Force playPlay in baseball where a runner is forced to vacate his base Fielders often throw the ball to each other to secure a force play. In baseball, a force play or force out occurs when a runner is required to advance to a base which a player on the opposing team has already reached while in possession of the ball.
First basemanA first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majority of plays made at that base. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the first baseman is assigned the number 3.InfielderAn infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field, between first base and third base. Standard arrangement of positionsIn a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles. Although there are many rules to baseball, in general the team playing offense tries to score runs by batting balls into the field that enable runners to make a complete circuit of the four bases.
Out (baseball)In baseball, an out occurs when the umpire rules a batter or baserunner out. When a batter or runner is out, they lose their ability to score a run and must return to the dugout until their next turn at bat. When three outs are recorded in a half-inning, the batting team's turn expires. To signal an out, an umpire generally makes a fist with one hand, and then flexes that arm either upward, particularly on pop flies, or forward, particularly on routine plays at first base.
BaseballBat-and-ball gameBaseball is a bat-and-ballsport 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 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.
Base runningIn baseball, base running is the act of running from base to base, performed by members of the team at bat. Base running is a tactical part of the game with the goal of eventually reaching home base (home plate) to score a run. Batters strive to become base runners, and to enable existing base runners to move to a subsequent base or to score. In statistics, the number of baserunners (for example those allowed by a pitcher) is denoted by the abbreviation BR.
2023 Major League Baseball seasonSports seasonAstrosAngels AthleticsMarinersRangersWhite SoxGuardians Tigers RoyalsTwinsOriolesRedSoxYankeesRaysBlueJaysLocations of AL teams for the 2022–2024 MLB seasonsWest Central EastDiamondbacksRockiesDodgersPadres GiantsCubsRedsBrewersPirates CardinalsBravesMarlinsMetsPhilliesNationalsLocations of NL teams for the 2017–present MLB seasonsWest Central EastThe 2023 Major League Baseball season (MLB) began on March 30, while the regular season ended on October 1.
Baseball statisticsBaseball statistics collect a variety of metrics used to evaluate player and team performance in the sport of baseball. Because the flow of a baseball game has natural breaks, and player performance is individually measurable, the sport lends itself to easy record-keeping and compiling statistics.
Major League BaseballNorth American professional baseball leagueMajor League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league in North America composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada and is considered the premier baseball league in the world.
SoftballSoftball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams on a diamond-shaped field, who take turns batting and fielding. There are two primary forms: Fast-pitch and slow-pitch. In both forms, the pitcher throws the ball underhand to batters. In fast-pitch, the ball is typically thrown with a "windmill" motion and releasing the ball at hip level. Pitchers throw balls up to 77 miles per hour (124 km/h).
Season (sports)In an organized sports league, a typical season is the portion of one year in which regulated games of the sport are in session: for example, in Major League Baseball the season lasts approximately from the last week of March to the last week of September.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.