Baseball is a team sport in which players attempt to score runs by legally advancing around four bases while the opposing defensive team records three “outs.” The game’s two teams, each consisting of nine players, alternate positions between batting and fielding during each turn of the inning. The game usually lasts for nine innings, and the team with the most points at the end of the game is declared the winner.
The bats used in baseball are made of wood, aluminium or metal materials. The balls are typically white with red stitching and are about 3 inches in diameter. Batters wear a helmet with a face mask, leg guards, a chest protector and a mitt (essentially an oversized glove) to help them grip the ball and make contact. The catcher, who stands behind the batter to catch any missed balls, also wears extra padding in his or her glove as well as a chest protector and leg guards.
Players on the batting team stand in a special order called a lineup. This order is determined before the start of the game and cannot be changed. Once the batting team has taken its turns, the player with the lowest number of hits is removed from the lineup and a new batter takes his or her place.
A batter can only receive up to three strikes before being declared out. A strike is a ball that the batter swings at and misses. If the batted ball hits the ground outside of a zone on the field known as foul territory, it is also considered a strike. If a batter receives four strikes, they must leave the batting position until it is their turn again.
As a batted ball travels to the infield, defensive players try to catch it in a zone known as the “strike zone.” If the ball is caught in this area, it is recorded as a fielding error, and the batter is awarded one of his or her three strikes. The infield consists of the pitcher, catcher, first baseman, second baseman and shortstop. There are also three players who play in the outfield, positioned at left field, center field and right field.
In addition to trying to prevent runners from scoring, the defenders aim to get the batters out. There are a variety of ways they can do this, including catching the ball in the air in either fair or foul territory, throwing a batter out or forcing out a runner. The latter is often done by touching the runner with the ball when he or she isn’t standing on a base.
The success of professional baseball depends on its ability to draw in audiences, and revenue streams have been developed through radio and television broadcasts as well as licensing and merchandise. This has allowed the sport to grow in popularity, which has helped its profitability. The sport continues to be played in North America, but has spread throughout the rest of the world as well, particularly in Central and South America and East Asia.