The game of baseball is America's national pastime. Fans of all ages enjoy it, and one of the most notable parts of the game is that it is passed from one generation of fans to the next. Baseball's history is a big part of the game's appeal and so are the rules.
Significance
The larger portion of the rulebook has remained intact for decades. The format of the game is nine innings to make a game, three outs in an inning and three strikes make an out. The object of the game is to get on base and move the runners around the bases and score runs. The team that scores the most runs over nine innings wins the game. If the team batting last -- the home team -- is ahead after the visiting team has batted in the top of the ninth inning, the home team does not bat. The biggest change in the rules came before the start of the 1973 season when the American League decided to use a designated hitter to bat for the pitcher. The move was made to create more offense and interest in the game and the rule has remained in place since then. However, the National League did not go along with the designated hitter at the time and has resisted it since even though the designated hitter is used at the high school, college and minor-league levels.
Function
The rules are used by the umpires to help make calls and decide on all plays. Each major league baseball game employs four umpires to help administer the rules. The home plate umpire makes all ball and strike calls. The rules state the strike zone is the area above home plate between the bottom of the batter's arm pits and the top of the batter's knees. Umpires also make safe and out calls on the bases, determine if a fielder has caught or dropped a fly ball and make fair or foul calls. Umpires also determine if a ball has cleared the fence for a home run.
Features
Baseball does not use instant replay to decide the outcome of a play other than for a home run. As a result, umpires must rely on their own vision and rules interpretation to make calls. When a close call goes against one team or the other, it can result in an argument brought by a manager, coach or player. The arguments are often vociferous and memorable, but they rarely result in a changed call.
Types
While some calls are obvious in baseball, the game is not without its share of difficult situations. Controversial calls often occur when a runner interferes with a fielder who is attempting to make a play or a fielder who obstructs a runner on his path around the bases. Interpreting interference vs. obstruction can be one of the most difficult rule differentiations in the game. In short, a fielder has the right to field any ball he can get to and it is up to the batter or base runner to get out of his way. If the runner does not get out of the way and causes the fielder to miss the ball, the umpire shall call the runner out and send all other runners back to their original base. Even if the runner is in the baseline, he must move out of the fielder's way to avoid interfering with the play. On the other hand, if the fielder is not directly involved in making a play, he must get out of the base runner's path. If the shortstop is standing in or near the baseline and a runner going from second to third collides with him and does not get to third base or can't score as a result of the collision, the umpire may call obstruction and award third base or allow the runner to score based on his judgment.
Expert Insight
Many writers and broadcasters like to point out that the best umpires are the ones that are not noticed in the game and are the ones that let the players decide the action. Former umpire Bruce Froemming strongly disagrees. "One of the really wrong theories about officiating is that a good official is one you never notice," Froemming said. "The umpire who made that statement was probably a real poor official who tried to get his paycheck and hide behind his partners and stay out of trouble all his life. Control of the ballgame is the difference between umpires that show up for the players and the managers."
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