Baseball Terms (continued)
Pitches thrown to home plate can be either balls or strikes, as called by the home plate umpire. A strike is called if the pitch is thrown within the strike zone, an imaginary box extending above home plate from the batters knees to his shoulders (according to the official rules), and is not swung at (is taken). The pitch is also called a strike if the batter swings, but misses the pitch. A pitch which is hit foul is a strike – but only if there are less than two strikes against the batter. A pitch that is taken and lands outside of the strike zone is a ball.
A regulation game is divided into nine innings, or turns at bat. A full, numbered, inning ends when each team has taken its turn at bat. Each half inning ends once three outs are recorded. An out can be recorded by strikeout, which occurs when three strikes are called against a batter, or on the bases. Outs on the bases are generally recorded when the baserunner is tagged out with the ball when not in contact with any base. In the special case of the batter running to first base after hitting a ball in fair territory, it is only necessary for the first baseman to catch the ball while in contact with the base for an out to be recorded. A special play which can occur when there are runners on base (usually first base) with less than two outs, in which both the baserunner and batter are made out, is called a double play. A much rarer play called a triple play, where three outs are recorded in one play, is also possible.
A batter can reach base safely by means of a hit or a walk, at which point he becomes known as a baserunner. When the batter hits the ball in fair territory and reaches at least first base safely (i.e., does not make an out), he is said to have recorded a hit. Hits are categorized as singles (first base) doubles (second base), triples (third base), or home runs (when the batter circles all the way around the bases and back to home plate), depending on which base is reached. The most common type of hit is the single, while the ultimate hit, the home run, usually occurs when the batter hits the ball over the outfield wall in fair territory. In contrast, a walk, or base on balls, occurs when the batter takes four balls from the pitcher. A home run hit when the bases are loaded, or when there is a runner at every base, is called a grand slam. One of the most basic batting statistics is batting average, which is simply the number of hits recorded (including home runs), divided by the number of at-bats. Good hitters for average are expected to bat over .280, and excellent hitters for average, .300 or higher.
Once a player has reached base, he is entitled to attempt to advance on his own – that is, advance without the current batter advancing him by some means. When a baserunner advances to the next base safely, a stolen base is said to occur; however, when he is tagged out attempting to steal, it is a caught stealing.
Scoring in baseball is done when a baserunner advances all the way around the bases and touches home plate safely; a score in baseball is called a run. When a home run is hit, the batter, and any runner(s) on base, are each entitled to circle the bases to score a run. When a run scores as a result of a batter’s action (except in the case of a double play which scores a run), the batter is credited with a run batted in, often abbreviated RBI. Runs which score against a pitcher, which are not due to fielding errors, are called earned runs; a common statistic used to judge pitchers is earned run average (ERA), which is the average number of earned runs a pitcher allows per nine innings pitched; lower values of ERA are better. A typical value for the league average ERA these days is in the mid-fours.
While the ultimate measure of a team is how many games it wins, and how many it loses, in baseball wins and losses are associated with pitchers, as well as teams. The rules governing pitching wins, losses, and a category called saves get complicated, so read carefully. A pitcher is awarded with a win when he is the pitcher who last pitched for the winning team at the point at which this team assumed the lead for good. However, the starting pitcher, the pitcher who starts the game for his team, can only be credited with a win if he pitches at least five innings. A loss is given to the pitcher who gives up the lead for good.
A save is awarded to a relief pitcher, a pitcher who comes in to relieve the previous pitcher, when he finishes a game without giving up the lead under certain conditions. These are: first, when his team has a lead of no more than three runs and he pitches at least one inning; second, if he enters the game and finishes the game with the tying run at the plate or on base; third, if he pitches at least three innings, regardless of the score.
In Major League Baseball the ultimate championship series is called the World Series. This is a best-four-of-seven games series played between the winners of the National League and the American League, the two Major Leagues of baseball. The main distinction between the leagues is that, while the American league employs the designated hitter, the National league does not.
These are just some of the more important baseball terms that are used. Hopefully, you will better be able to understand baseball talk when you understand the meanings of these words.
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