The Fundamentals of the Game
The basics of how the wonderful game of baseball is played and some of the most important rules that apply to it.
As with all sports and games alike, there are rules that need to be followed while playing the game of baseball, some of which will be discussed in this blog post.
Again, most sports have people that aren't playing the game to make sure that the rules of the game are followed by those that are playing the game and this is no different with baseball. In major league baseball, these people are called umpires and there are four of them in each game during the regular season, six for the MLB All Star Game, and seven for the World Series.
MLB umpire Ray Renegade
Along with the umpires of the game of baseball, there are some actual rules that go along with it as well and the really simple basics will be discussed briefly in this post.
There are nine innings in a regulation professional baseball game. There are three outs for each team when they are batting, known simply as, half innings. To record an out, the team on the field, which is known as the fielding team or defensive team during each at bat, has to either strikeout the batter by making them swing and miss, ground out where the batter hits the ball on the ground in the infield and then they throw the ball to first base before the batter, who is now a runner, gets there, the ball is caught by a fielder (known as a popup, line drive, or fly ball), or on the nine fielders on the field tags the runner with their glove when they have the ball in their glove.
The goal of the game of baseball in these nine innings is to score more runs than the other team. This happens in a matter of many different ways, but the basic concept is simple. Hit the ball where the fielders aren't, but still in fair territory (marked by white chalk down the lines), and run around all three bases and get to home plate (which is also where you bat) without getting tagged and that is called a run.
There's also different ways to score these runs by achieving different hits. A single is where you hit the ball and make it to first base without getting tagged, usually on a group ball to the outfield or a bunt infield base hit. A double is where you hit the ball and make it to second base, a triple is where you make it to third base, and a homerun is where the batter hits the ball over the fence and is awarded a run for themselves and however many players are on base at that time. So, a homerun without anyone on base is a solo home run, then with one on a two run homer, with two on a three run homer, and three on a grand slam, which scores four runs. The most you can score at any one time in a baseball game.
There is more to the game of baseball that is also important and will be looked at in future posts. Have fun, and enjoy applying what you've learned so far, to the game of baseball!
MLB umpire Ray Renegade
Along with the umpires of the game of baseball, there are some actual rules that go along with it as well and the really simple basics will be discussed briefly in this post.
There are nine innings in a regulation professional baseball game. There are three outs for each team when they are batting, known simply as, half innings. To record an out, the team on the field, which is known as the fielding team or defensive team during each at bat, has to either strikeout the batter by making them swing and miss, ground out where the batter hits the ball on the ground in the infield and then they throw the ball to first base before the batter, who is now a runner, gets there, the ball is caught by a fielder (known as a popup, line drive, or fly ball), or on the nine fielders on the field tags the runner with their glove when they have the ball in their glove.
The goal of the game of baseball in these nine innings is to score more runs than the other team. This happens in a matter of many different ways, but the basic concept is simple. Hit the ball where the fielders aren't, but still in fair territory (marked by white chalk down the lines), and run around all three bases and get to home plate (which is also where you bat) without getting tagged and that is called a run.
There's also different ways to score these runs by achieving different hits. A single is where you hit the ball and make it to first base without getting tagged, usually on a group ball to the outfield or a bunt infield base hit. A double is where you hit the ball and make it to second base, a triple is where you make it to third base, and a homerun is where the batter hits the ball over the fence and is awarded a run for themselves and however many players are on base at that time. So, a homerun without anyone on base is a solo home run, then with one on a two run homer, with two on a three run homer, and three on a grand slam, which scores four runs. The most you can score at any one time in a baseball game.
There is more to the game of baseball that is also important and will be looked at in future posts. Have fun, and enjoy applying what you've learned so far, to the game of baseball!
A home run is also when a batter hits the ball and touches all four basses during the play being safe at all four and not always hitting the ball out of the park.
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