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[[Image:Busch Stadium.jpg|right|thumb|250px|A professional baseball game at Busch Memorial Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri.]]

[[Image:Busch Stadium.jpg|right|thumb|250px|A professional baseball game at Busch Memorial Stadium, St. Louis, Missouri.]]

'''Baseball''' is an outdoor sport played between two teams of nine players each, with the object of the game for the offensive player to hit the ball with a wooden bat in such a manner as to allow that player to successfully touch each base on a running circuit and scoring a point at the run's completion at home plate.  Extremely popular within the United States, Japan, and Latin America, baseball is played everywhere from neighborhood sandlots and city streets to its culmination in a best-of-seven championship World Series between two professional teams of the American and National Leagues of Major League Baseball.

'''Baseball''', dubbed the [[American]] "National Pasttime" in 1856 (before the [[American Civil War]]),<ref>https://www.loc.gov/exhibitions/baseball-americana/about-this-exhibition/origins-and-early-days/#:~:text=Amateur%20teams%20flourished%20in%20the,the%20sport%20in%20every%20direction.</ref> is an outdoor sport played between two teams of nine players each, whereby the winning team is the one that scores the most "runs".  A run occurs when a player rounds the bases without being tagged out, but while allowed to stop at one of the three intermediate bases in between plays.  Each play consists of a pitcher throwing the ball towards home plate, where a batter attempts to strike it with a bat<ref>Only wooden bats are allowed in professional baseball, while metal bats are allowed at most other levels of baseball.</ref> in the batter's attempt to hit the ball where no fielder can catch it or pick it up and throw it to the first baseman before the batter is able to run to first base.

Baseball has been intertwined within American life and culture like no other sport has.  It has given us record-setting heroes, many of which are still talked about over a century later.  It has given rise to movies, songs, books, magazines, and a lexicon of words and phrases which are part of everyday life.

 

 

Baseball has been intertwined within American life and culture like no other sport has.  It has given us record-setting heroes, many of which are still talked about over a century later.  It has given rise to movies, songs, books, magazines, and a lexicon of words and phrases which are part of everyday life.  Extremely popular within the United States, Japan, and Latin America, baseball is played everywhere from neighborhood sandlots and city streets to its culmination in a best-of-seven championship World Series between two professional teams of the American and National Leagues of Major League Baseball.

==Description==

==Description==

[[File:Baseball-Field-Template.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Diagram of a baseball field]]

[[File:Baseball-Field-Template.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Diagram of a baseball field]]

Baseball is played on a field which is roughly diamond-shaped, with the wide end serving as the outfield.  The infield consists of a square, each side of the square 90 feet long.  The narrow end of the square is the point furthest from the outfield fence at center field, which can be anywhere from 250 to 400 feet away; this point on the square serves as home plate.  The remaining corners serves as first, second, and third bases, running counterclockwise from home plate.  Within the center of the square - 60 feet, 6 inches away - is the pitcher's mound.

Baseball is played on a field which is roughly diamond-shaped, with the wide end serving as the outfield.  The infield consists of a square, each side of the square 90 feet long.  The narrow end of the square is the point furthest from the outfield fence at center field, which can be anywhere from 295 to 450 feet away; this point on the square serves as home plate.  The remaining corners serves as first, second, and third bases, running counterclockwise from home plate.  Within the center of the square - 60 feet, 6 inches away - is the pitcher's mound.

Baseball is one of the very few sports in which the defense controls the ball.  All nine defensive players are on the field during play: three in the outfield (left, center, and right fields); four in the infield (first, second, and third basemen, and shortstop); the catcher behind home plate, and the pitcher on the mound.  The single offensive player takes his place within a batter's box on either side of home plate, and with a bat attempts to hit the ball thrown to him by the pitcher into "fair" territory such that it is not caught in the air and gives the batter time to run to a base.  The offense strives to advance these baserunners until they circle the three [[infield]] bases in order and get back to home plate, resulting in the scoring of a run.  The only offensive players on the field at any other time besides the batter are those who successfully made it onto one of the three bases.   

Baseball is one of the very few sports in which the defense controls the ball.  All nine defensive players are on the field during play: three in the outfield (left, center, and right fields); four in the infield (first, second, and third basemen, and shortstop); the catcher behind home plate, and the pitcher on the mound.  The single offensive player takes his place within a batter's box on either side of home plate, and with a bat attempts to hit the ball thrown to him by the pitcher into "fair" territory such that it is not caught in the air and gives the batter time to run to a base.  The offense strives to advance these baserunners until they circle the three [[infield]] bases in order and get back to home plate, resulting in the scoring of a run.  The only offensive players on the field at any other time besides the batter are those who successfully made it onto one of the three bases.   

A baseball game is divided into nine innings; each inning consists of both teams having their turns at bat.  A "strike" is called when the batter swings and misses a fairly-thrown ball; three strikes results in an "out", which in its basic description means the failure of the batter to reach base.  Three outs ends that team's attempt during the inning, and they must go to the field for defense.  The game is over when one team has a greater score than the other at the end of the ninth inning; if the game is tied after nine innings, additional innings are played until there is a winner.

A baseball game is divided into nine innings; each inning consists of both teams having their turns at bat.  A "strike" is called when the batter swings and misses a fairly-thrown ball; three strikes results in an "out", which in its basic description means the failure of the batter to reach base.  Three outs end that team's attempt during the inning, and they must go to the field for defense.  The game is over when one team has a greater score than the other at the end of the ninth inning; if the game is tied after nine innings, additional innings are played until there is a winner.

===Equipment===

===Equipment===

[[Image:Baseball worn.jpg|right|200px|thumb|A well-used baseball]]

[[Image:Baseball worn.jpg|right|200px|thumb|A well-used baseball]]

The baseball itself is 9-9.25 inches in circumference, and weighs between 5-5.25 oz.  The core is made of rubber and cork, wound tightly with woolen yarn, and sealed with a two-piece leather casing closed off with 108 double-stitches in waxed red thread.<ref>http://baseballtips.com/weblog/how-many-stitches-does-a-baseball-have-2/</ref>   

The baseball itself is 9-9.25 inches in circumference and weighs between 5-5.25 oz.  The core is made of rubber and cork, wound tightly with woolen yarn, and sealed with a two-piece leather casing closed off with 108 double-stitches in waxed red thread.<ref>http://baseballtips.com/weblog/how-many-stitches-does-a-baseball-have-2/</ref>   

The bat is made of wood - primarily ash - and is up to 2.75 inches thick at the striking end, and up to 42 inches long.  At one time in professional games aluminum bats were used; they have since been removed, and are sometimes used during amateur games.  In a version of baseball known as "stickball" played by kids in some inner cities, the bat consists of little more than a broom handle.

The bat is made of wood - primarily ash - and is up to 2.75 inches thick at the striking end, and up to 42 inches long.  At one time in professional games aluminum bats were used; they have since been removed, and are sometimes used during amateur games.  In a version of baseball known as "stickball" played by kids in some inner cities, the bat consists of little more than a broom handle.

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== References and notes ==

== References and notes ==

*[http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/baseball/beginners/glossary.html Baseball Glossary] WETA.

*[https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/baseball/beginners/glossary.html Baseball Glossary] WETA.

*[http://www.nocryinginbaseball.com/glossary/glossary.html Baseball Glossary OF TERMS]  

*[http://www.nocryinginbaseball.com/glossary/glossary.html Baseball Glossary OF TERMS]  

*[http://www.baseball-reference.com/about/pitch_glossary.shtml Pitching Glossary]

*[http://www.baseball-reference.com/about/pitch_glossary.shtml Pitching Glossary]