subject: How The Game Is Played [print this page] Baseball is played out-of-doors, in warm weather, on any large, level field. A baseball field is divided into an infield and an outfield. The entire baseball field may be any size, but the infield part of it is always the same size. The infield is actually a square with the bases at its corners, but it is called a "diamond" because from the "home plate" it looks diamond-shaped. The distance from one base to another is 90 feet. For boys' or girls' games this distance may be made shorter. The infield and outfield together are called fair territory. Everything outside the lines is foul territory. The ball must weigh 5 to 5 V ounces and be 9 to 914 inches around. The bat must be all wood, not more than 2 }A inches thick or 42 inches long. (See also the article on SOFTBALL. ) Baseball is a game between two teams. There must be nine men on a team and these nine men must play in certain positions. The positions are pitcher, catcher, first baseman, second baseman, third baseman, shortstop, left fielder, centerfielder, and right fielder. When one team is "in the field," the other team is "at bat." The nine men on the team at bat must go up to the plate in turn and try to hit the ball. When these batters have finished their turn at bat, they go into the field and the fielding team becomes the batting team. Each time both teams have had a turn at bat, one inning of a baseball game has been completed. When the teams have played nine innings they have completed an official game of baseball. Boys' games, or "fun" games, are often shorter, five or seven innings long. The players of the team that is at bat take turns, strictly in accordance with a "batting order' that is decided before the game begins. The team in the field takes positions as shown in the picture. A member of the team at bat, that is, the one whose turn it is, stands in the batter's box. He is called the batter. The pitcher throws the ball toward the catcher. The batter tries to hit the ball. The batter's object is to advance around the bases-to first base, then to second base, then to third base, then home again-without being put out. If he does this, he scores a run. The team that scores the most runs wins the game. The batter is out if the pitcher throws three strikes while he is at bat. A strike is a pitched ball that passes over the home plate, no higher than the batter's shoulders and no lower than his knees. It is also a strike when the batter swings at it and does not hit it, or when he hits it into foul territory and it is not caught before it lands. This is called a foul ball. But a foul ball never counts as a third strike. An umpire, who is a kind of judge, stands behind the catcher or behind the pitcher and decides whether a pitched ball was a strike. Any pitched ball that is not hit or struck at, and that does not pass within the "strike zone," is called a ball. 2. The batter is out if any ball that he hits is caught before it lands. This is called a fly ball. A ball that hits the ground too soon to be caught is called a ground hall. 3. The batter is out if the team in the field can "field" a ground ball that he hits into fair territory, and get it to first base before the batter can get there. A player may "touch" a base with any part of his body, including the tips of his shoes. The batter can reach first base safely in several ways. The principal ways are: 1. If the pitcher pitches four balls (pitches that are not strikes, and are not hit with the bat). In this case the batter is said to walk, or to get a base on balls. (The same thing happens if any pitched ball hits the batter.) 2. If a fair ball is not caught on the fly, or does not reach first base before the batter gets there. In this case the batter has made a hit, or a base hit. If the hit takes him to first base it is a single; to second base, a double; to third base, a triple; and all the way home, a home run. A fair ball that lands outside the playing field by going over the wall or landing in the stands is an automatic home run. If a batter reaches any base safely, he becomes a baserunner. A baserunner is put out if he is touched (tagged) with the ball when he is not touching a base. A baserunner may also be forced out. The rules for a force-out are the same as the rule for putting a player out at first base. A baserunner on first base is out if a ground ball is fielded and caught at second base before he gets there. When there are baserunners on both first and second bases, there can be a force play at third base, and when there are baserunners on all these bases there can be a force play at home. When a fly ball is caught, each baserunner must "tag up"-touch the base he was on. Then he may try to run to the next base, but he may be tagged out before he gets there. If a fly ball is returned to his base and held by a player touching that base before he tags up, he is out. The team in the field tries to catch fly balls, and to catch ground balls and throw them to the proper bases to put baserunners out. When three members of the batting side have been put out, the "side is retired" and the other team comes to bat. There are many other rules in baseball. Many people who play and think they know the game do not know all the rules. The umpires who judge what is happening during the game carry rulebooks in their pockets, and sometimes look at these rules to make sure that everything has been done properly. Baseball is a simple game, but it is also a very complicated game and many people learn more and more about it as they play and watch it.
