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Baseball is a minor sport in the United Kingdom.
were one of Britain's leading baseball teams in the 1890s
In 1890 the international version of the game was introduced to the United Kingdom in
by , a Derby man who had 'discovered' the game on a trip to the , and , an American former star player and sporting goods businessman who saw opportunities to expand his business across the Atlantic. , now known exclusively as a football club, won the only professional baseball championship in 1890. The competition was hindered by poor weather and disappointing crowds and made a loss to its investors. One of the first baseball clubs was the
who lead the first championship after the
was established in 1890. However, pressure from other teams in the league over the number of American players on the Derby team and low attendances forced Derby to resign before the end of the season, though the baseball club itself lasted until 1898. The so-called
continued to be used under that name as the home of football's
for over a century, from 1895 to 1997.
Baseball's peak popularity in Britain was in the years immediately preceding . Baseball teams shared grounds with football clubs and the game was run at a professional standard with up to 10,000 spectators per game.
One milestone of baseball in the United Kingdom was the 1938 victory of Great Britain over the United States in the , considered the first .
Today, there are 74 active baseball teams, and 1500 adult and Junior (Under 18) players ranging geographically from
to . The Junior Great British National Team consists of 15 players which recently competed in the European championships.
There have been numerous league formats since 1890. The
(BBF) is the governing body for baseball in the UK and the baseball leagues. Baseball clubs pay annual affiliation fees to be a member of the BBF and play in the BBF Leagues and Junior Leagues. There is also a full Great Britain Baseball Programme which comprises the Great Britain Baseball Academy, junior national teams and Great Britain 'Seniors' Baseball Team.
The league format is divided into the national divisions, consisting of four tiers from the National League, down to the Single A league. At the end of the season, all divisions compete in postseason tournaments where the top teams from each conference play knockout matches with the winning teams then progressing to the Championship Series. The Championship Series of the National League is best of three, the AAA, AA and A championships are single games. In addition to this there are three leagues independent of the British Baseball Federation, the Scottish National League, run by Baseball Scotland, the Northern Baseball League containing mainly teams based in
and the South West Baseball League, representing all but one of the teams in the .
The season runs from April until August.
Baseball in
is affiliated to
for practical reasons. Northern Ireland's only team, the , play in the Irish Adult League.
British University Baseball has also been growing with 20 universities with clubs at the end of the 2015/16 season: Cambridge, Coventry, Durham, Edinburgh, Essex, Exeter, Hull, Imperial, Leeds Beckett, , Loughborough, Manchester Metropolitan University (Cheshire), Nottingham University, Nottingham Trent University, Sheffield, Southampton, Stirling, Swansea, UCL and UEA. The University season runs from September to May, the typical off-season for the sport. Without a
(BUCS) league, teams compete in the National University Baseball Championships (NUBC) tournament, which happens twice a year in the spring and the autumn and are run by BaseballSoftballUK (BSUK). The Spring 2016 Champions are Loughborough, and have won the past 3 NUBC tournaments. Despite not having a BUCS league a Northern University Baseball League was set up for the 2015/16 season, and is planned to expand and be renamed to the National University Baseball League, and have a similar set up to the BBF leagues.
Runners-up
No playoff
St. Thomas's
Thespian London
Darlington St. Augustine's
Thespian London
Stockton-on-Tees
Wallsend-On-Tyne
Remingtons
Crystal Palace
New London
Rochdale Greys
White City
Catford Saints
Romford Wasps
Rochdale Greys
Oldham Greyhounds
15 innings
Rochdale Greys
Liverpool Robins
Thames Board Mills
Hornsey Red Sox
Liverpool Cubs
Burtonwood Bees
Hornsey Red Sox
Burtonwood Bees
Ruislip Rockets
Thames Board Mills
East Hull Aces
Thames Board Mills
Liverpool Tigers
Liverpool Tigers
East Hull Aces
East Hull Aces
Garringtons
Kingston Aces
Stretford Saints
Stretford Saints
Liverpool Aces
Liverpool Yankees
Beckenham Bluejays
Hull Royals
Watford-Sun Rockets
Liverpool Trojans
11 innings
Hull Royals
Liverpool Tigers
Hull Royals
Burtonwood Yanks
Nottingham Lions
Hull Royals
Liverpool Tigers
Nottingham Lions
Liverpool Trojans
Spirit Of '76
Golders Green Sox
Liverpool Trojans
Crawley Giants
Golders Green Sox
Liverpool Trojans
London Warriors
London Warriors
Liverpool Trojans
Cobham Yankees
Croydon Blue Jays
London Warriors
Cobham Yankees
Cobham Yankees
Southglade Hornets
Cobham Yankees
Burtonwood Braves
Enfield Spartans
Sutton Braves
Enfield Spartans
Enfield Spartans
9-7, 2-4, 4-1
London Athletics
Spartans won 2 games to 1
Leeds City Royals
Humberside Mets
Awarded championship by walkover
London Warriors
Enfield Spartans
Warriors won 2 games to 0
Humberside Mets and Chicksands Indians
Title decider not played
London Warriors
Enfield Spartans
Humberside Mets
2-3, 10-0, 8-0
Essex Arrows
Mets won 2 games to 1
Enfield Spartans
Waltham Forest Angels
Menwith Hill Pirates
London Warriors
Pirates won 2 games to 0
Menwith Hill Pirates
14-9, 11-23, 18-12
London Warriors
Pirates won 2 games to 1
London Warriors
11-5, 31-12
Kingston-upon-Hull Cobras
Warriors won 2 games to 0
Menwith Hill Patriots
13-5, 17-15
London Warriors
Patriots won 2 games to 0
Brighton Buccaneers
Windsor Bears
London Warriors
Brighton Buccaneers
Brighton Buccaneers
Windsor Bears
Brighton Buccaneers
Windsor Bears
Windsor Bears
Brighton Buccaneers
Windsor Bears
11-4, 10-9
Brighton Buccaneers
Pirates won 2 games to 0
7-11, 8-5, 9-0
Croydon Pirates
Flames won 2 games to 1
Croydon Pirates
Mets won 2 games to 0
Richmond Flames
Richmond Flames
Bracknell Blazers
Harlow Nationals
Lakenheath Diamondbacks
Harlow Nationals
Herts Falcons
Southern Nationals
Southampton Mustangs
Essex Arrows
London Mets
Arrows won 2 games to 0
Southampton Mustangs
Mets won 2 games to 0
0-1, 7-3, 9-4
Mustangs won 2 games to 1
15-14, 6-0
Mets won 2 games to 0
Championships by Region
Number of championships
Towns/Cities
Coordinates
Regional – Northern Baseball League (Non-BBF)
Tiger Field
Regional - Scottish National League (Non-BBF)
Regional - South West Baseball League (Non-BBF)
Sulat, Nate (26 July 2013).
2016 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
Robinson, Craig (28 January 2012).
editor, Lucy Sherriff M UK, The Huffington Post (19 June 2015).
CNN, By Simon Hooper,.
agencies, By Telegraph staff and.
Palmer, Brian (10 August 2011).
2016 – via Slate.
News, A. B. C. (24 September 2016).
. Espn.com. .
Daniel Luzer. . Psmag.com.
Kendrick, Mat. . .
, the Project for the Chronicling of British Baseball.
, the home of baseball scoring in the UK.
: Hidden categories:棒球场地比较大，垒球场地稍微小一点。
棒球的球比垒球用球大一点。
垒球比赛中，跑垒员准备跑垒时（或是准备偷垒），脚必须踩在垒板上。棒球比赛中，跑垒员准备跑垒时，脚可以离开垒板。
棒球比赛投手投球使用上手投球方法，垒球比赛投手投球使用下手投球方法。
棒球是男子比赛项目，垒球是女子比赛项目。
其他答案（共1个回答）
(Baseall)和垒球(Softall)在规例上有很多不同,不能在这里全说.
最主要的分别有几点:
-垒球的球比棒球的球大很多
-垒球的棒比棒球的棒直径大,所以比较容易打.
-由于垒球的球大,所以速度不能如棒球那么快(可以高达时速一百里以上,2001年Randy Johnson投出一个fastall把一个小鸟凌空打成肉酱羽毛四飞)
-垒球的设计是给小孩...
棒球(Baseall)和垒球(Softall)在规例上有很多不同,不能在这里全说.
最主要的分别有几点:
-垒球的球比棒球的球大很多
-垒球的棒比棒球的棒直径大,所以比较容易打.
-由于垒球的球大,所以速度不能如棒球那么快(可以高达时速一百里以上,2001年Randy Johnson投出一个fastall把一个小鸟凌空打成肉酱羽毛四飞)
-垒球的设计是给小孩和女性打,所以diamond(home ase跟1,2,3垒的范围内叫做diamond)比棒球的diamond小.outfield也比较小.
-亦由于是给小孩和女性打,所以投垒球要用undehand下投式以降低速度.
-由于垒球的球比棒球的球大很多,所以很多投球技巧都不能用,所以打垒球的时候也比较容易.
答案一。 1.硬式棒球是以软木或橡胶为芯，以毛线缠绕其外，最
面用牛皮包复。软式棒球则是空心橡胶制成，除有大小尺寸的差别，还有弹跳幅度的差异。
棒球投手是从上扔出去，适用男子比赛；
垒球投手是从下扔出去，适用女子比赛；
规则差不多；
男棒女垒么～
球不一样，男子（棒球）小而硬，女子（垒球）大而软
投球方式不一样，男子的是肩上投法（跟扔石头似的），女子是肩下投法（球出手的点不能高过肩）。
另一个很明显的区别就是，如果七局以后，两队仍是平局，垒球规则规定，各队在附加赛时，在各自的半局，跑垒员将从第二垒开始跑，以增加得分机会
　你如果想了解棒球,就必须热爱他,如果你对棒球产生了兴趣,那么,棒球规则就对你来说是简单易懂的。
棒球规则
棒球运动规则并非人们想象的那么复杂，简单地说，就是投...
答: 一个棒球队由9名队员组成。实际上一个队可以有20名队员，但只能有9名队员上场。（替补队员没数量限制。但是替补队员不能第二次上场比赛）
答: 北京奥运会票务官方网站:
奥运会官方票务网站是北京奥组委唯一的官方在线票务信息平台和门票销售平台，以中、英文两种界面向全球公众提供最新的奥运会票务政策和信息。
...
答: 棒球小，垒球大！投手投球方法不一样！场地大小不一样！球棒不一样！
答: sopcast
去网上下载这个
答: 好玩的体育运动有很多的:跑步，羽毛球，乒乓球，台球都很好玩的。
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这个不是我熟悉的地区Ligue majeure de baseball 2009
在法汉-汉法词典中发现10个解释错误，并通过审核，将获赠《法语助手》授权一个
添加笔记：
<div id="correct" title="在法汉-汉法词典中发现10个解释错误，并通过审核，将获赠《法语助手》授权一个">有奖纠错
est la 109 saison depuis le rapprochement entre la
et la 134 saison de . Le coup d'envoi de la saison est effectué le
avec un match d'ouverture mettant aux prises le champion sortant, les , aux .
La saison 2009 marque l'ouverture de deux nouveaux stades à &:
pour les .
Le , chaine de télévision de la MLB créée en janvier 2009, s'ajoute aux diffuseurs de rencontres en direct, pour le match vedette du jeudi. Les autres diffuseurs nationaux sont ,
(ex-NASN) assure une couverture quotidienne de la saison. Tous les matches sont diffusés en direct via internet sur MLB.TV.
enlèvent leur 27 titre en s'imposant en
face aux champions sortants, les .
Comme attendu, crise oblige, les affluences connaissent une chute de 6,6 % en saison régulière. Le cru 2009 se place toutefois au cinquième rang de l'histoire de la MLB dans ce domaine.
Intersaison
La trêve est évidemment marquée par la crise économique qui n'a pas vraiment d'impact sur le marché des transferts. Le lanceur
signe ainsi un contrat de 161 millions de dollars pour jouer sept ans chez les
de tandis que
s'engage pour deux saisons chez les
contre 45 millions de dollars. La MLB entre dans la deuxième de ses sept années de contrat télé lui assurant 1,8 milliard de dollars par an. Toutefois, la masse salariale des franchises connait une baisse significative en prévision d'une chute importante des revenus de billetterie. Certains propriétaires de clubs sont parfois sévèrement touché les
sont les franchises plus exposées.
La tenue de la
en mars contraint les clubs à se séparer de nombre de joueurs durant la phase de préparation de la saison, l'.
Saison régulière
?vénements
Le match d'ouverture oppose le
le champion en titre, les , aux . Les Braves mènent 4-0 après deux manches pour s'imposer 4-1.
? l'occasion du , l'ensemble des joueurs, des , des
arborent le numéro 42 de Robinson. Le port de ce maillot était facultatif le
il est désormais obligatoire.
, qui évolue désormais sous les couleurs des , réussit son 500
en carrière le 17 avril face. Il est le 25 joueur de l'histoire à franchir ce cap.
enregistrent un treizième succès consécutif à domicile au départ d' c'est le nouveau record en Ligues majeures. La série s'achève dès le lendemain avec une défaite surprise face aux .
Contr?lé positif à la
écope d'une
de 50 matches le . Manny perd 2,37 millions
de dollars de salaire cette saison et 6,8 millions sur son contrat de quatre ans en raison de cette suspension. Il retrouvera les terrains le .
, en poste depuis
chez les , est remplacé par
à la suite du début de saison décevant des D-backs (12 victoires pour 17 défaites).
(20-29), le
est remercié le . Il est remplacé par .
Avec la victoire des
compte 2195 victoires en carrière comme manager lui assurant la cinquième place, devant Sparky Anderson (2194), dans ce domaine depuis les débuts de la Ligue majeure.
domine toujours ce secteur avec 3731 victoires en carrière comme manager.
En ouverture de la coupure du match du , les
(26-61) se séparent de leur manager . Il est remplacé le
lance le 18
de l'histoire de Ligue contre les , son second .
enregistrent, dès le , leur 17 saison consécutive avec plus de défaites que de victoires. C'est un record absolu dans l'ensemble du sport professionnel nord-américain.
est démis de ses fonctions de manager des .
assure l'intérim en fin de saison à partir du .
Un match de barrage est nécessaire pour départager les
en division centrale de la Ligue américaine. Cette rencontre programmée le
chez les Twins est remportée par les Twins (5-6) après plus de 4 heures et demie de jeu.
Classement de la saison régulière
Légende&: V&: victoires, D&: défaites, %&: pourcentage de victoires, GB&:
ou retard (en matchs) sur la première place.
Ligue américaine
(Division Est)
(Division Centrale)
(Division Ouest)
Ligue nationale
(Division Est)
(Division Centrale)
(Division Ouest)
Statistiques individuelles
Catégorie
Catégorie
Séries éliminatoires
Séries de divisions
Séries de championnat
Série mondiale
Ligue américaine
Ligue nationale
Séries de divisions
Les séries de divisions constituent le premier tour des
de la Ligue majeure de baseball. Les trois vainqueurs des divisions et le meilleur deuxième de chaque ligue sont qualifiés pour des séries au meilleur des cinq rencontres. Les séries sont programmées du
. Les vainqueurs des séries pour chaque ligue se rencontreront lors des séries de ligues du
Yankees de New York - Twins du Minnesota
Yankees de New York
Twins du Minnesota
Yankees de New York
Twins du Minnesota
4 - 3 (11&m.)
11 octobre
Twins du Minnesota
Yankees de New York
Angels de Los Angeles - Red Sox de Boston
Angels de Los Angeles
Red Sox de Boston
Angels de Los Angeles
Red Sox de Boston
11 octobre
Red Sox de Boston
Angels de Los Angeles
Dodgers de Los Angeles - Cardinals de Saint-Louis
Dodgers de Los Angeles
Cardinals de Saint-Louis
Dodgers de Los Angeles
Cardinals de Saint-Louis
10 octobre
Cardinals de Saint-Louis
Dodgers de Los Angeles
Phillies de Philadelphie - Rockies du Colorado
Phillies de Philadelphie
Rockies du Colorado
Phillies de Philadelphie
Rockies du Colorado
10 octobre
Rockies du Colorado
Phillies de Philadelphie
reporté (neige)
11 octobre
Rockies du Colorado
Phillies de Philadelphie
12 octobre
Rockies du Colorado
Phillies de Philadelphie
Séries de championnat
Les séries de championnat constituent le deuxième tour des séries éliminatoires de la Ligue majeure de baseball. Les deux vainqueurs des séries de division sont qualifiés pour des séries au meilleur des sept rencontres. Les séries sont programmées du 15 au 25 octobre 2009. Les vainqueurs des séries pour chaque ligue se rencontreront lors de la Série mondiale du
Yankees de New York - Angels de Los Angeles
16 octobre
Yankees de New York
Angels de Los Angeles
17 octobre
Yankees de New York
Angels de Los Angeles
4 - 3 (13&m.)
19 octobre
Angels de Los Angeles
Yankees de New York
5 - 4 (11&m.)
20 octobre
Angels de Los Angeles
Yankees de New York
22 octobre
Angels de Los Angeles
Yankees de New York
24 octobre
Yankees de New York
Angels de Los Angeles
reporté (pluie)
25 octobre
Yankees de New York
Angels de Los Angeles
Dodgers de Los Angeles - Phillies de Philidelphie
15 octobre
Dodgers de Los Angeles
Phillies de Philidelphie
16 octobre
Dodgers de Los Angeles
Phillies de Philidelphie
18 octobre
Phillies de Philidelphie
Dodgers de Los Angeles
19 octobre
Phillies de Philidelphie
Dodgers de Los Angeles
21 octobre
Phillies de Philidelphie
Dodgers de Los Angeles
Série mondiale
La série mondiale constitue la finale de la Ligue majeure de baseball. Elle se tient du 28 octobre au 4 novembre.
s'imposent contre les
en six matches.
28 octobre
Yankees de New York
Phillies de Philadelphie
29 octobre
Yankees de New York
Phillies de Philadelphie
31 octobre
Phillies de Philadelphie
Yankees de New York
1er novembre
Phillies de Philadelphie
Yankees de New York
2 novembre
Phillies de Philadelphie
Yankees de New York
4 novembre
Yankees de New York
Phillies de Philadelphie
Honneurs individuels
Trophées de l'
TrophéeLigue nationaleLigue américaine
PositionLigue nationaleLigue américaine
PositionLigue nationaleLigue américaine
Lanceur/ ()
Receveur () ()
1 base () ()
2 base () ()
3 base () ()
Arrêt-court () ()
Champ extérieur () () () () () ()
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Baseball is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of nine players each, who take turns batting and fielding. The batting team attempts to score runs by hitting a ball that is thrown by the opposing team's pitcher with a bat swung by the batter, then running counter-clockwise around a series of four bases: first, second, third, and home plate. A run is scored when a player advances around the bases and returns to home plate.
Players on the batting team take turns hitting against the pitcher of the fielding team, which tries to prevent runs by getting hitters out in any of several ways. A player on the batting team who reaches a base safely can later attempt to advance to subsequent bases during teammates' turns batting, such as on a hit or by other means. The teams switch between batting and fielding whenever the fielding team records three outs. One turn batting for both teams, beginning with the visiting team, constitutes an inning. A game is composed of nine innings, and the team with the greater number of runs at the end of the game wins. If scores are tied at the end of nine innings, extra innings are usually played. Baseball has no game clock, although almost all games end in the ninth inning.
Baseball evolved from older bat-and-ball games already being played in England by the mid-18th century. This game was brought by immigrants to North America, where the modern version developed. By the late 19th century, baseball was widely recognized as the national sport of the United States. Baseball is currently popular in North America and parts of Central and South America, the Caribbean, and East Asia, particularly Japan.
In the United States and Canada, professional Major League Baseball (MLB) teams are divided into the National League (NL) and American League (AL), each with three divisions: East, West, and Central. The major league champion is determined by playoffs that culminate in the World Series. The top level of play is similarly split in Japan between the Central and Pacific Leagues and in Cuba between the West League and East League.
by Abm Masumby Davide Endemanby Alexis Bieber
Explanation by Hotspot Model
Baseball is a
played between two teams of nine players each, who take turns
and fielding. The batting team attempts to score
by hitting a
that is thrown by the opposing team's
swung by the batter, then running counter-clockwise around a series of four : first, second, third, and home plate. A run is scored when a player
and returns to home plate.
Players on the
take turns hitting against the pitcher of the , which tries to prevent runs by getting hitters
in any of several ways. A player on the batting team who reaches a base
can later attempt to advance to subsequent bases during teammates' turns batting, such as on a
or by other means. The teams switch between batting and fielding whenever the fielding team records three outs. One turn batting for both teams, beginning with the visiting team, constitutes an . A game is composed of nine innings, and the team with the greater number of runs at the end of the game wins. If scores are tied at the end of nine innings,
are usually played. Baseball has no game clock, although almost all games end in the ninth inning.
Baseball evolved from older bat-and-ball games already being played in England by the mid-18th century. This game was brought by immigrants to North America, . By the late 19th century, baseball was widely recognized as the
of the United States. Baseball is currently popular in North America and parts of Central and South America, the Caribbean, and East Asia, particularly .
In the United States and Canada, professional
(MLB) teams are divided into the
(AL), each with three divisions: East, West, and Central. The major league champion is determined by
that culminate in the . The top level of play is similarly split in Japan between the
and in Cuba between the .
A game from the , c. 1280, involving tossing a ball, hitting it with a stick and competing with others to catch it
The evolution of baseball from older bat-and-ball games is difficult to trace with precision. A
manuscript from 1344 contains an illustration of clerics playing a game, possibly , with similarities to baseball. Other old French games such as th&que, la balle au b&ton, and la balle empoisonn&e also appear to be related. Consensus once held that today's baseball is a North American development from the older game , popular in . : A Search for the Roots of the Game (2005), by David Block, suggests that the game originated in E recently uncovered historical evidence supports this position. Block argues that rounders and early baseball were actually regional variants of each other, and that the game's most direct antecedents are the English games of
and "tut-ball". It has long been believed that
also descended from such games, though evidence uncovered in early 2009 suggests that cricket may have been imported to England from .
The earliest known reference to baseball is in a 1744 British publication, , by . It contains a rhymed description of "base-ball" and a
that shows a field set-up somewhat similar to the modern game&though in a triangular rather than diamond configuration, and with posts instead of ground-level bases. David Block discovered that the first recorded game of "Bass-Ball" took place in 1749 in , and featured the
as a player. William Bray, an English lawyer, recorded a game of baseball on
1755 in , Surrey. This early form of the game was apparently brought to Canada by English immigrants. Rounders was also brought to the United States by Canadians of both British and Irish ancestry. The first known American reference to baseball appears in a 1791
town bylaw prohibiting the playing of the game near the town's new meeting house. By 1796, a version of the game was well-known enough to earn a mention in a German scholar's book on popular pastimes. As described by Johann Gutsmuths, "englische Base-ball" involved a contest between two teams, in which "the batter has three attempts to hit the ball while at the home plate." Only one out was required to retire a side.
Alexander Cartwright, father of modern baseball
By the early 1830s, there were reports of a variety of uncodified bat-and-ball games recognizable as early forms of baseball being played around North America. These games were often referred to locally as "", though other names such as "round-ball" and "base-ball" were also used. Among the earliest examples to receive a detailed description&albeit five decades after the fact, in a letter from an attendee to
magazine&took place in , in 1838. There were many similarities to modern baseball, and some crucial differences: five bases (or byes); first bye just 18 feet (5.5&m) batter out if a hit ball was caught after the first bounce. The
invented baseball in , in 1839 has been conclusively debunked by sports historians.
In 1845, , a member of New York City's , led the codification of the so-called . The practice, common to bat-and-ball games of the day, of "soaking" or "plugging"&effecting a
by hitting a runner with a thrown ball&was barred. The rules thus facilitated the use of a smaller, harder ball than had been common. Several other rules also brought the Knickerbockers' game close to the modern one, though a ball caught on the first bounce was, again, an out and only underhand pitching was allowed. While there are reports that the
played games in 1845, the contest long recognized as the first officially recorded baseball game in U.S. history took place on June 19, 1846 in : the "New York Nine" defeated the Knickerbockers, 23&1, in four innings. With the Knickerbocker code as the basis, the rules of modern baseball continued to evolve over the next half-century.
In the mid-1850s, a baseball craze hit the . By 1856, local journals were referring to baseball as the "national pastime" or "national game." A year later, sixteen area clubs formed the sport's first governing body, the . In 1858 in , , at the Fashion Race Course, the first games of baseball to charge admission took place. The games, which took place between the all-stars of , including players from the , , Putnams and , and the All Stars of New York (), including players from the , Gothams (predecessors of the ), Eagles and Empire, are commonly believed to be the first all-star baseball games. In 1863, the organization disallowed putouts made by catching a
on the first bounce. Four years later, it barred participation by . The game's commercial potential was developing: in 1869 the first fully professional baseball club, the , was formed and went undefeated against a schedule of semipro and amateur teams. The first professional league, the , lasted from 1871 to 1875; scholars dispute .
The more formally structured
was founded in 1876. As the oldest surviving major league, the National League is sometimes referred to as the "senior circuit." Several other major leagues formed and failed. In 1884, African American
(and, briefly, his brother Welday) played in one of these, the . An injury ended Walker's major league career, and by the early 1890s, a
in the form of the
effectively barred black players from the white-owned professional leagues, major and minor. Professional
formed, but quickly folded. Several independent African American teams succeeded as . Also in 1884, overhand pitching was legalized. In 1887, , under the name of indoor baseball or indoor-outdoor, was invented as a winter version of the parent game. Virtually all of the modern
were in place by 1893; the last major change&counting
as &was instituted in 1901. The National League's first successful counterpart, the , which evolved from the minor , was established that year. The two leagues, each with eight teams, were rivals that fought for the best players, often disregarding each other's contracts and engaging in bitter legal disputes.
The NL champion
baseball team, 1913. , sixth in line, had committed a
gaffe in a crucial 1908 game that became famous as .
A modicum of peace was eventually established, leading to the National Agreement of 1903. The pact formalized relations both between the two major leagues and between them and the National Association of Professional Base Ball Leagues, representing most of the country's . The , pitting the two major league champions against each other, was inaugurated that fall, albeit without express major league sanction: The
of the American League defeated the
of the National League. The next year, the series was not held, as the National League champion , under
, refused to recognize the major league status of the American League and its champion. In 1905, the Giants were National League champions again and team management relented, leading to the establishment of the World Series as the major leagues' annual championship event.
As professional baseball became increasingly profitable, players frequently raised grievances against owners over issues of control and equitable income distribution. During the major leagues' early decades, players on various teams occasionally attempted , which routinely failed when their jobs were sufficiently threatened. In general, the strict rules of baseball contracts and the , which bound players to their teams even when their contracts had ended, tended to keep the players in check. Motivated by dislike for particularly stingy owner
and gamblers' payoffs, real and promised, members of the
conspired to
led to the formation of a new National Commission of baseball that drew the two major leagues closer together. The first , , was elected in 1920. That year also saw
the first significant Negro league, it would operate until 1931. For part of the 1920s, it was joined by the .
Professional baseball was played in northeastern cities with a large immigrant- they gave strong support to the new sport. The
dominated in the late 19th century, comprising a third or more of the players and many of the top stars and managers. Historian Jerrold Casway argues that:
Baseball for Irish kids was a shortcut to the American dream and to self-indulgent glory and fortune. By the mid-1880s these young Irish men dominated the sport and popularized a style of play that was termed heady, daring, and spontaneous....
personified the flamboyant, exciting spectator-favorite, the , Irish slugger. The handsome masculine athlete who is expected to live as large as he played.
in 1920, the year he joined the
Compared with the present, professional baseball in the early 20th century was lower-scoring, and pitchers, including stars
and , were more dominant. The "", which demanded that players "scratch for runs", was played much more aggressively than it is today: the brilliant and often violent
epitomized this style. The so-called
ended in the early 1920s with several changes in rule and circumstance that were advantageous to hitters. Strict new regulations governing the ball's size, shape and composition, along with a new rule officially banning the
and other pitches that depended on the ball being treated or roughed-up with foreign substances, followed the death of
after a pitch struck him in the head in August 1920. Coupled with superior materials available after World War I, this resulted in a ball that traveled farther when hit. The construction of additional seating to accommodate the rising popularity of the game often had the effect of reducing the distance to the outfield fences, making
more common. The rise of the legendary player , the first great power hitter of the new era, helped permanently alter the nature of the game. The club with which Ruth set most of his slugging records, the , built a reputation as the majors' premier team. In the late 1920s and early 1930s,
invested in several
and developed the first modern "". A new
was organized in 1933; four years later, it was joined by the . The
took place in 1936. In 1939
was founded in Pennsylvania. By the late 1940s, it was the organizing body for
across the United States.
With America's entry into World War II, many professional players had left to serve in the armed forces. A large number of minor league teams disbanded as a result and the major league game seemed under threat as well.
led the formation of a new professional league with women players to help keep the game in the public eye & the
existed from 1943 to 1954. The inaugural
was held in 1947, and the
youth program was founded. This program soon became another important organizing body for children's baseball. The first crack in the unwritten agreement barring blacks from white-controlled professional ball occurred the previous year:
was signed by the National League's &where Branch Rickey had become general manager&and began playing for their minor league . In 1947, Robinson broke the major leagues' color barrier when he debuted with the D
debuted with the American League's
later the same year. Latin American players, largely overlooked before, also started entering the majors in greater numbers. In 1951, two Chicago White Sox, Venezuelan-born
and black Cuban-born , became the first Hispanic .
Facing competition as varied as television and , baseball attendance at all levels declined. While the majors rebounded by the mid-1950s, the minor leagues were gutted and hundreds of semipro and amateur teams dissolved.
proceeded slowly: by 1953, only six of the 16 major league teams had a black player on the roster. That year, the
was founded. It was the first professional baseball union to survive more than briefly, but it remained largely ineffective for years. No major league team had been located west of
until 1958, when the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants relocated to
and , respectively. The majors' final all-white bastion, the , added a black player in 1959. With the integration of the majors drying up the available pool of players, the last Negro league folded the following year. In 1961, the American League reached the West Coast with the
, and the major league season was extended from 154 games to 162. This coincidentally helped
break Babe Ruth's long-standing single-season home run record, one of the most celebrated marks in baseball. Along with the Angels, three other new franchises were launched during 1961&62. With this, the first major league expansion in 60 years, each league now had ten teams.
The players' union became bolder under the leadership of former
chief economist and negotiator , who was elected executive director in 1966. On the playing field, major league pitchers were becoming increasingly dominant again. After the 1968 season, in an effort to restore balance, the
was reduced and the height of the
was lowered from 15 to 10 inches (38.1 - 25.4&cm). In 1969, both the National and American Leagues added two more expansion teams, the leagues were reorganized into two divisions each, and a post-season playoff system leading to the World Series was instituted. Also that same year,
of the St. Louis Cardinals made the first serious legal challenge to the reserve clause. The major leagues'
took place in 1972, delaying the season's start for two weeks. In another effort to add more offense to the game, the American League adopted the
rule the following year. In 1975, the union's power&and players' salaries&began to increase greatly when the reserve clause was , leading to the . In 1977, two more expansion teams joined the American League. Significant work stoppages occurred again in
and , the latter forcing the cancellation of the World Series for the first time in 90 years. Attendance had been growing steadily since the mid-1970s and in 1994, before the stoppage, the majors were setting their all-time record for per-game attendance.
The addition of two more expansion teams after the 1993 season had facilitated another restructuring of the major leagues, this time into three divisions each. Offensive production&the number of home runs in particular&had surged that year, and again in the abbreviated 1994 season. After play resumed in 1995, this trend continued and non-division-winning
teams became a permanent fixture of the post-season. Regular-season
was introduced in 1997 and the second-highest attendance mark for a full season was set. The next year,
Maris's decades-old single season home run record, and two more expansion franchises were added. In 2000, the National and American Leagues were dissolved as legal entities. While their identities were maintained for scheduling purposes (and the designated hitter distinction), the regulations and other functions&such as player discipline and
supervision&they had administered separately were consolidated under the rubric of
established the current record of 73 home runs in a single season. There had long been suspicions that the dramatic increase in power hitting was fueled in large part by
(as well as by the dilution of pitching talent due to expansion), but the issue only began attracting significant media attention in 2002 and there was no penalty for the use of performance-enhancing drugs before 2004. In 2007, Bonds became MLB's all-time home run leader, surpassing , as total major league and minor league attendance both reached all-time highs. Even though McGwire, Sosa, and Bonds&as well as many other players, including storied pitcher &have been implicated in the , their feats and those of other sluggers had become the major leagues' defining attraction. In contrast to the professional game's resurgence in popularity after the 1994 interruption, Little League enrollment was in decline: after peaking in 1996, it dropped 1 percent a year over the following decade. With more rigorous testing and penalties for performance-enhancing drug use a possible factor, the balance between bat and ball swung markedly in 2010, which became known as the "Year of the Pitcher". Runs per game fell to their lowest level in 18 years, and the strikeout rate was higher than it had been in half a century.
Before the start of the 2012 season, MLB altered its rules to double the number of wild card teams admitted into the playoffs to two per league. The playoff expansion resulted in the addition of annual
between the wild card teams in each league.
See also: .
Baseball, widely known as America's pastime, is well established in several other countries as well. The history of baseball in Canada has remained closely linked with that of the sport in the United States. As early as 1877, a professional league, the , featured teams from both countries. While baseball is widely played in Canada and many minor league teams have been based in the country, the American major leagues did not include a Canadian club until 1969, when the
joined the National League as an expansion team. In 1977, the expansion
joined the American League. The Blue Jays won the World Series in 1992 and 1993, the first and still the only club from outside the United States to do so. After the 2004 season, Major League Baseball relocated the Expos to Washington, D.C., where the team is now known as the .
managing the
in the . Playing for the 's
(1959&80), Oh set the professional world record for home runs.
In 1847, American soldiers played what may have been the first baseball game in Mexico at
in , . A few days after the , they used the "wooden leg captured (by the Fourth Illinois regiment) from General ". The first formal baseball league outside of the United States and Canada was founded in 1878 in Cuba, which maintains a rich baseball tradition and whose national team has been one of the world's strongest since international play began in the late 1930s (all organized baseball in the country has officially been amateur since the ). The Dominican Republic held its first islandwide championship tournament in 1912. Professional baseball tournaments and leagues began to form in other countries between the world wars, including the Netherlands (formed in 1922), Australia (1934), Japan (1936), Mexico (1937), and Puerto Rico (1938). The &the
and &have long been considered the highest quality professional circuits outside of the United States. Japan has a professional minor league system as well, though it is much smaller than the American version&each team has only one farm club in contrast to MLB teams' four or five.
After World War II, professional leagues were founded in many Latin American countries, most prominently Venezuela (1946) and the Dominican Republic (1955). Since the early 1970s, the annual
has matched the championship clubs from the four leading Latin American winter leagues: the , , , and . In Asia, South Korea (1982), Taiwan (1990) and China (2003) all have professional leagues.
Many European countries have professional leagues as well, the most successful, other than the , being the
founded in 1948. Compared to those in Asia and Latin America, the various European leagues and the one in Australia historically have had no more than niche appeal. In 2004, Australia won a surprise silver medal at the . The , launched in 2007, folded after one season. The Conf&d&ration Europ&ene de Baseball (European Baseball Confederation), founded in 1953, organizes a number of competitions between clubs from different countries, as well as national squads. Other competitions between national teams, such as the
and the , were administered by the
(IBAF) from its formation in 1938 until its 2013 merger with the
to create the current joint governing body for both sports, the
(WBSC). By 2009, the IBAF had 117 member countries.
is played on an organized amateur basis in many of the countries where it is a leading men's sport. Since 2004, the IBAF and now WBSC have sanctioned the , featuring national teams.
After being admitted to the Olympics as a
beginning with the , baseball was dropped from the
at the 2005
. It remained part of the . The elimination of baseball, along with softball, from the 2012 Olympic program enabled the IOC to consider adding two different sports, but none received the votes required for inclusion. While the sport's lack of a following in much of the world was a factor, more important was Major League Baseball's reluctance to have a break during the Games to allow its players to participate, as the
now does during the . Such a break is more difficult for MLB to accommodate because it would force the playoffs deeper into cold weather. Seeking reinstatement for the , the IBAF proposed an abbreviated competition designed to facilitate the participation of top players, but the effort failed. Major League Baseball initiated the , scheduled to precede the major league season, partly as a replacement, high-profile international tournament. The , held in March 2006, was the first tournament involving national teams to feature a significant number of MLB participants. The Baseball World Cup was discontinued after its
in favor of an expanded World Baseball Classic.
A game is played between two teams, each composed of nine players, that take turns playing offense ( and ) and defense ( and fielding). A pair of turns, one at bat and one in the field, by each team constitutes an . A game consists of nine innings (seven innings at the high school level and in
in college and minor leagues). One team&customarily the visiting team&bats in the top, or first half, of every inning. The other team&customarily the home team&bats in the bottom, or second half, of every inning. The goal of the game is to score more points () than the other team. The players on the team at bat attempt to score runs by circling or completing a tour of the four bases set at the corners of the square-shaped . A player bats at
and must proceed
to first base, second base, third base, and back home in order to score a run. The team in the field attempts both to prevent runs from scoring and to record , which remove opposing players from offensive action until their turn in their team's
comes up again. When three outs are recorded, the teams switch roles for the next half-inning. If the score of the game is tied after nine innings,
are played to resolve the contest. Many amateur games, particularly unorganized ones, involve different numbers of players and innings.
The game is played on a field whose primary boundaries, the foul lines, extend forward from home plate at 45-degree angles. The 90-degree area within the foul lines is referred
the 270-degree area outside them is foul territory. The part of the field enclosed by the bases and several yards the area farther beyond the infield is the . In the middle of the infield is a raised pitcher's mound, with a rectangular rubber plate (the rubber) at its center. The outer boundary of the outfield is typically demarcated by a raised fence, which may be of any material and height (many amateur games are played on unfenced fields). Fair territory between home plate and the outfield boundary is baseball's field of play, though significant events can take place in foul territory, as well.
There are three basic tools of baseball: the , the , and the :
The baseball is about the size of an adult's fist, around 9&inches (23 centimeters) in circumference. It has a rubber or cork center, wound in yarn and covered in white cowhide, with red stitching.
The bat is a hitting tool, traditionally made of a single, solid piece of wood. Other materials are now commonly used for nonprofessional games. It is a hard round stick, about 2.5&inches (6.4 centimeters) in diameter at the hitting end, tapering to a narrower handle and culminating in a knob. Bats used by adults are typically around 34&inches (86 centimeters) long, and not longer than 42&inches (106 centimeters).
The glove or mitt is a fielding tool, made of padded leather with webbing between the fingers. As an aid in catching and holding onto the ball, it takes various shapes to meet the specific needs of different fielding positions.
Protective
are also standard equipment for all batters.
At the beginning of each half-inning, the nine players on the fielding team arrange themselves around the field. One of them, the , stands on the pitcher's mound. The pitcher begins the pitching delivery with one foot on the rubber, pushing off it to gain velocity when throwing toward home plate. Another player, the , squats on the far side of home plate, facing the pitcher. The rest of the team faces home plate, typically arranged as four infielders&who set up along or within a few yards outside the imaginary lines (basepaths) between first, second, and third base&and three outfielders. In the , there is a
positioned several steps to the left of first base, a
to the right of second base, a
to the left of second base, and a
to the right of third base. The basic outfield positions are , , and . With the exception of the catcher, all fielders are required to be in fair territory when the pitch is delivered. A neutral
sets up behind the catcher. Other umpires will be distributed around the field as well, though the number will vary depending
amateur or children's games may only have an umpire behind the plate, while as many as six umpires can be used for important major league games.
, the batter, awaiting a pitch, with the catcher and umpire
Play starts with a batter standing at home plate, holding a bat. The batter waits for the pitcher to throw a pitch (the ball) toward home plate, and attempts to hit the ball with the bat. The catcher catches pitches that the batter does not hit&as a result of either electing not to swing or failing to connect&and returns them to the pitcher. A batter who hits the ball into the field of play must drop the bat and begin running toward first base, at which point the player is referred to as a runner (or, until the play is over, a batter-runner). A batter-runner who reaches first base without being
(see below) is said to be
and is now on base. A batter-runner may choose to remain at first base or attempt to advance to second base or even beyond&however far the player believes can be reached safely. A player who reaches base despite proper play by the fielders has recorded a . A player who reaches first base safely on a hit is credited with a . If a player makes it to second base safely as a direct result of a hit, third base, a . If the ball is hit in the air within the foul lines over the entire outfield (and outfield fence, if there is one), or otherwise safely circles all the bases, it is a : the batter and any runners on base may all freely circle the bases, each scoring a run. This is the most desirable result for the batter. A player who reaches base due to a fielding mistake is not credited with a hit&instead, the responsible fielder is charged with an .
Any runners already on base may attempt to advance on batted balls that land, or contact the ground, in fair territory, before or after the ball lands. A runner on first base must attempt to advance if a ball lands in play. If a ball hit into play rolls foul before passing through the infield, it becomes
and any runners must return to the base they were at when the play began. If the ball is hit in the air and caught before it lands, the batter has
and any runners on base may attempt to advance only if they
or touch the base they were at when the play began, as or after the ball is caught. Runners may also attempt to advance to the next base while the pitcher is in the process of delivering the ball to home plate&a successful effort is a .
A pitch that is not hit into the field of play is called either a strike or a ball. A batter against whom three strikes are recorded . A batter against whom four balls are recorded is awarded a
or walk, a free advance to first base. (A batter may also freely advance to first base if the batter's body or uniform is struck by a pitch outside the strike zone, provided the batter does not swing and attempts to avoid being hit.) Crucial to determining balls and strikes is the umpire's judgment as to whether a pitch has passed through the , a conceptual area above home plate extending from the midpoint between the batter's shoulders and belt down to the hollow of the knee.
A strike is called when one of the following happens:
The batter lets a well-pitched ball (one within the strike zone) go through to the catcher.
The batter swings at any ball (even one outside the strike zone) and misses, or
it directly into the catcher's hands.
The batter hits a &one that either initially lands in foul territory or initially lands within the diamond but moves into foul territory before passing first or third base. If there are already two strikes on the batter, a foul ball is not count thus, a foul ball cannot result in the immediate strikeout of the batter. (There is an exception to this exception: a two-strike foul
is recorded as a third strike.)
A ball is called when the pitcher throws a pitch that is outside the strike zone, provided the batter has not swung at it.
While the team at bat is trying to score runs, the team in the field is attempting to record outs. Among the various ways a member of the batting team may be put out, five are most common:
The : as described above, recorded against a batter who makes three strikes before putting the ball into play or being awarded a free advance to first base (see also ).
The : as described above, recorded against a batter who hits a ball in the air that is caught by a fielder, whether in fair territory or foul territory, before it lands, whether or not the batter has run.
The : recorded against a batter (in this case, batter-runner) who hits a ball that lands in fair territory which, before the batter-runner can reach first base, is retrieved by a fielder who touches first base while holding the ball or relays it to another fielder who touches first base while holding the ball.
The : recorded against a runner who is required to attempt to advance&either because the runner is on first base and a batted ball lands in fair territory, or because the runner immediately behind on the basepath is thus required to attempt to advance&but fails to reach the next base before a fielder touches the base while holding the ball. The ground out is technically a special case of the force out.
The : recorded against a runner who is touched by a fielder with the ball or a glove holding the ball, while the runner is not touching a base.
It is possible to record two outs in the course of the same play. This is called a . Even three outs in one play, a , is possible, though this is very rare. Players put out or retired must leave the field, returning to their team's
or bench. A runner may be stranded on base when a third out is recorded against another player on the team. Stranded runners do not benefit the team in its next turn at bat as every half-inning begins with the bases empty of runners.
An individual player's turn batting or
is complete when the player reaches base, hits a home run, makes an out, or hits a ball that results in the team's third out, even if it is recorded against a teammate. On rare occasions, a batter may be at the plate when, without the batter's hitting the ball, a third out is recorded against a teammate&for instance, a runner getting
(tagged out attempting to steal a base). A batter with this sort of incomplete plate appearance starts off the team' any balls or strikes recorded against the batter the previous inning are erased. A runner may circle the bases only once per plate appearance and thus can score at most a single run per batting turn. Once a player has completed a plate appearance, that player may not bat again until the eight other members of the player's team have all taken their turn at bat. The batting order is set before the game begins, and may not be altered except for substitutions. Once a player has been removed for a substitute, that player may not reenter the game. Children's games often have more liberal substitution rules.
(DH) rule is in effect, each team has a tenth player whose sole responsibility is to bat (and run). The DH takes the place of another player&almost invariably the pitcher&in the batting order, but does not field. Thus, even with the DH, each team still has a batting order of nine players and a fielding arrangement of nine players.
Roster, or squad, sizes differ between different leagues and different levels of organized play. Major League Baseball teams maintain 25-player active rosters. A typical 25-man roster in a league without the DH rule, such as MLB's National League, features:
eight &catcher, four infielders, three outfielders&who play on a regular basis
who constitute the team's pitching rotation or starting rotation
six , including one specialist , who constitute the team's
(named for the off-field area where pitchers warm up)
one backup, or substitute, catcher
two backup infielders
two backup outfielders
one specialist , or a second backup catcher, or a seventh reliever
In the American League and others with the DH rule, there will usually be nine offensive regulars (including the DH), five starting pitchers, seven or eight relievers, a backup catcher and two or
the need for late inning pinch-hitters is reduced by the DH.
warming up, overseen by a . A
will often have both a right-handed and a left-handed reliever warm up to maximize strategic options.
The , or head coach of a team, oversees the team's major strategic decisions, such as establishing the starting rotation, setting the lineup, or batting order, before each game, and making substitutions during games&in particular, bringing in relief pitchers. Managers are typically assi they may have specialized responsibilities, such as working with players on hitting, fielding, pitching, or strength and conditioning. At most levels of organized play, two coaches are stationed on the field when the team is at bat: the first base coach and third base coach, occupying designated coaches' boxes just outside the foul lines, assist in the direction of baserunners when the ball is in play, and relay tactical signals from the manager to batters and runners during pauses in play. In contrast to many other team sports, baseball managers and coaches generally wear their team' coaches must be in uniform in order to be allowed on the field to confer with players during a game.
Any baseball game involves one or more , who make rulings on the outcome of each play. At a minimum, one umpire will stand behind the catcher, to have a good view of the strike zone, and call balls and strikes. Additional umpires may be stationed near the other bases, thus making it easier to judge plays such as attempted force outs and tag outs. In Major League Baseball, four umpires are used for each game, one near each base. In the playoffs, six umpires are used: one at each base and two in the outfield along the foul lines.
Many of the pre-game and in-game strategic decisions in baseball revolve around a fundamental fact: in general, right-handed batters tend to be more successful against left-handed pitchers and, to an even greater degree, left-handed batters tend to be more successful against right-handed pitchers. A manager with several left-handed batters in the regular lineup who knows the team will be facing a left-handed starting pitcher may respond by starting one or more of the right-handed backups on the team's roster. During the late innings of a game, as relief pitchers and pinch hitters are brought in, the opposing managers will often go back and forth trying to create favorable matchups with their substitutions: the manager of the fielding team trying to arrange same-handed pitcher-batter matchups, the manager of the batting team trying to arrange opposite-handed matchups. With a team that has the lead in the late innings, a manager may remove a starting position player&especially one whose turn at bat is not likely to come up again&for a more skillful fielder. Furthermore, unlike players in most team sports, baseball players can not return to a game
this creates a greater risk when making lineup changes, especially as a team's pitching staff may be increasingly depleted in the late innings of a game, particularly one which goes into multiple extra innings.
The tactical decision that precedes almost every play in a baseball game involves pitch selection. By gripping and then releasing the baseball in a certain manner, and by throwing it at a certain speed, pitchers can cause the baseball to break to either side, or downward, as it approaches the batter. Among the resulting wide variety of pitches that may be thrown, the four basic types are the , the
(or off-speed pitch), and two &the
and the . Pitchers have different repertoires of pitches they are skillful at throwing. Conventionally, before each pitch, the catcher signals the pitcher what type of pitch to throw, as well as its general vertical and/or horizontal location. If there is disagreement on the selection, the pitcher may
and the catcher will call for a different pitch. With a runner on base and , the pitcher may attempt a , a quick throw to a fielder
to keep the runner's lead in check or, optimally, effect a tag out. Pickoff attempts, however, are subject to rules that severely restrict the pitcher's movements before and during the pickoff attempt. Violation of any one of these rules could result in the umpire calling a
against the pitcher, with the result being runners on base, if any, advance one base with impunity. If an attempted
is anticipated, the catcher may call for a , a ball thrown deliberately off the plate, allowing the catcher to catch it while standing and throw quickly to a base. Facing a batter with a strong tendency to hit to one side of the field, the fielding team may employ a , with most or all of the fielders moving to the left or right of their usual positions. With a runner on third base, the infielders may , moving closer to home plate to improve the odds of throwing out the runner on a , though a sharply hit grounder is more likely to carry through a drawn-in infield.
Several basic offensive tactics come into play with a runner on first base, including the fundamental choice of whether to attempt a steal of second base. The
is sometimes employed with a skillful : the runner takes off with the pitch drawing the shortstop or second baseman over to second base, creating a gap in the infield for the batter to poke the ball through. The
calls for the batter to focus on making contact with the ball so that it rolls a short distance into the infield, allowing the runner to advance into
even at the expense of the batter being thrown out at first&a batter who succeeds is credited with a sacrifice. (A batter, particularly one who is a fast runner, may also attempt to
for a hit.) A sacrifice bunt employed with a runner on third base, aimed at bringing that runner home, is known as a . With a runner on third and fewer than two outs, a batter may instead concentrate on hitting a fly ball that, even if it is caught, will be deep enough to allow the runner to tag up and score&a successful batter in this case gets credit for a . The manager will sometimes signal a batter who is
(i.e., has more balls than strikes) to , or not swing at, the next pitch.
Baseball has certain attributes that set it apart from the other popular team sports in the countries where it has a following. All of thes in all of them, play is less individual and in none of them is the variation between playing fields nearly as substantial or important. The
demonstrates that many of baseball's distinctive elements are shared in various ways with its cousin sports.
In clock-limited sports, games often end with a team that holds the lead
rather than competing aggressively against the opposing team. In contrast, b a team cannot win without getting the last batter out and rallies are not constrained by time. At almost any turn in any baseball game, the most advantageous strategy is some form of aggressive strategy. In contrast, again, the clock comes into play even in the case of multi-day
and : the possibility of a draw often encourages a team that is batting last and well behind to bat defensively, giving up any faint chance at a win to avoid a loss. Baseball offers no such reward for conservative batting.
While nine innings has been the standard since the beginning of professional baseball, the duration of the average major league game has increased steadily through the years. At the turn of the 20th century, games typically took an hour and a half to play. In the 1920s, they averaged just less than two hours, which eventually ballooned to 2:38 in 1960. By 1997, the average American League game lasted 2:57 (National League games were about 10 minutes shorter&pitchers at the plate making for quicker outs than designated hitters). In 2004, Major League Baseball declared that its goal was an average game of 2:45. By 2014, though, the average MLB game took over three hours to complete. The lengthening of games is attributed to longer breaks between half-innings for television commercials, increased offense, more pitching changes, and a slower pace of play with pitchers taking more time between each delivery, and batters stepping out of the box more frequently. Other leagues have experienced similar issues. In 2008,
took steps aimed at shortening games by 12 minutes from the preceding decade's average of 3:18.
Although baseball is a team sport, individual players are often placed under scrutiny and pressure. In 1915, a baseball instructional manual pointed out that every single pitch, of which there are often more than two hundred in a game, involves an individual, one-on-one contest: "the pitcher and the batter in a battle of wits". Contrasting the game with both football and basketball, scholar
argues that "baseball is the one closest in evolutionary descent to the older individual sports". Pitcher, batter, and fielder all act essentially independent of each other. While coaching staffs can signal pitcher or batter to pursue certain tactics, the execution of the play itself is a series of solitary acts. If the batter hits a line drive, the outfielder is solely responsible for deciding to try to catch it or play it on the bounce and for succeeding or failing. The statistical precision of baseball is both facilitated by this isolation and reinforces it. As described by Mandelbaum,
It is impossible to isolate and objectively assess the contribution each [football] team member makes to the outcome of the play... [E]very basketball player is interacting with all of his teammates all the time. In baseball, by contrast, every player is more or less on his own... Baseball is therefore a realm of complete transparency and total responsibility. A baseball player lives in a glass house, and in a stark moral universe... Everything that every player does is accounted for and everything accounted for is either good or bad, right or wrong.
Cricket is more similar to baseball than many other team sports in this regard: while the individual focus in cricket is mitigated by the importance of the
and the practicalities of tandem running, it is enhanced by the fact that a batsman may oc}