Despite the popularity of football, baseball is still the national pastime. The game is part of the fabric of American culture, played on green grass in the warm summer. But it also is a game of rules that governing everything from the makeup of the field to the actions of pitchers, hitters and fielders.
Basics of the Game
Nine players play defense in the field. The pitcher throws the ball to the catcher, and the infielders play at first base, second base, shortstop and third base. Each base is 90 feet from the previous base, and the pitcher's mound is 60 feet, 6 inches from home plate. Outfielders play in right field, center field and left field. Each team has a batting order of nine and gets three outs per inning. A complete inning consists of both teams batting. The game ends after nine innings, and the team with the most runs is the winner. If the teams are tied, play continues until, after a complete inning, one team has more runs than the other.
Fair or Foul Balls
There are lines drawn down the first and third baselines. Balls that are hit outside those lines are called foul balls; balls inside the lines are fair and are in play. If the ball is hit in the air and lands in fair territory, it is in play. But even if a fly ball appears to be in fair territory and then lands in foul territory, it is a foul ball. It counts as a strike on the batter, unless the batter already has two strikes; in that case, the batter can hit an indefinite number of foul balls without striking out. However, if a fielder catches a fly ball, even in foul territory, the batter is out. A ball that hits the pole that extends from the foul line to above the outfield fence is considered fair. In fact, it is a home run.
Pitchers
Pitchers throw a variety of pitches, including fastballs, curves, sliders, screwballs, knuckleballs and changes of pace. It is illegal for them to put any foreign substance such as Vaseline, pine tar or saliva on the ball. If a pitcher comes out of the game at any time, he may not go back in.
Interference and Obstruction
No batter or runner may interfere with a fielder who is making a play, or the umpire can call the batter/runner out for interference. If a fielder who is not directly involved in a play gets in the way of a runner and prevents him from running the bases freely, this is called obstruction. The umpire can award the runner one or two bases if he believes the fielder's obstruction kept him from advancing to the base.
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