| Baseball is played between two teams of
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| | the pitcher's mound — during the entire
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| nine players each on a baseball field,
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| | pitch, so he can only take one step
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| under the authority of one or more
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| | backward and one forward in delivering
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| officials, called umpires. There are
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| | the ball. The catcher's job is to receive
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| usually four umpires in major league
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| | any pitches that the batter does not hit
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| games; up to six (and as few as one) may
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| | and to "call" the game by a series of
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| officiate depending on the league and the
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| | hand movements that signal to the pitcher
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| importance of the game. There are four
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| | what pitch to throw and where. If the
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| bases. Numbered counter-clockwise, first,
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| | pitcher disagrees with the call, he will
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| second and third bases are cushions
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| | "shake off" the catcher by shaking his
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| (sometimes informally referred to as
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| | head; he accepts the sign by nodding.
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| bags) shaped as 15 in (38 cm) squares
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| | Each team has a different set of signals,
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| which are raised a short distance above
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| | though the number 1 is almost universal
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| the ground; together with home plate, the
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| | as a fast ball. The catcher's role
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| fourth "base," they form a square with
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| | becomes more crucial depending on how the
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| sides of 90 ft (27.4 m) called the
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| | game is going, and how the pitcher
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| diamond. Home base (plate) is a
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| | responds to a given situation. Each pitch
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| pentagonal rubber slab known as simply
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| | begins a new play, which might consist of
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| home. The playing field is divided into
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| | nothing more than the pitch itself.
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| three main sections:
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| | Each half-inning, the goal of the
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| The infield, containing the four bases,
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| | defending team is to get three members of
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| is for general defensive purposes bounded
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| | the other team out. A player who is out
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| by the foul lines and within the grass
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| | must leave the field and wait for his
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| line (see figure).
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| | next turn at bat. There are many ways to
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| The outfield is the grassed area beyond
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| | get batters and baserunners out; some of
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| the infield grass line between the foul
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| | the most common are catching a batted
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| lines, and bounded by a wall or fence.
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| | ball in the air, tag outs, force outs,
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| Foul territory is the entire area outside
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| | and strikeouts. After the fielding team
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| the foul lines.
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| | has put out three players from the
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| The game is played in nine innings
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| | opposing team, that half of the inning is
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| (although it can be played with fewer,
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| | over and the team in the field and the
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| such as it is in little league games) in
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| | team at bat switch places; there is no
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| which each team gets one turn to bat and
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| | upper limit to the number that may bat in
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| try to score runs while the other pitches
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| | rotation before three outs are recorded.
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| and defends in the field. An inning is
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| | Going through the entire order in an
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| broken up into two halves in which the
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| | inning is referred to as "batting
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| away team bats in the top (first) half,
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| | around". It is indicative of a high
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| and the home team bats in the bottom
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| | scoring inning. A complete inning
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| (second) half. In baseball, the defense
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| | consists of each opposing side having a
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| always has the ball — a fact that
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| | turn (three outs) on offense.
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| differentiates it from most other team
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| | The goal of the team at bat is to score
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| sports. The teams switch every time the
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| | more runs than the opposition; a player
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| defending team gets three players of the
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| | may do so only by batting, then becoming
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| batting team out. The winner is the team
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| | a base runner, touching all the bases in
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| with the most runs after nine innings. If
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| | order (via one or more plays), and
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| the home team is ahead after the top of
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| | finally touching home plate. To that end,
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| the ninth, play does not continue into
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| | the goal of each batter is to enable
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| the bottom half. In the case of a tie,
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| | baserunners to score or to become a
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| additional innings are played until one
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| | baserunner himself. The batter attempts
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| team comes out ahead at the end of an
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| | to hit the ball into fair territory —
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| inning. If the home team takes the lead
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| | between the baselines — in such a way
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| anytime during the bottom of the ninth or
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| | that the defending players cannot get
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| of any inning thereafter, play stops and
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| | them or the baserunners out. In general,
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| the home team is declared the winner.
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| | the pitcher attempts to prevent this by
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| The basic contest is always between the
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| | pitching the ball in such a way that the
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| pitcher for the fielding team, and a
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| | batter cannot hit it cleanly or, ideally,
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| batter. The pitcher
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| | at all.
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| throws—pitches—the ball towards home
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| | A baserunner who successfully touches
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| plate, where the catcher for the fielding
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| | home plate after touching all previous
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| team waits (in a crouched stance) to
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| | bases in order scores a run. In an
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| receive it. Behind the catcher stands the
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| | enclosed field, a fair ball hit over the
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| home plate umpire. The batter stands in
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| | fence on the fly is normally an automatic
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| one of the batter's boxes and tries to
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| | home run, which entitles the batter and
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| hit the ball with a bat. The pitcher must
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| | all runners to touch all the bases and
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| keep one foot in contact with the top or
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| | score. A home run hit with all bases
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| front of the pitcher's rubber — a 24" x
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| | occupied ('bases loaded') is called a
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| 6" (~ 61 cm x 15 cm) plate located atop
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| | grand slam.
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