance is used throughout the game.

Pitching – Balls and Strikes

The game starts with the pitcher standing on the pitcher’s plate throwing the ball to the catcher behind home plate.  The opponent batter stands beside home plate.  A right-handed batter will stand to the right side of home plate (from the pitcher’s point of view) and a left-handed batter to the left.  The pitcher must try to throw the ball over the home plate and between the batters knees and chest – called the STRIKE ZONE – in order to achieve a legal pitch (STRIKE). If the pitcher fails this objective, he/she is credited a BALL.  Once the pitcher has four balls on his/her account, the batter will advance to first base on a free walk.  On the other hand, if the pitcher throws three strikes or the batter swings three times without hitting the ball into the fair territory, the batter gets a STRIKE OUT.

Safe and Out

So, the batter hits the ball, it lands fair and the batter must run towards first base.  Once the batter reaches the first base before the ball gets to it, he/she is SAFE and continues as a BASERUNNER.

The defensive team on the other hand has three different ways – besides the Strike Out – to make offensive players out:

FORCE OUT: A batter/baserunner who is forced to run is out if the ball reaches the base before the player can get to it.  The defensive player has to touch the base with the ball or any part of his body while holding the ball.

TAG OUT: A baserunner is only safe if he/she is in contact with a base.  If at any point a baserunner is touched with the ball (whether in or out of the glove) by a fielder while off a base, the runner is out.  There are just two exceptions to this rule: as a batter runner, you don’t have to stop on first base.  You are allowed to make contact with the base and then run beyond it in a straight line (so you don’t lose speed and momentum), after which you can safely walk back to first without the danger of being tagged out.  However, if you pass first base and turn into the field of play with the intent to run on towards second, you can be tagged out.  When running to second or third base, however, you must stay in contact with the base once you reach it.  Secondly, a base runner can over run home plate when scoring a run.

FLY OUT: A batter is called fly out when the ball is caught directly in the air by any defensive player.  Base runners have to return to their base that they occupied before the batter hit (tagging up).  They can then run if the ball is not caught or they think they can reach thenext base before the fielder can throw the ball there.  Except on the third out, they can then try to run to the next base.

The Defensive Team

The job of the defensive team, known as FIELDERS, is to catch or stop any balls hit, with the aim of preventing offensive players from advancing around the bases and scoring runs.  Towards this end, each fielder has specific duties:

INFIELDERS

PITCHER: The pitcher pitches the ball to the batter from the pitcher’s plate and then becomes another infielder, ready to catch or stop batted balls and throw to bases as required.
 

CATCHER: The catcher kneels or squats behind home plate and returns the ball to the pitcher if the batter swings and misses or fails to swing.  The catcher also guards home plate against incoming base runners and tries to tag them out before they can reach the base and score a run.

FIRST BASE: This is often a busy posting, as many balls will be thrown to first base in an attempt to put batters out who are running from home to first.  The first base player also guards part of the right side of the infield.

SECOND BASE: The second base player will guard much of the right side of the infield.  This player will often catch throws made to second base, though the shortstop (see below) can do this as well.  In order to be able to achieve both goals the second baseman is not standing at the base but a few steps off base.

SHORTSTOP: The shortstop stands between second and third base and tries to stop or catch any ball hit towards left field.  The shortstop also shares duties at second base with the second base player.

THIRD BASE: The third base player guards the area near third base and will usually take throws made to third.  This player needs good reflexes (since the ball is often hit hard in his direction) and a good throwing arm, since it’s a long throw from third to first base.

OUTFIELDERS

There are three outfielders: the LEFT FIELDER, the CENTRE FIELDER and the RIGHT FIELDER who will play in those designated areas.  The outfielders’ job is to catch or stop balls hit in their direction and return them quickly and accurately to the infield.

The Equipment

Each defensive player wears a BASEBALL GLOVE to stop and catch balls.  These gloves are essential because the glove will allow making catches one could never make barehanded.  Gloves are worn on “the weaker hand” (i.e., if you’re right handed you’ll wear a glove on your left hand).  The reason for this is to have the stronger hand free for throwing.

Protective equipment like batting helmet or catcher’s gear is compulsory when playing with a hard baseball.

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