Baseball is one of the most popular sports in North America. It is also widely played in parts of Central and South America, the Caribbean, and East Asia. Its popularity has made it a symbol of American culture, and its rules and traditions have become an integral part of the national identity.
The game consists of two teams of nine players each. The field is divided into four bases and home plate, which forms a diamond. Each team has a dugout or bench where players wait to bat or play defense. Only players, coaches, and necessary team personnel may sit in the dugouts or on the benches. A manager determines who will bat and in what order, and the lineup can change throughout a game based on substitutions.
In baseball, the object of the game is to score runs by advancing around the bases in a clockwise direction, before being put out by a player on the opposing team. The batter must touch all four bases in order to score, and he or she must get to first base before the pitcher throws the ball to the catcher. The catcher wears a mask and protective gear, including a chest protector, a throat guard, a chin strap, and leg and arm guards.
Unlike many other major sports, baseball does not have a timed game clock. This allows for a leisurely pace that is especially pleasant on warm summer days when the game is traditionally played. It also encourages the development of subtlety and strategy in play. The game requires a combination of physical and mental skills from its players, ranging from the batter’s ability to hit the ball with a bat to the pitcher’s ability to make the ball difficult to hit.
While the game has great integrative power, its history has been interwoven with and reflective of major social and cultural cleavages. For example, until the early 20th century, middle-class Evangelical Protestants associated baseball with ne’er-do-wells, immigrants, working class people, alcohol and gambling, and a general rowdiness. By contrast, African Americans, whose integration into American society was accelerated by the game, had long embraced it.
When writing about baseball, it is important to be accurate in terms of statistics and facts. Use the standard references provided by SABR to ensure consistency. When referencing a stat, spell out numbers under 10 and use numerals for values above 10. Spell out position titles like SS, 2B, 3B, RF, and OF when they appear in text, but abbreviate them in tables, charts, and lists. If a term is likely to be unfamiliar to readers, spell it out on first mention and abbreviate only thereafter. If in doubt, check a baseball glossary or the SABR website for more information. When in doubt, use the word out instead of strikeout; it is a more precise and respectful way to describe a batter’s failure to reach any of the bases.