Baseball is played by rules that have been in effect since the 19th century. While some alterations to the rules have been made from time to time, the game is still played with nine fielders who attempt to make defensive plays and nine batters who form the lineup.The object of the game is to score more runs than your opponent over a nine-inning game.
Pitching
All action in baseball starts with the pitch. The pitcher must deliver the ball from the pitching rubber on top of the pitcher's mound. The pitching rubber is 60 feet 6 inches from the back corner of home plate. A pitch is called a strike by the umpire if it is between the batter's armpits and the top of his knees and it is over the plate. If the pitch does not fall within these parameters, it is declared a ball. If the batter gets four balls called before three strikes, he is awarded first base and is credited with a base on balls. If the umpire declares strike three because the batter has let a good pitch go by or he has taken a swing and missed on the third strike, he is out.
Fair and Foul Ball
Batters go to the plate intending to hit the baseball. If they hit the ball between the first base and third base line, the ball is fair. If it is outside those lines, the ball is foul. A ground ball that passes either base in fair territory and then rolls into foul territory is called a fair ball. If a ground ball crosses either base in foul territory and then rolls fair, it is a foul ball. A fly ball that passes either base in fair territory but lands in foul territory is foul. The umpire makes the determination on a fly ball based on where it lands. If a fly ball passes a base in foul territory and lands in fair territory, it is fair. If a fly ball hits the foul pole that stands just past the fence, the ball is fair and is declared a home run.
Fielding the Baseball
The fielder always has the right of way when it comes to making a play. The base runner must get out of the fielder's way or the umpire will call him out for interference. Even if the runner is within the base line, he must get out of the way to let the fielder make the play. For example, on a ground ball to shortstop, the fielder runs in three steps to pick up the ball and and make the play. In doing so, he stops in the base path and the runner going from second to third base bowls him over and no play is made. In this instance, the umpire would call the runner out because of interference and the play would be over. If the umpire believes the fielder would have made a double play, he can award two outs. A fielder can be guilty of obstruction if he is not involved in the play but gets in the way of a base runner. In the case of obstruction, the umpire can move the base runner one or two bases if he believes the fielder's contact kept the runner from advancing.
Designated Hitter
In high school, college and Major League baseball played in the American League, a team may use a designated hitter to bat for the pitcher. The manager can allow the pitcher to bat if he chooses, but he can also use a hitter to bat for that player if he believes it will help the team. The pitcher may stay in the game and continue to pitch even after the designated hitter has batted. No designated hitter is used in the National League. The pitcher bats for himself. If a National League manager uses a pinch hitter to bat for the pitcher, a new pitcher must come into the game in the next half-inning.
Member Comments