Baseball is a sport in which players try to hit a ball that is thrown at them as far as they can. They then run around four bases to complete a run and score a point. Players must avoid getting three “outs” to be out of the game and a team wins when it scores more points than its opponent over nine innings.
The game of baseball is played on a diamond-shaped playing field, with home plate in the center. There are four bases in the corners of the field, each designated by a number. The catcher stands behind home plate to catch any balls that the batter misses with his bat. The pitcher for the defensive team stands on a raised mound to throw the ball to members of the offensive team currently in batting position at home plate. The hitter tries to hit the ball so it lands in front of first base, or somewhere else on the field out of the reach of any defensive players. A batter who hits the ball and successfully runs to first base without being tagged out is awarded a run.
To play the game, teams have a pitcher, catcher, first baseman, second baseman, third baseman, shortstop and three outfielders in positions at left field, centre field and right field. Each of these players is provided with a glove and wears a mask, hat and arm guards for protection against the hard and flying objects (called foul tips) that can be kicked up by opposing players and come into play during the course of a game. The players also use signals to communicate with each other about where to throw the ball to a specific runner.
Each of the two teams of nine players on each side of the diamond has a batting order that it must stick to throughout the game. If a player is injured or is unable to play for any reason, a substitute is allowed but must be in the same position as the original player who was in the lineup when the inning began.
During an inning, the batter’s team is awarded a base on balls if the pitch thrown by the pitcher is outside the strike zone and the batter does not swing at it. A batter who strikes out three times in a row is put out of the game and another player takes his place at home plate.
The teams compete during the regular season to win their divisions. The top-four teams in each league then compete in a best-of-seven-game series to determine the league champion, or pennant winner. In addition, the two teams that finish with the best records in each of the league’s other divisions meet in a one-game playoff to decide a wild card winner. These playoff games are held the day after the regular season ends and are decided by tossing a coin at a predetermined venue. The game of baseball has a long and fascinating history that continues to thrive in modern society.