Baseball season is in full swing ... yes, pun intended.
I like to think that baseball is fairly easy to understand. However, there are some tricky aspects to the game.
Girls, are you unsure about the rules of baseball? If you are, there is no reason to be ashamed. I'm here to help anyone who wants a quick explanation for the rules of America's Favorite Pastime. Being a fellow female, I am providing you with a guide to some baseball terms. Now you can down a couple beers with your crush while actually understanding what is going on.
Let's start out simple. Here's a little description of each position.
Pitcher: A pitcher is responsible for throwing the baseball across the plate.
Catcher. A catcher is responsible for catching the pitches behind the plate.
First Baseman: A first baseman is responsible for getting outs at first base.
Second Baseman: A second baseman is responsible for getting outs at second base.
Third Baseman: A third basemen is responsible for getting outs at third base.
Shortstop: The shortstop is located between the second and third basemen in the infield.
Left fielder: The left fielder plays in the left area of the outfield.
Centerfielder: The centerfielder is responsible for plays in the center of the outfield.
Right fielder: A right fielder is responsible for plays in right area of the outfield.
Most of the time, infielders deal with ground hits, while outfielders deal with fly outs. Outfielders are sometimes responsible for throwing the ball back to the infield, meaning they need to have a strong throwing arm. In the American League, there are designated hitters. Designated hitters just bat throughout the game. They take over the hitting role for the pitcher.
What is a 6-4-3 double play?
A 6-4-3 double play occurs when the shortstop picks up the ball, then passes it to the second baseman. The second baseman makes the out by stepping on second base then tossing the ball to first. The first baseman then gets the batter out. That way, a double play is turned. 6 is the shortstop. 4 is the second baseman. 3 is the first baseman.
Here's a picture that has numbered all the positions.
How many games are in a season?
There are 162 games in a typical season for the MLB.
Emily, how many outs are there in an inning?
There are three outs in an inning.
How many innings are there in a game?
In Major League Baseball, there are nine innings of baseball. Sometimes, the bottom of the ninth is not played if the home team is already winning. There are other instances when games can be longer or shorter. Games can go into extra innings if the score is tied. Games have to be at least five innings long in order to count. If there is bad weather, games can be delayed. Sometimes they wait for the weather to pass, or they end the game. The game will only officially count if it has been five innings. Otherwise, the game is rescheduled.
"What does that mean?"
In baseball, there are a lot of abbreviations used. Below is a list of common abbreviations you may want to be aware of.
BB: Walk
K: Strikeout (a backwards K means the batter struck out looking)
RBI: Runs Batted In
SLG: Slugging Percentage
AVG: Average
ERA: Earned Run Average
OBP: On Base Percentage
OPS: On Base Plus Slugging
Hopefully, some of this information will be helpful to you in the future. Enjoy baseball season! Batter up!
