The game of baseball is a sport that originated in the U.S. and is now played worldwide. It is often described as America’s national pastime, and it is one of the most popular sports in the world. The game has many rules and the goal is to score more points than your opponent during a nine-inning game.
A player on the batting team (called a batter) hits a ball with a bat and runs around the bases. Each time he touches the bases in order, he scores a run. However, the runner is out if the fielder catches the ball or if the catcher throws to first base before the runner arrives at it. In addition, a batter is out if he fails to hit the ball three times after the pitcher throws him a strike.
During an inning, the pitcher of the defensive team throws the ball toward the member of the batting team currently in batting position at home plate. The batter then attempts to hit the ball with his bat to a location out of reach of the defensive players in the field. If the batter hits the ball to a place where it can be thrown to first base, the runner scores a run. The hitter is out, or put out, if the ball is caught in fair or foul territory by a fielder, or if the catcher catches it before the batter reaches the base.
The batting team has nine players, and the fielding team has nine as well. The positions on the fielding team are a pitcher, a catcher, first baseman, second baseman, shortstop and third baseman and three outfielders at left field, centre field and right field. Each player on the batting team wears a number and a uniform, and may only be replaced by another player with a number on his back who is eligible to play in that position.
Throughout the game, the batting team tries to score more runs than the fielding team. A run is scored when a batter becomes a runner and reaches all the bases in order without being called out.
During the course of the season, each team plays 162 games. The division champions of each league, and the two wild-card teams (the best runner-up in each league), advance to the playoffs. There they play a series of best-of-seven-games to determine each league’s champion, or pennant winner. In the event of a tie for either the division or the wild-card spot, a single game is held at a venue determined by tossing a coin. The winning team receives the pennant and a trophy, while the losing team receives nothing. The game of baseball has a long and colorful history, and its origins are surrounded in myth and legend. It is believed to have been invented in Cooperstown, New York, by Civil War veteran Abner Doubleday in the 1840s. It was popular among soldiers on both sides of the Civil War, and it became a national phenomenon in the years that followed.