What is it About Baseball?

What is it About Baseball?
By Nancy Kelsey Smith
What is it about baseball that has made it such a beloved game in America over the last 150 plus years? There has been a huge fan base for this game since the days of its' inception over 150 years ago and that remains true to this day, although some of its' popularity has now dwindled in favor of other sports such as football, basketball and hockey. Never the less, it remains an extremely popular game for millions of people in this country.

In the early days when baseball was indeed the "national pastime" it was considered almost a religion by some of the fans. This game wedged its' way into the hearts of the American public and became an important part of our national culture. Over the years there has been a seemingly insatiable appetite for this sport among Americans' of all age groups, nationalities and incomes brackets. Although the game today is still enjoyed by millions of fans, it has suffered in popularity due to the rise in interest for other sports such as football, basketball and hockey. Another obstacle has been the apparent widespread use of steroids among prominent major league players which puts a black mark on the sport. This beloved sport that was once considered as wholesome and American as apple pie has been tarnished to a great extent by scandal.

Baseball was at one time considered the sport of choice for most people in this country but that has changed as more financially successful individuals have come to prefer attending sporting events that have much higher ticket prices. These days it seems that baseball appeals more to a blue collar oriented crowd.
Polls taken over the last few years have shown that the interest in baseball has diminished in favor of football at a rate of 2-1.

Even so, baseball remains the sport that receives the greatest attendance of any sport. This is due in large part to the length of the baseball season which is seven months compared to roughly four months for football. In 2008 attendance records indicated that over 78.6 million people were in attendance at baseball games that year.

While baseball has definitely evolved over the years and take some hits in popularity and appeal since its' early days, it remains a game dear to many people in this country.

Nancy Smith is one of the owners of RobbinsSports.com, an online retailer specializing in basketball backboards and punching dummies.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nancy_Kelsey_Smith

Baseball for Dummies

AdvancedSkillsTee.com

I'm writing this article for the person who knows nothing about baseball, the person who doesn't know the difference between the Triple Crown and an unassisted Triple Play. I'm not going to write about the history of baseball so if that's what you want look somewhere else, I'm going to tell you the necessary information so you can sit down on a Saturday afternoon and watch a baseball game. Even if you do know a lot I'm hoping you can learn a little.

Introduction

Baseball is a bat and ball sport played by 2 teams of 9 players a side. The goal of baseball is to score runs by hitting a ball that is thrown by the pitcher and run around the bases. The bases are arranged on the corners of a 90 foot square called the diamond. Players on the batting team take turns hitting while the fielding team tries to get them out. Once a player on the batting team gets on base he can choose to stop in the hope that a teammate will drive him in. The teams switch between batting and fielding when the fielding team gets 3 outs. Once each team gets 3 outs that is an inning, there are 9 innings in a MLB game. The team with the most runs at the end of the game wins.


Major League Baseball

In the United States and Canada the professional baseball league is called Major League Baseball (MLB.) MLB is divided into 2 leagues, the National League (NL) and the American League (AL) which in turn, are divided into 3 divisions: East, Central and West. To determine the champion of baseball MLB uses an 8 team playoff. The teams that make it are all 6 division winners plus a Wild Card. The wild card is the team with the best record that isn’t a division winner. The first round is best of 5 while the second round and the World Series are best of 7. Each major league team has a farm system of minor league teams at various levels. These teams allow players to gain improve while playing against opponents with a similar skill level.


Equipment and Field

There are 4 basic tools in baseball: the bat, the ball, the mitt and the field

The bat is an offensive tool used by the batter that is either wood or aluminum depending on the league. It is a long stick maybe 35 inches long, 2 inches wide and 35 ounces heavy.

The mitt otherwise known as a glove is worn by the fielding team to assist in catching the ball. Mitts take various shapes and sizes to accommodate the needs of individual positions.

A baseball is about the size of a fist and white with red lacing (Although other colors could be used.)

Baseball is played on a field in which the dimensions vary depending on age. However every field has bases which are arranged on a diamond that offensive payers try to run around counterclockwise. The part of the field closest to the bases is the infield and the part farther away is the outfield.


Game Play

Baseball is played in a series of 9 innings, each of which are divided in to 2 halves, top and bottom. In each half-inning, the offensive team attempts to score runs until three of its players are put out. After the third out, the teams switch roles for the other half of the inning. The home team plays defense first, and so plays defense in the top of every inning and offense in the bottom of every inning. At the beginning of each half-inning, the nine defensive players arrange themselves on the field. One defensive player is called the pitcher and stands at the center of the diamond on a designated spot, called the mound or the rubber. Another defensive player is called the catcher and stands on the other side of home plate from the pitcher. Typically four more players are arranged along the lines between first, second, and third bases, and the other three are in the outfield.

Runs are scored as follows: starting at home plate, each offensive player attempts to earn the right to run to the next base of the diamond, then to touch the base at that corner, continuing on to each following base in order, and finally returning to home, whereupon a run is scored. Often an offensive player will achieve a base but be forced to stop there; on future plays the player may continue to advance, or else be put out.

A play begins with an offensive player called a batter standing at home plate, holding a bat. The batter then waits for the pitcher to throw a pitch (the ball) toward home plate, and attempts to hit the ball with the bat. If the batter hits the ball into play, the batter must drop the bat and begin running toward first base. There are other ways to earn the right to run the bases, such as walks or being hit by a pitched ball. The catcher catches pitches that the batter does not hit (either by choice or simple failure to make contact) and returns them to the pitcher.

If the batter fails to hit a well-pitched ball (one within the strike zone) or if he hits it so that it goes outside of the field of play it is called a strike. However, if the ball is hit over the outfield and exits the field there, it is instead (one type of) a Homerun: the batter and all other offensive players on bases may complete a tour of the bases and score a run.

When a batter begins running, he or she is then referred to as a. Runners attempt to reach a base, where they are safe and may remain there. The runner defensive players attempt to prevent this by putting the runners out using the ball; runners put out must leave the field (returning to the bench or Dugout the location where all the other inactive players and managers observe the game).

There are many ways that the team on defense can get an offensive player out. For the sake of simplicity, only the five most common ways are listed here:

1. The Strikeout: occurs when the batter acquires three strikes before hitting the ball (within the field); the batter never becomes a runner.

2. The Groundout: when the batter hits the ball but a defensive player retrieves it after it has touched the ground and throws it to another defensive player standing on first base before the runner arrives there.

3. The Forceout: occurs when a runner is required to run to advance bases ahead of a teammate's hit but fails to reach it before a defensive player reaches the base with the ball. The "ground out" is actually a special case of "force out."

4. The Flyout: if a defensive player catches a hit ball before it touches the ground, the batter (now a runner) is out (regardless of his location).

5. The Tagout: while between bases, a runner is out if a defensive player touches him with a held ball.



Baseball Statistics

Statistics play an important role in summarizing baseball performance and evaluating players in the sport. Since the flow of baseball has natural breaks to it, the game lends itself to easy record keeping and statistics. This makes comparisons between players' on field performance relatively easy, and therefore gives statistics more importance in baseball than in most other sports. Statistics have been kept for professional baseball since the creation of each league.
boondog is a current member of , and he loves to talk sports. He, especially, loves baseball talk.


===================
Baseball Coaching Digest
Baseball Coaching Digest - Today's Post
Baseball Coaching Digest: Daily Post Archive
New Articles for Coaches
Baseball Coaching Articles by Coach Nick Dixon
New Baseball Blogs
Videos for Baseball Coaches

YouthBaseballDigest.com
Homepage
Today's Youth Baseball Coaching Feature Article
Videos for Coaches
Blogs & Knols for Baseball Coaches, Players & Parents

BaseballParentGuide.com
Homepage
Baseball Parent Guide: Today's Post
Baseball Articles for Coaches
Baseball Blogs
Teaching Your Child to Hit
Throwing and Pitching Fundamentals
Buying Guide For Baseball Parents
Current Topics and Issues Related to Safety in Baseball

Also:
Check out our network of baseball blogs:

Blogger (Blogspot) - baseballcoachesdigest
Blogger (Blogspot) - baseballparentguide
Blogger (Blogspot) - baseballhomeworkhelp
Blogger (Blogspot) - batactionbaseballtraining
Blogger (Blogspot) - battingcagebuyingguide
Blogger (Blogspot) - coachesbest
Blogger (Blogspot) - teeballcoachingclinic
Blogger (Blogspot) - hurricanebaseballtrainingmachine
Blogger (Blogspot) - teeballparentsguide
Blogger (Blogspot) - youthbaseballcoachingclinic

Shop CoachesBest.com for your baseball coaching needs including baseball training aids, training videos, and other coaching supplies. Check out the Derek Jeter Hurricane Hitting machine by SKLZ at HurricaneTrainer.com.

See the “Original” Rotational Hitting Machine at BatAction.com. Are you looking for the perfect trainer to teach proper timing and swing mechanics? You can stop looking and go to HandsBackHitter.com.