Baseball Rules: 6.00 The Batter Support Baseball Rules: 6.00 The Batter All portions of this particular page and the pages of the Official Major League Rules Book are sole property of Major League Baseball and have been reproduced - without any alteration - by Baseball Almanac who first obtained the written permission of the Office of the Commissioner. IMPORTANT NOTES: Like our Knickerback Rules (1845) & Town Ball Rules (1858), this set of rules is an older historical version (1999). Please click the link in the header to download a current year baseball rule book courtesy of MLB.com. "The striker or batter stands in a four-foot-square space situated between the first and fourth stakes." - The Rules of the Massachusetts Game (Town Ball) from Dedham, May 13, 1858 Baseball Rules Baseball Rule Book | © 1999 MLB | MLB.com Downloadable 2012 Rule Book Baseball Rule Book: 6.00 The Batter 6.01 (a) Each player of the offensive team shall bat in the order that his name appears in his team's batting order.

(b) The first batter in each inning after the first inning shall be the player whose name follows that of the last player who legally completed his time at bat in the preceding inning. 6.02 (a) The batter shall take his position in the batter's box promptly when it is his time at bat. (b) The batter shall not leave his position in the batter's box after the pitcher comes to Set Position, or starts his windup. PENALTY: If the pitcher pitches, the umpire shall call "Ball" or "Strike," as the case may be. The batter leaves the batter's box at the risk of having a strike delivered and called, unless he requests the umpire to call "Time." The batter is not at liberty to step in and out of the batter's box at will. Once a batter has taken his position in the batter's box, he shall not be permitted to step out of the batter's box in order to use the resin or the pine tar rag, unless there is a delay in the game action or, in the judgment of the umpires, weather conditions warrant an exception.

Umpires will not call "Time" at the request of the batter or any member of his team once the pitcher has started his windup or has come to a set position even though the batter claims "dust in his eyes," "steamed glasses," "didn't get the sign" or for any other cause. Umpires may grant a hitter's request for "Time" once he is in the batter's box, but the umpire should eliminate hitters walking out of the batter's box without reason. If umpires are not lenient, batters will understand that they are in the batter's box and they must remain there until the ball is pitched. If pitcher delays once the batter is in his box and the umpire feels that the delay is not justified he may allow the batter to step out of the box momentarily. If after the pitcher starts his windup or comes to a "set position" with a runner on, he does not go through with his pitch because the batter has stepped out of the box, it shall not be called a balk.

Both the pitcher and batter have violated a rule and the umpire shall call time and both the batter and pitcher start over from "scratch." (c) If the batter refuses to take his position in the batter's box during his time at bat, the umpire shall order the pitcher to pitch, and shall call "Strike" on each such pitch. The batter may take his proper position after any such pitch, and the regular ball and strike count shall continue, but if he does not take his proper position before three strikes are called, he shall be declared out. 6.03 The batter's legal position shall be with both feet within the batter's box. APPROVED RULING: The lines defining the box are within the batter's box. 6.04 A batter has legally completed his time at bat when he is put out or becomes a runner. 6.05 A batter is out when- (a) His fair or foul fly ball (other than a foul tip) is legally caught by a fielder; (b) A third strike is legally caught by the catcher; "Legally caught" means in the catcher's glove before the ball touches the ground.

It is not legal if the ball lodges in his clothing or paraphernalia; or if it touches the umpire and is caught by the catcher on the rebound. If a foul tip first strikes the catcher's glove and then goes on through and is caught by both hands against his body or protector, before the ball touches the ground, it is a strike, and if third strike, batter is out. If smothered against his body or protector, it is a catch provided the ball struck the catcher's glove or hand first. (c) A third strike is not caught by the catcher when first base is occupied before two are out; (d) He bunts foul on third strike; (e) An Infield Fly is declared; (f) He attempts to hit a third strike and the ball touches him; (g) His fair ball touches him before touching a fielder; (h) After hitting or bunting a fair ball, his bat hits the ball a second time in fair territory. The ball is dead and no runners may advance.

If the batter runner drops his bat and the ball rolls against the bat in fair territory and, in the umpire's judgment, there was no intention to interfere with the course of the ball, the ball is alive and in play; If a bat breaks and part of it is in fair territory and is hit by a batted ball or part of it hits a runner or fielder, play shall continue and no interference called. If batted ball hits part of broken bat in foul territory, it is a foul ball. If a whole bat is thrown into fair territory and interferes with a defensive player attempting to make a play, interference shall be called, whether intentional or not. In cases where the batting helmet is accidently hit with a batted or thrown ball, the ball remains in play the same as if it has not hit the helmet. If a batted ball strikes a batting helmet or any other object foreign to the natural ground while on foul territory, it is a foul ball and the ball is dead.

If, in the umpire's judgment, there is intent on the part of a baserunner to interfere with a batted or thrown ball by dropping the helmet or throwing it at the ball, then the runner would be out, the ball dead and runners would return to last base legally touched. (i) After hitting or bunting a foul ball, he intentionally deflects the course of the ball in any manner while running to first base.

The ball is dead and no runners may advance; (j) After a third strike or after he hits a fair ball, he or first base is tagged before he touches first base; (k) In running the last half of the distance from home base to first base, while the ball is being fielded to first base, he runs outside (to the right of) the three foot line, or inside (to the left of) the foul line, and in the umpire's judgment in so doing interferes with the fielder taking the throw at first base; except that he may run outside (to the right of) the three foot line or inside (to the left of) the foul line to avoid a fielder attempting to field a batted ball; (l) An infielder intentionally drops a fair fly ball or line drive, with first, first and second, first and third, or first, second and third base occupied before two are out. The ball is dead and runner or runners shall return to their original base or bases; APPROVED RULING: In this situation, the batter is not out if the infielder permits the ball to drop untouched to the ground, except when the Infield Fly rule applies.

(m)A preceding runner shall, in the umpire's judgment, intentionally interfere with a fielder who is attempting to catch a thrown ball or to throw a ball in an attempt to complete any play: The objective of this rule is to penalize the offensive team for deliberate, unwarranted, unsportsmanlike action by the runner in leaving the baseline for the obvious purpose of crashing the pivot man on a double play, rather than trying to reach the base. Obviously this is an umpire's judgment play. (n) With two out, a runner on third base, and two strikes on the batter, the runner attempts to steal home base on a legal pitch and the ball touches the runner in the batter's strike zone. The umpire shall call "Strike Three," the batter is out and the run shall not count; before two are out, the umpire shall call "Strike Three," the ball is dead, and the run counts. 6.06 A batter is out for illegal action when- (a) He hits a ball with one or both feet on the ground entirely outside the batter's box. If a batter hits a ball fair or foul while out of the batter's box, he shall be called out.

Umpires should pay particular attention to the position of the batter's feet if he attempts to hit the ball while he is being intentionally passed. A batter cannot jump or step out of the batter's box and hit the ball. (b) He steps from one batter's box to the other while the pitcher is in position ready to pitch; (c) He interferes with the catcher's fielding or throwing by stepping out of the batter's box or making any other movement that hinders the catcher's play at home base. EXCEPTION: Batter is not out if any runner attempting to advance is put out, or if runner trying to score is called out for batter's interference. If the batter interferes with the catcher, the plate umpire shall call "interference." The batter is out and the ball dead. No player may advance on such interference (offensive interference) and all runners must return to the last base that was, in the judgment of the umpire, legally touched at the time of the interference. If, however, the catcher makes a play and the runner attempting to advance is put out, it is to be assumed there was no actual interference and that runner is out_not the batter.

Any other runners on the base at the time may advance as the ruling is that there is no actual interference if a runner is retired. In that case play proceeds just as if no violation had been called. If a batter strikes at a ball and misses and swings so hard he carries the bat all the way around and, in the umpire's judgment, unintentionally hits the catcher or the ball in back of him on the backswing before the catcher has securely held the ball, it shall be called a strike only (not interference). The ball will be dead, however, and no runner shall advance on the play. (d) He uses or attempts to use a bat that, in the umpire's judgment, has been altered or tampered with in such a way to improve the distance factor or cause an unusual reaction on the baseball. This includes, bats that are filled, flat surfaced, nailed, hollowed, grooved or covered with a substance such as paraffin, wax, etc. No advancement on the bases will be allowed and any out or outs made during a play shall stand. In addition to being called out, the player shall be ejected from the game and may be subject to additional penalties as determined by his League President.

6.07 BATTING OUT OF TURN. (a) A batter shall be called out, on appeal, when he fails to bat in his proper turn, and another batter completes a time at bat in his place. (1) The proper batter may take his place in the batter's box at any time before the improper batter becomes a runner or is put out, and any balls and strikes shall be counted in the proper batter's time at bat. (b) When an improper batter becomes a runner or is put out, and the defensive team appeals to the umpire before the first pitch to the next batter of either team, or before any play or attempted play, the umpire shall (1) declare the proper batter out; and (2) nullify any advance or score made because of a ball batted by the improper batter or because of the improper batter's advance to first base on a hit, an error, a base on balls, a hit batter or otherwise. NOTE: If a runner advances, while the improper batter is at bat, on a stolen base, balk, wild pitch or passed ball, such advance is legal.

(c) When an improper batter becomes a runner or is put out, and a pitch is made to the next batter of either team before an appeal is made, the improper batter thereby becomes the proper batter, and the results of his time at bat become legal. (d) (1) When the proper batter is called out because he has failed to bat in turn, the next batter shall be the batter whose name follows that of the proper batter thus called out; (2) When an improper batter becomes a proper batter because no appeal is made before the next pitch, the next batter shall be the batter whose name follows that of such legalized improper batter. The instant an improper batter's actions are legalized, the batting order picks up with the name following that of the legalized improper batter. The umpire shall not direct the attention of any person to the presence in the batter's box of an improper batter. This rule is designed to require constant vigilance by the players and managers of both teams. There are two fundamentals to keep in mind: When a player bats out of turn, the proper batter is the player called out.

If an improper batter bats and reaches base or is out and no appeal is made before a pitch to the next batter, or before any play or attempted play, that improper batter is considered to have batted in proper turn and establishes the order that is to follow. APPROVED RULING To illustrate various situations arising from batting out of turn, assume a first inning batting order as follows: Abel Baker Charles Daniel Edward Frank George Hooker Irwin. PLAY (1). Baker bats. With the count 2 balls and 1 strike, (a) the offensive team discovers the error or (b) the defensive team appeals. RULING: In either case, Abel replaces Baker, with the count on him 2 balls and 1 strike. PLAY (2). Baker bats and doubles. The defensive team appeals (a) immediately or (b) after a pitch to Charles. RULING: (a) Abel is called out and Baker is the proper batter; (b) Baker stays on second and Charles is the proper batter. PLAY (3). Abel walks. Baker walks. Charles forces Baker. Edward bats in Daniel's turn. While Edward is at bat, Abel scores and Charles goes to second on a wild pitch.

Edward grounds out, sending Charles to third. The defensive team appeals (a) immediately or (b) after a pitch to Daniel. RULING: (a) Abel's run counts and Charles is entitled to second base since these advances were not made because of the improper batter batting a ball or advancing to first base. Charles must return to second base because his advance to third resulted from the improper batter batting a ball. Daniel is called out, and Edward is the proper batter; (b) Abel's run counts and Charles stays on third. The proper batter is Frank. PLAY (4). With the bases full and two out. Hooker bats in Frank's turn, and triples, scoring three runs. The defensive team appeals (a) immediately, or (b) after a pitch to George. RULING: (a) Frank is called out and no runs score. George is the proper batter to lead off the second inning; (b) Hooker stays on third and three runs score. Irwin is the proper batter. PLAY (5). After Play (4) (b) above, George continues at bat.

(a) Hooker is picked off third base for the third out, or (b) George flies out, and no appeal is made. Who is the proper leadoff batter in the second inning? RULING: (a) Irwin. He became the proper batter as soon as the first pitch to George legalized Hooker's triple; (b) Hooker. When no appeal was made, the first pitch to the leadoff batter of the opposing team legalized George's time at bat. PLAY (6). Daniel walks and Abel comes to bat. Daniel was an improper batter, and if an appeal is made before the first pitch to Abel, Abel is out, Daniel is removed from base, and Baker is the proper batter. There is no appeal, and a pitch is made to Abel. Daniel's walk is now legalized, and Edward thereby becomes the proper batter. Edward can replace Abel at any time before Abel is put out or becomes a runner. He does not do so. Abel flies out, and Baker comes to bat. Abel was an improper batter, and if an appeal is made before the first pitch to Baker, Edward is out, and the proper batter is Frank. There is no appeal, and a pitch is made to Baker.

Abel's out is now legalized, and the proper batter is Baker. Baker walks. Charles is the proper batter. Charles flies out. Now Daniel is the proper batter, but he is on second base. Who is the proper batter? RULING: The proper batter is Edward. When the proper batter is on base, he is passed over, and the following batter becomes the proper batter. 6.08 The batter becomes a runner and is entitled to first base without liability to be put out (provided he advances to and touches first base) when- (a) Four "balls" have been called by the umpire; A batter who is entitled to first base because of a base on balls must go to first base and touch the base before other base runners are forced to advance. This applies when bases are full and applies when a substitute runner is put into the game. If, in advancing, the base runner thinks there is a play and he slides past the base before or after touching it he may be put out by the fielder tagging him. If he fails to touch the base to which he is entitled and attempts to advance beyond that base he may be put out by tagging him or the base he missed.

(b) He is touched by a pitched ball which he is not attempting to hit unless (1) The ball is in the strike zone when it touches the batter, or (2) The batter makes no attempt to avoid being touched by the ball; If the ball is in the strike zone when it touches the batter, it shall be called a strike, whether or not the batter tries to avoid the ball. If the ball is outside the strike zone when it touches the batter, it shall be called a ball if he makes no attempt to avoid being touched. APPROVED RULING: When the batter is touched by a pitched ball which does not entitle him to first base, the ball is dead and no runner may advance. (c) The catcher or any fielder interferes with him. If a play follows the interference, the manager of the offense may advise the plate umpire that he elects to decline the interference penalty and accept the play. Such election shall be made immediately at the end of the play. However, if the batter reaches first base on a hit, an error, a base on balls, a hit batsman, or otherwise, and all other runners advance at least one base, the play proceeds without reference to the interference.

If catcher's interference is called with a play in progress the umpire will allow the play to continue because the manager may elect to take the play. If the batter runner missed first base, or a runner misses his next base, he shall be considered as having reached the base, as stated in Note of Rule 7.04 (d). Examples of plays the manager might elect to take: 1. Runner on third, one out, batter hits fly ball to the outfield on which the runner scores but catcher's interference was called. The offensive manager may elect to take the run and have batter called out or have runner remain at third and batter awarded first base. 2. Runner on second base. Catcher interferes with batter as he bunts ball fairly sending runner to third base. The manager may rather have runner on third base with an out on the play than have runners on second and first. In situations where the manager wants the "interference" penalty to apply, the following interpretation shall be made of 6.08 (c): If the catcher (or any fielder) interferes with the batter, the batter is awarded first base.

If, on such interference a runner is trying to score by a steal or squeeze from third base, the ball is dead and the runner on third scores and batter is awarded first base. If the catcher interferes with the batter with no runners trying to score from third on a squeeze or steal, then the ball is dead, batter is awarded first base and runners who are forced to advance, do advance. Runners not attempting to steal or not forced to advance remain on the base they occupied at the time of the interference. If the catcher interferes with the batter before the pitcher delivers the ball, it shall not be considered interference on the batter under Rule 6.08 (c). In such cases, the umpire shall call "Time" and the pitcher and batter start over from "scratch." (d) A fair ball touches an umpire or a runner on fair territory before touching a fielder. If a fair ball touches an umpire after having passed a fielder other than the pitcher, or having touched a fielder, including the pitcher, the ball is in play.

6.09 The batter becomes a runner when- (a) He hits a fair ball; (b) The third strike called by the umpire is not caught, providing (1) first base is unoccupied, or (2) first base is occupied with two out; When a batter becomes a base runner on a third strike not caught by the catcher and starts for the dugout, or his position, and then realizes his situation and attempts then to reach first base, he is not out unless he or first base is tagged before he reaches first base. If, however, he actually reaches the dugout or dugout steps, he may not then attempt to go to first base and shall be out. (c) A fair ball, after having passed a fielder other than the pitcher, or after having been touched by a fielder, including the pitcher, shall touch an umpire or runner on fair territory; (d) A fair ball passes over a fence or into the stands at a distance from home base of 250 feet or more. Such hit entitles the batter to a home run when he shall have touched all bases legally.

A fair fly ball that passes out of the playing field at a point less than 250 feet from home base shall entitle the batter to advance to second base only; (e) A fair ball, after touching the ground, bounds into the stands, or passes through, over or under a fence, or through or under a scoreboard, or through or under shrubbery, or vines on the fence, in which case the batter and the runners shall be entitled to advance two bases; (f) Any fair ball which, either before or after touching the ground, passes through or under a fence, or through or under a scoreboard, or through any opening in the fence or scoreboard, or through or under shrubbery, or vines on the fence, or which sticks in a fence or scoreboard, in which case the batter and the runners shall be entitled to two bases; (g) Any bounding fair ball is deflected by the fielder into the stands, or over or under a fence on fair or foul territory, in which case the batter and all runners shall be entitled to advance two bases; (h) Any fair fly ball is deflected by the fielder into the stands, or over the fence into foul territory, in which case the batter shall

 be entitled to advance to second base; but if deflected into the stands or over the fence in fair territory, the batter shall be entitled to a home run.

However, should such a fair fly be deflected at a point less than 250 feet from home plate, the batter shall be entitled to two bases only. 6.10 Any League may elect to use the Designated Hitter Rule. (a) In the event of inter league competition between clubs of Leagues using the Designated Hitter Rule and clubs of Leagues not using the Designated Hitter Rule, the rule will be used as follows: 1. In World Series or exhibition games, the rule will be used or not used as is the practice of the home team. 2. In All Star games, the rule will only be used if both teams and both Leagues so agree. (b) The Rule provides as follows: A hitter may be designated to bat for the starting pitcher and all subsequent pitchers in any game without otherwise affecting the status of the pitcher(s) in the game. A Designated Hitter for the pitcher must be selected prior to the game and must be included in the lineup cards presented to the Umpire in Chief. The designated hitter named in the starting lineup must come to bat at least one time, unless the opposing club changes pitchers.

It is not mandatory that a club designate a hitter for the pitcher, but failure to do so prior to the game precludes the use of a Designated Hitter for that game. Pinch hitters for a Designated Hitter may be used. Any substitute hitter for a Designated Hitter becomes the Designated Hitter. A replaced Designated Hitter shall not re enter the game in any capacity. The Designated Hitter may be used defensively, continuing to bat in the same position in the batting order, but the pitcher must then bat in the place of the substituted defensive player, unless more than one substitution is made, and the manager then must designate their spots in the batting order. A runner may be substituted for the Designated Hitter and the runner assumes the role of Designated Hitter. A Designated Hitter may not pinch run. A Designated Hitter is "locked" into the batting order. No multiple substitutions may be made that will alter the batting rotation of the Designated Hitter. Once the game pitcher is switched from the mound to a defensive position this move shall terminate the Designated Hitter role for the remainder of the game.

Once a pinch hitter bats for any player in the batting order and then enters the game to pitch, this move shall terminate the Designated Hitter role for the remainder of the game. Once the game pitcher bats for the Designated Hitter this move shall terminate the Designated Hitter role for the remainder of the game. (The game pitcher may only pinch hit for the Designated Hitter). Once a Designated Hitter assumes a defensive position this move shall terminate the Designated Hitter role for the remainder of the game. A substitute for the Designated Hitter need not be announced until it is the Designated Hitter's turn to bat. ï¿½1999 Major League Baseball Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved. Baseball Rule Book: 6.00 The Batter Baseball Vocabulary | English Club Download the Prepositions ebook! Baseball Vocabulary This page covers the vocabulary and language of baseball by looking at its background, equipment and people. Check your understanding with the vocabulary quiz and comprehension quiz . For hundreds of years people in many parts of the world have played "bat and ball" games. In these games, a player on one team throws a ball and a player on the other team tries to hit the ball with a bat and score runs.

Today, the two most popular bat and ball games are cricket and baseball. While cricket is popular in England, Australia, India, Pakistan, South Africa, and many other Commonwealth countries, baseball is popular in the U.S.A., Canada, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and many Central American countries. Baseball is becoming more and more popular in many other countries as well, especially in China where it's being actively promoted by the American leagues as they try to make it the world's number one bat and ball game. History In the eighteenth century, many people from Great Britain and Europe travelled to the new colonies in North America to settle and build new lives. These settlers took along traditional games that their families had been playing for generations, including several bat and ball games such as Ireland's "rounders" and Germany's "schlagball". During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, new variations like "town ball", "goal ball" and "round ball" appeared. Each form of the game had its followers, but none really dominated until the 1840's when New York fireman Alexander Joy Cartwright helped develop a new variation of "town ball" called "baseball".

In 1845, he formed the Knickerbocker Baseball Club with his friends at the Knickerbocker Fire Engine Company, and they then wrote out a set of rules which became the basis of modern baseball. Cartwright umpired the first officially recorded game on June 19, 1846 in New Jersey, between the Knickerbockers and the New York Nine, and today he is seen as one of the most important pioneers of the game. In 1857 the National Association of Baseball Players was established, and in 1871 the first attempt at forming a "major league" was made when the short-lived National Association was set up. Several other attempts were made to set up professional baseball leagues, but most of them failed. The two leagues that did survive were the National League, founded in 1876, and the American League, founded in 1901. These two leagues competed for top players, commercial sponsorship and popular support. Both leagues claimed to have the best players and teams, so in 1903 the "World Series" competition was established in which the top teams from each league competed for the honor of being known as "world champions".

The World Series is still baseball's biggest prize, and the U.S.A. and Canada still have the strongest teams in the world, with top managers and players earning millions of dollars a year. Professional leagues have also been established in many other countries as well, including Cuba, the Netherlands, Australia, Japan, Puerto Rico, Italy, Venezuela, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Korea, Taiwan and China, and the game seems sure to become even more popular around the world in the future. Baseball has traditionally been played by men and boys far more than by women and girls. However, leagues for women and girls now exist in several countries, and international competitions have been held since 2001. How the Game Works Baseball is played between two teams of nine players on a specially-built baseball field, with up to four umpires in charge of a game. The teams take turns throwing the ball, or pitching, and batting. The pitcher throws the ball from the pitcher's mound (see diagram at right), aiming to throw it over a pentagonal rubber slab known as the home plate. The batter stands to one side of this plate, and tries to hit the ball when it is pitched.

If the batter doesn't hit a pitch that is in the strike zone, meaning it's over the plate and not too high or too low, the umpire calls a strike. If three strikes are called, the batter is out. If the batter hits a pitch and the ball is caught by one of the fielders, the batter is also out. But if the batter hits a pitch into fair territory and it isn't caught, he drops his bat and runs towards first base (see diagram). If a fielder gets the ball and touches the batter with it, or tags him, before he gets to first base, he is out. But if he gets there without being tagged, he is safe. He can either stop at first base, or if he thinks he can get to second base safely, or even further, he can keep going. Once he stops at a base, the next batter comes in. If the next batter hits a pitch, the first batter can run to the next base, and so on. If he can run all the bases and get back to the home plate without being tagged, he scores a run for the team.

His team will keep sending out new players to bat until three of them have been given out by the umpires and the team's turn at batting is over. The opposing team then has a chance to bat and score some runs. When both teams have had a turn to bat, an inning is over. In professional baseball, the team with the most runs after nine innings have been played is the winner. The main contest in a game of baseball is between a pitcher and a batter. The pitcher tries to win the contest by striking the batter out, or by making him hit the ball into the air so a fielder can catch him out. The batter tries to win the contest by hitting the ball and helping his team to score runs. The pitcher works closely with his catcher, who is the player standing behind home plate who catches the ball whenever it isn't hit by the batter. The catcher often decides which type of pitch the pitcher should throw, and uses secret hand signals to communicate with him. Pitchers use a range of pitches, including fast balls, curve balls, sliders and change ups, with one of the arts of pitching being to disguise the type of ball one is pitching in order to confuse the batter.

But if the batter hits a pitch, he could hit a fly ball high into the air, a pop fly almost straight up and down, a line drive fast and low to the outfield, or he could hit a gentle bunt into the infield. If the batter hits a pitch high and far and "out of the park", he scores a home run. If he does this when the bases are loaded, meaning there are base runners already waiting on all three bases, all of the runners will score a run on the same play. This is called a grand slam, and it's the highest-scoring play in baseball. The dream of every major league player, and the fantasy of every young baseball fan, is to come out to bat in the final inning of a World Series, on a grand slam play with the bases loaded, and to win the series by hitting a home run. Nothing in baseball could be finer than this. Most Famous Player Babe Ruth "Babe Ruth" is without doubt baseball's most famous player. He changed the game forever in the 1920's from a low-scoring, defensive contest into an exciting spectacle of huge home-run hits, and the game became far more popular as a result. George Herman Ruth, Jr.

was born in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1895, into a poor family of German immigrants. They could barely afford to raise young George, so he was sent to a Roman Catholic missionary school where he lived for twelve years, rarely seeing his family. He learned to play baseball while there, and before long it was clear to everyone that he was a very talented player. In 1914, one of his teachers introduced Ruth to Jack Dunn, owner and manager of the Baltimore Orioles, who signed him on as a pitcher and dubbed him "Babe". Dunn then sold him to the Boston Red Sox, where he played for the next five years. In 1920, he was sold to the New York Yankees, for whom many believe he played his best baseball over the next fourteen years. By this time, Babe Ruth was far more famous for his power hitting than for his pitching, and he was setting many batting records, some of which stood for decades after he retired from the game in 1935. Ruth died in 1948 after a long battle with cancer, but the legend of the great Babe Ruth will live on forever.

Baseball Vocabulary Baseball pitching - definition of Baseball pitching by The Free Dictionary Baseball pitching - definition of Baseball pitching by The Free Dictionary Related to Baseball pitching: Baseball pitcher pitch·er 1 2. Baseball The player who throws the ball from the mound to the batter. 3. Sports A seven iron used in golf. pitch·er 2 (pĭch′ər) n. 1. A container for liquids, usually having a handle and a lip or spout for pouring. 2. Botany A pitcherlike part, such as the leaf of a pitcher plant. [Middle English picher, from Old French pichier, alteration of bichier, from Medieval Latin bicārium, drinking cup, probably from Greek bikos, jar, possibly from Egyptian biḳ, oil vessel.] pitcher (ˈpɪtʃə) n 1. a large jug, usually rounded with a narrow neck and often of earthenware, used mainly for holding water 2. (Botany) botany any of the urn-shaped leaves of the pitcher plant [C13: from Old French pichier, from Medieval Latin picārium, variant of bicārium beaker] pitcher (ˈpɪtʃə) n 1.

(Baseball) baseball the player on the fielding team who pitches the ball to the batter 2. (Civil Engineering) a granite stone or sett used in paving pitch•er1 (ˈpɪtʃ ər) n. 1. a container, usu. with a handle and spout or lip, for holding and pouring liquids. 2. a pitcherlike modification of the leaf of certain plants. [1250–1300; Middle English picher < Old French pichier < Medieval Latin picārium, variant of bicārium beaker ] pitch•er2 1. a person who pitches. 2. Baseball. the player who throws the ball to the opposing batter. [1700–10] Molly (Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley), 1754–1832, American Revolutionary heroine.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend: hurler , twirler baseball , baseball game - a ball game played with a bat and ball between two teams of nine players; teams take turns at bat trying to score runs; "he played baseball in high school"; "there was a baseball game on every empty lot"; "there was a desire for National League ball in the area"; "play ball!" softball game , softball - a game closely resembling baseball that is played on a smaller diamond and with a ball that is larger and softer left hander , left-handed pitcher , lefthander , left-hander , southpaw , lefty - a baseball pitcher who throws the ball with the left hand right-handed pitcher , right-hander - (baseball) a pitcher who throws with the right hand Baseball Terms Baseball Terms October 21, 2014 Pitchers James Shields (L) of Kansas City and Madison Bumgarner of San Francisco Giants to start the 2014 World Series. Share Copy and paste the embed code below. The code has been copied to your clipboard. Pop-out player Now, the VOA Special English program WORDS AND THEIR STORIES. Baseball is America’s national sport.

So it is not unusual that many popular expressions come from baseball. But first, let me explain a little about the game. Each baseball team has nine players. The pitcher of one team throws the ball to a batter from the other team. The batter attempts to hit the ball. If he misses, it is called a strike. If a batter gets three strikes, he loses his turn at bat and is called out. The batter also is out if he hits the ball in the air and an opposing player catches it. But if the batter hits the ball and it is not caught, the batter tries to run to one or more of the four bases on the field. The batter can run to all four bases if he hits the ball over the fence or out of the ballpark. Such a hit is called a home run. Now, here are some common expressions from baseball. Someone who is on the ball is intelligent and able to do a good job. But a person who threw a curve ball did something unexpected. Someone who steps up to the plate is ready to do his or her job. A pinch hitter takes the place of someone else at a job or activity. A person who strikes out or goes down swinging attempted something but failed.

We also might tell the person that three strikes and you are out. But someone who hit a home run or hit it out of the park did something extremely well. Sometimes I have to give information quickly, without time to think it over. Then I would say something right off the bat. If someone is doing an extremely good job and is very successful, you might say he or she is batting one thousand. If I say I want to touch base with you, I will talk to you from time to time about something we plan to do. I might say I touched all the bases if I did what is necessary to complete a job or activity. And if I covered my bases I was well prepared. However, someone who is way off base did something wrong or maybe even dishonest or immoral. A person with strange ideas might be described as out in left field. Let us say I want to sell my car but I do not know exactly how much it is worth. If someone asks me the price, I might give a ballpark figure or a ballpark estimate. If someone offers me an amount that is close to my selling price, I might say the amount is in the ballpark.

However, if I say we are not in the same ballpark, I mean we cannot agree because my ideas are too different from yours. Finally, when a situation changes completely, we say that is a whole new ballgame. This VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, was written by Shelley Gollust. I’m Faith Lapidus. Pitcher (baseball) - definition of Pitcher (baseball) by The Free Dictionary Pitcher (baseball) - definition of Pitcher (baseball) by The Free Dictionary Also found in: Thesaurus , Encyclopedia , Wikipedia . pitch·er 1 2. Baseball The player who throws the ball from the mound to the batter. 3. Sports A seven iron used in golf. pitch·er 2 (pĭch′ər) n. 1. A container for liquids, usually having a handle and a lip or spout for pouring. 2. Botany A pitcherlike part, such as the leaf of a pitcher plant.

[Middle English picher, from Old French pichier, alteration of bichier, from Medieval Latin bicārium, drinking cup, probably from Greek bikos, jar, possibly from Egyptian biḳ, oil vessel.] pitcher (ˈpɪtʃə) n 1. a large jug, usually rounded with a narrow neck and often of earthenware, used mainly for holding water 2. (Botany) botany any of the urn-shaped leaves of the pitcher plant [C13: from Old French pichier, from Medieval Latin picārium, variant of bicārium beaker] pitcher (ˈpɪtʃə) n 1. (Baseball) baseball the player on the fielding team who pitches the ball to the batter 2. (Civil Engineering) a granite stone or sett used in paving pitch•er1 (ˈpɪtʃ ər) n. 1. a container, usu. with a handle and spout or lip, for holding and pouring liquids. 2. a pitcherlike modification of the leaf of certain plants.

[1250–1300; Middle English picher < Old French pichier < Medieval Latin picārium, variant of bicārium beaker ] pitch•er2 1. a person who pitches. 2. Baseball. the player who throws the ball to the opposing batter. [1700–10] Molly (Mary Ludwig Hays McCauley), 1754–1832, American Revolutionary heroine.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend: hurler , twirler baseball , baseball game - a ball game played with a bat and ball between two teams of nine players; teams take turns at bat trying to score runs; "he played baseball in high school"; "there was a baseball game on every empty lot"; "there was a desire for National League ball in the area"; "play ball!" softball game , softball - a game closely resembling baseball that is played on a smaller diamond and with a ball that is larger and softer left hander , left-handed pitcher , lefthander , left-hander , southpaw , lefty - a baseball pitcher who throws the ball with the left hand right-handed pitcher , right-hander - (baseball) a pitcher who throws with the right hand Baseball: Offensive and Defensive Strategy Baseball Rules Player Positions Baseball Strategy Baseball Glossary Baseball is a complex sport where strategy can play a big part. A baseball team's strategy can vary from game to game depending on the pitcher and the opposing team. The strategy can change during a game from situation to situation depending on the number of outs and the count on the batter.

The strategy also changes from batter to batter depending on the strengths and weaknesses of both the batter and the pitcher. Baseball Defensive Strategy Pitching Any baseball team's defensive strategy will be centered around the pitcher. The pitcher is the primary defense and how the rest of the defense sets up and plays will depend on the type of pitcher. Some pitchers throw pitches that will cause lots of fly balls. As a result the rest of the defense is positioned and skilled at flagging down fly balls. Other pitches throw pitches that dip and cause lots of ground balls. In this case, a strong infield is necessary. The pitcher themselves will build up their own unique strategy. Over the years they will work on specialized pitches like the fast ball, curveball, change-up, and slider. Most pitchers will have a couple of pitches that they excel at. Then they will work these pitches to fool the batter. For example, a pitcher may throw a fast ball that whizzes by the batter. When the batter get ready for the next fastball, then the pitcher throws a change-up. The arm motion of the pitcher looks like a fastball to the hitter, but, in fact, the baseball is traveling much slower. The batter often swings too early anticipating the fast ball and completely misses the slower pitch.

Pitcher also work the baseball to different areas of the plate. They may pitch a number of high fast balls and then throw a curve ball into the dirt that completely fools the batter. In the end, it's each pitcher's unique strategy that makes them the most effective. At some professional baseball levels, pitchers will study film of batters and discover their weaknesses. Maybe a batter does not hit an outside fastball well after getting a close in curve ball. The pitcher will then use this knowledge to plan a strategy for getting a particular batter out. Baseball Fielding Strategy Fielding strategy is important in getting batters out as well. Often the outfield or infield will shift to the left or to the right depending on the batter. It may be because the batter is left handed or right handed or maybe because the batter typically pulls the ball. They may also shift because they know the pitcher is going to throw the ball inside or outside, so they can predict where the ball is likely to be hit. This positioning gives the fielders a better chance of getting to a hit ball. Other special positioning in the field is due to the situation of the game.

It may be that they are expecting the batter to bunt, so, in this case, the infield would play closer to home plate ready to charge if the batter bunts. Offensive Baseball Strategy There is both an individual offensive baseball strategy and a team offensive baseball strategy. The batter will usually have their own strategy on how to hit a particular pitcher. This usually involves trying to guess the type of pitch that is coming. Knowing the type of pitch can make a big difference on the success of the batter. Batters may study pitchers to know what type of pitches a pitcher prefers on certain counts. They may also study the pitcher's movements to see if they have a specific release or action that tips off what kind of pitch they are throwing. Batter's will also try to read the pitch from the catcher's movements or the spin of the ball coming out of the pitcher's hand. In team offensive strategy, the baseball coach or manager may make certain calls based on the game situation. One play is called ht hit-and-run. This is case where a base runner starts running as soon as the pitcher throws the pitch. The batter is then supposed to try and make contact with the ball.

This puts the batter at a bit of a disadvantage, but gives the base runner a much better chance at advancing. Another example is the sacrifice where the batter intentionally gets an out in order to advance the base runner one base or to home plate for a run. More Baseball Links: Baseball Defense - How Baseball Works | HowStuffWorks How Baseball Works Prev Next Defensive positions A baseball game is played between two teams -- the home team and visiting team. Often, the name of the visiting team's city is displayed across the front of the players' jerseys. Each team has at least nine players, and each player occupies a designated spot on the field. Most professional teams have many more than nine players, which allows for substitutions. During an inning, teams take turns batting. While one team is batting, the other team puts its players in specific areas of the field in order to prevent the other team from getting hits and scoring runs. Each player of the batting team takes his turn going to home plate, standing in the batter's box, and trying to hit the ball that the pitcher throws toward him. He does so by swinging the bat as the ball nears home plate. Up Next What’s the infield fly rule?

In all, there are nine positions on the defensive side: Pitcher - Stands on the pitcher's mound and throws the ball to the catcher in attempt to make the batter either swing and miss or else put the ball in play so that it can be caught by a defensive player (in which case the batter is "out") Catcher - Squats behind home plate and catches the pitcher's throws; also throws to bases to throw out player's trying to steal those bases, as well as fields the area around home plate First baseman - Fields the area near first base Second baseman - Fields the area between first and second base Third baseman - Fields the area near third base Shortstop - Fields the area between second and third base Left field - Fields the portion of the outfield that's on the left side of the batter when he faces the field Center field - Fields the middle portion of the outfield Right field - Fields the portion of the outfield that is on the right side of the batter when he faces the field Former Atlanta Braves second baseman Marcus Giles leaps over an opposing player to complete a double play. Photo courtesy Atlanta Braves All of the fielders work together to prevent the batters and base runners of the other team from getting hits and scoring runs.

An out is recorded when a fielder catches a ball, tags a base runner with a ball, or grabs the ball and steps on the base a runner is trying to reach before the runner reaches it. Outs are also recorded when a hitter strikes out (see the next section). Once three outs are recorded, a half-inning is finished. In the next section, we will look at the offensive side of the game. All-time Leaders: Earned Run Average The height h in feet of a baseball on Earth after... - OpenStudy anonymous 5 years ago The height h in feet of a baseball on Earth after t seconds can be modeled by the function h(t) = -16(t - 1.5)2 + 36, where -16 is a constant in ft/s2 due to Earth's gravity. The gravity on Mars is only 0.38 times that on Earth. If the same baseball were thrown on Mars, it would reach a maximum height 59 feet higher and 2.5 seconds later than on Earth. Write a height function for the baseball thrown on Mars. A short stop makes an error by dropping the ball.

As the ball drops, its height h in feet as a function of time, t, is modeled by h(t) = -16t2 + 3. A slow motion replay of the error shows the play at half speed. What function describes the height of the ball in the replay? (Hint: The function squares the time, so half the time is also squared in the new function.) A baseball is thrown with a vertical velocity of 50 ft/s from an initial height of 6 ft. The height h in feet of the baseball can be modeled by h(t) = -16t2 + 50t + 6, where t is the time in seconds since the ball was thrown. It takes the ball approximately _____ seconds to reach its maximum height. (Round to the nearest tenth of a second and enter only the number.) To the nearest foot, what is the maximum height that the ball reaches? (Enter only the number.) A player hits a foul ball with an initial vertical velocity of 70 ft/s and an initial height of 5 feet. The maximum height reached by the ball is _____ feet. (Round to the nearest foot and enter only the number.) A baseball player hits a ball toward the outfield.

The height h of the ball in feet is modeled by h(t) = -16t2 + 22t + 3, where t is the time in seconds. In addition, the function d(t) = 85t models the horizontal distance d traveled by the ball. If no one catches the ball, how long will it stay in the air? (Round to the nearest tenth of a second and enter only the number.) To the nearest tenth of a foot, what is the horizontal distance that the ball travels before it hits the ground? (Enter only the number.) A pitch may result in a strike if its height is between 2.5 and 5 feet when it crosses home plate. This range is called the batter's strike zone. The pitcher throws the ball from a height of 6 feet with an initial vertical velocity of 5 ft/s and a horizontal velocity of 116 ft/s. Can this pitch result in a strike? The height h in feet of a baseball hit from home plate can be modeled by the function h(t) = -16t2 + 32t + 5.5, where t is the time in seconds since the ball was hit.

The ball is descending when it passes 7.5 feet over the head of a 6-foot player standing on the ground. To the nearest tenth of a second, how long after the ball is hit does it pass over the player's head? (Enter only the number rounded to the nearest tenth.) The horizontal distance between the player and home plate is 120 ft. Use your answer from the previous question to determine the horizontal speed of the ball to the nearest foot per second. An outfielder throws a baseball to the player on third base. The height h of the ball in feet is modeled by the function h(t) = -16t2 + 19t + 5, where t is time in seconds. The third baseman catches the ball when it is 4 feet above the ground. To the nearest tenth of a second, how long was the ball in the air before it was caught? A player on the opposing team starts running from second base to third base 1.2 s before the outfielder throws the ball. The distance between the bases is 90 ft, and the runner's average speed is 27 ft/s. Will the runner reach third base before the ball does? Mathematics

Question: In baseball, what is the name of the player who throws the ball to a batter of the opposing team?
Answer: Pitcher