Baseball is one of America’s favorite sports. It is a game played by two teams of nine players each. The teams compete to win the division championship and, if they cannot, the best runner-up in their league (the Wild Card). A player can play either as a pitcher or a hitter, depending on their skills.
At the beginning of each game, a team selects its lineup, which is a list of who will be at bat during that game. The batting team tries to get its players on base and then score runs. To do this, the hitter must hit the ball. However, the batting team also needs to avoid getting “outs”. A player is out when a fielder throws the ball directly to the batter at a base before they can make it to that base safely. There are also “force outs” (when a hitter misses the ball and no other runners reach that base before it), and “tag outs” (when a defender grabs a runner with the ball while they are running).
The pitcher and catcher for the batting team wait behind home plate. The catcher watches the batter, and the pitcher looks for signals from the catcher to know when to throw the ball. The batter can only have three strikes in their at-bat. If they have three strikes, then they are out and the next batter goes to bat. The batter can also walk if the pitcher throws four pitches that are out of the strike zone during their at-bat.
When a batter hits the ball, they must run to the bases. If they manage to touch a base before the other team can throw the ball to that base, they will be out. The other team can try to get their runner out while they are running the bases too. If a runner reaches home before the other team can tag him with the ball, they will score a run.
Another way to score a run is by hitting the ball over the outfield wall. This is called a “home run”. However, it is not as common as other ways to score a run.
If you want to learn more about baseball, give it a try. Even if you don’t like it at first, continuing to watch the games will help you pick up on the lingo and strategies. You can even start to root for a particular team! It is a great way to spend time with friends and have fun. Plus, you might end up loving the sport! So, gather some buddies, sport a team shirt, and get into the game! You may just find that you love baseball more than you thought. This is the 145th season of major league baseball. But, if you think of it more as a long-running TV show, there are really six “seasons.” Each era has taken the sport in a different direction, and each era is reflected in the names of some of the famous players.