The Mound | London Series 2020

Let's play ball

The Basics

Play Ball! Baseball is a game between two teams of nine players each, under direction of a manager, played on an enclosed field. The offensive team’s objective is to have its batter become a runner, and its runners advance around the bases to score runs. The defensive team’s objective is to prevent offensive players from becoming runners and scoring runs. When a batter becomes a runner and touches all bases legally, he scores one run for his team. The objective of each team is to win by scoring more runs than the opponent. The winner of the game is the team that scores the greater number of runs at the conclusion of a regulation game.

Equipment

Players on offense wear a helmet to protect their heads while batting and running around the bases. All defensive players use leather gloves to help catch and field baseballs.The “catcher” wears additional protective gear including padding and a helmet with face mask.

Runs

Runs determine the score. A run is scored when an offensive player safely touches first, second, third, and home bases, in that order.

innings

A portion of a game where each team takes a turn at batting and fielding. A game is divided into nine innings with two halves; a top and a bottom. (The away team in this two-game London Series 2020…)

Ball

A “ball” is a pitch which does not enter the “strike zone” in flight and is not struck by the batter. If the pitch touches the ground and bounces through the strike zone it is a “ball.” When batters get four “balls,” they receive a “walk,” and advance to first base.

strikes

A strike is called by the umpire when a pitch is thrown into the “strike zone”and the batter either doesn’t swing, swings and misses the ball, or swings and hits a “foul ball” outside the field of play. A player “strikes out” when he receives three strikes.

out

There are three outs per inning, per team. A player is called “out” by the umpire in the following situations: they are tagged with the ball while running between bases, a fielder with the ball touches a base the runner is forced to reach before he arrives, a batter’s “fly ball” is caught by a fielder before it touches the ground, or they “strike out.” After a team receives three outs, the opposing team bats.

Baseball terms to get you started

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Pitcher

The fielder designated to deliver the pitch to the batter.

Pitch

A ball delivered to the batter by the pitcher. All other deliveries of the ball by one player to another are thrown balls.

Catcher

The fielder who takes his position behind home plate and catches pitches from the pitcher.

OUTFIELDER

A fielder who occupies a position in the outfield, which is the area of the playing field most distant from home base.

Strike zone

The “strike zone” is the area over home plate where the pitcher must throw the baseball to be considered a “strike.” The upper limit of the strike zone is a horizontal line at the midpoint between the top of the shoulders and the top of the uniform pants. The lower level is a line at the hollow beneath the kneecap.

HITS

There are multiple ways that batters attempt to earn a “hit.” A “Ground Ball” is a batted ball that rolls or bounces close to the ground. A “Fly Ball” is a batted ball that goes high in the air in flight. A “bunt” is a batted ball not swung at, but intentionally met with the bat and tapped slowly within the infield. A “line drive” is a batted ball that goes sharp and direct from the bat to a fielder without touching the ground.

FOUL BALL

A batted ball that settles on foul territory between home and first base, or between home and third base, or that first falls or bounds past first or third base on or over foul territory.

Walk

Also known as a “base on balls” is an award of first base granted to a batter who, during his time at bat, receives four pitches outside the strike zone.

SAFE

A declaration by the umpire that a runner is entitled to the base for which he was trying.

HOME RUN

Occurs when the batter touches all bases and scores during the same play, usually after hitting the ball out of play and within fair territory.