Baseball

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the sport. For the ball used in the sport, see Baseball
(ball). For other uses, see Baseball (disambiguation).
"Base ball" redirects here. For old time baseball, see Vintage base ball.
Baseball
Mookie Betts hitting the ball (36478781664).jpg
Mookie Betts hits a pitch by swinging his bat
Highest governing body World Baseball Softball Confederation
First played 18th-century England (predecessors)
19th-century United States (modern version)
Characteristics
Contact Tagging-only
Team members 9
Mixed-sex Yes, separate competitions
Type Team sport, bat-and-ball
Equipment Baseball
Baseball bat
Baseball glove
Batting helmet
Catcher's gear
Venue Baseball park
Baseball field
Glossary Glossary of baseball
Presence
Country or region Worldwide (most prominent in the Americas and East Asia)
Olympic Demonstration sport: 1912, 1936, 1952, 1956, 1964, 1984 and 1988
Medal sport: 1992–2008, 2020–
World Games 1981[1]
Part of a series on the
History of baseball
OriginsEarly yearsKnickerbocker RulesThe Massachusetts GameTown ballAlexander
CartwrightDoc AdamsDoubleday mythFirst leagueFirst pro teamFirst pro leagueAll-
American Girls Professional Baseball LeagueTeam nicknames
By country
NicaraguaUnited StatesOther
International competitions
World Baseball Softball ConfederationWorld Baseball ClassicWomen's Baseball World
CupAfrica Cup Baseball ChampionshipAsian Baseball ChampionshipWomen's Baseball
Asian CupSouth American Baseball ChampionshipOceania Baseball ChampionshipBaseball
at the Pan American GamesSummer Olympics (1992–2008, 2020–)Asian GamesEuropean
Baseball ChampionshipEuropean Baseball Championship WomenEuropean Cup
(baseball)WBSC Premier12Caribbean Series
Other topics
Major League BaseballMinor League BaseballNegro league baseballCuban LeagueNippon
Professional BaseballWomen in baseballBaseball color lineBaseball (TV documentary
series)Baseball Hall of FameSociety for American Baseball ResearchBaseball by
yearMajor League Baseball seasons
Related games
Softball ComparisonBaseball5British baseballRoundersVintage base ballWiffle
ballOver-the-lineElleTee-ballCorkballFuzzballIndian
BallStickballVitillaStoolballOld catCricket VariationsComparisonDanish
longballSchlagballBat and trapBrännbollOinăPesäpalloLaptaPalant
Baseball portal
vte
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each,
taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several
plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding team,
called the pitcher, throws a ball that a player on the batting team, called the
batter, tries to hit with a bat. The objective of the offensive team (batting team)
is to hit the ball into the field of play, away from the other team's players,
allowing its players to run the bases, having them advance counter-clockwise around
four bases to score what are called "runs". The objective of the defensive team
(referred to as the fielding team) is to prevent batters from becoming runners, and
to prevent runners' advance around the bases.[2] A run is scored when a runner
legally advances around the bases in order and touches home plate (the place where
the player started as a batter).

The principal objective of the batting team is to have a player reach first base
safely; this generally occurs either when the batter hits the ball and reaches
first base before an opponent retrieves the ball and touches the base, or when the
pitcher persists in throwing the ball out of the batter's reach. Players on the
batting team who reach first base without being called "out" can attempt to advance
to subsequent bases as a runner, either immediately or during teammates' turns
batting. The fielding team tries to prevent runs by getting batters or runners
"out", which forces them out of the field of play. The pitcher can get the batter
out by throwing three pitches which result in strikes, while fielders can get the
batter out by catching a batted ball before it touches the ground, and can get a
runner out by tagging them with the ball while the runner is not touching a base.

The opposing teams switch back and forth between batting and fielding; the batting
team's turn to bat is over once the fielding team records three outs. One turn
batting for each team constitutes an inning. A game is usually composed of nine
innings, and the team with the greater number of runs at the end of the game wins.
Most games end after the ninth inning, but if scores are tied at that point, extra
innings are usually played. Baseball has no game clock, though some competitions
feature pace-of-play regulations such as the pitch clock to shorten game time.

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. Baseball's American origins, as well as its
reputation as a source of escapism during troubled points in American history such
as the American Civil War and the Great Depression, have led the sport to receive
the moniker of "America's Pastime"; since the late 19th century, it has been
unofficially recognized as the national sport of the United States, though in
modern times is considered less popular than other sports, such as American
football. In addition to North America, baseball is considered the most popular
sport in parts of Central and South America, the Caribbean, and East Asia,
particularly in Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan.

In Major League Baseball (MLB), the highest level of professional baseball in the
United States and Canada, teams are divided into the National League (NL) and
American League (AL), each with three divisions: East, West, and Central. The MLB
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. The World Baseball Classic,
organized by the World Baseball Softball Confederation, is the major international
competition of the sport and attracts the top national teams from around the world.
Baseball was played at the Olympic Games from 1992 to 2008, and was reinstated in
2020.

Rules and gameplay

Diagram of a baseball field Diamond may refer to the square area defined by the
four bases or to the entire playing field. The dimensions given are for
professional and professional-style games. Children often play on smaller fields.
A baseball game is played between two teams, each usually composed of nine players,
that take turns playing offense (batting and baserunning) and defense (pitching and
fielding). A pair of turns, one at bat and one in the field, by each team
constitutes an inning. A game consists of nine innings (seven innings at the high
school level and in doubleheaders in college, Minor League Baseball and, since the
2020 season, Major League Baseball; and six innings at the Little League level).[3]
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 (runs) than the
other team. The players on the team at bat attempt to score runs by touching all
four bases, in order, set at the corners of the square-shaped baseball diamond. A
player bats at home plate and must attempt to safely reach a base before
proceeding, counterclockwise, from first base, to second base, third base, and back
home to score a run. The team in the field attempts to prevent runs from scoring by
recording outs, which remove opposing players from offensive action, until their
next turn at bat 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, extra innings are played to resolve the contest. Many amateur games,
particularly unorganized ones, involve different numbers of players and innings.[4]

The game is played on a field whose primary boundaries, the foul lin