Baseball
A view of the playing field at Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois
First played	June 4, 1838 in Beachville, Ontario, Canada (first time ever recorded)
Characteristics
Team Members	9 at a time
Category	Bat-and-ball
Ball	Baseball
Olympic	1912

Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. Wrigley Field is a Baseball Stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. Events 781 BC - The first historic Solar eclipse is recorded in China. Year 1838 ( MDCCCXXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Ontario (ɒnˈtɛrioʊ is a province located in the central part of Canada, the largest by population and second largest after Quebec Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Bat-and-ball redirects here See also Bat & Ball railway station and Bat & Ball Inn Clanfield. BALL ( Biochemical Algorithms Library) is a C++ library containing common algorithms used in Biochemistry and Bioinformatics. A baseball is a Ball used primarily in the sport of the same name Baseball. The Olympic Games is an international Multi-sport event established for both summer and winter games Bat-and-ball redirects here See also Bat & Ball railway station and Bat & Ball Inn Clanfield. Sport is an Activity that is governed by a set of rules or Customs and often engaged in competitively Team sport refers to Sports that are practiced between opposing teams where the players interact directly and simultaneously between them to achieve an objective The goal of baseball is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four markers called bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot square, or diamond. In Baseball, a run is scored when a player advances safely around first second and third base and returns safely to Home plate, touching A baseball bat is a smooth wooden or metal club used in the game of Baseball to hit the ball after the ball is thrown by the pitcher. A baseball field or baseball diamond is the field upon which the game of Baseball is played Players on one team (the batting team) take turns hitting while the other team (the fielding team) tries to stop them from scoring runs by getting hitters out in any of several ways. In Baseball, an out occurs when the defensive or fielding, team effects any of a number of different events and the umpire rules a batter A player on the batting team can stop at any of the bases and hope to score on a teammate's hit. The teams switch between batting and fielding whenever the fielding team gets three outs. One turn at bat for each team constitutes an inning; nine innings make up a professional game. An inning, or innings, is a fixed-length segment of a game in any of a variety of Sports &ndash most notably Cricket and Baseball during The team with the most runs at the end of the game wins.

Baseball on the professional, amateur, and youth levels is popular in North America, Central America, parts of South America and the Caribbean, and parts of East Asia and Southeast Asia. South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting The modern version of the game developed in North America, beginning in the eighteenth century. The consensus of historians is that it evolved from earlier bat-and-ball games, such as cricket and rounders, brought to the continent by British and Irish immigrants. Cricket is a bat-and-ball team Sport that originated in England and is now played in more than 100 countries Rounders ( Irish: cluiche corr) is a Sport played between two teams each alternating between batting and fielding By the late nineteenth century, baseball was widely recognized as the national sport of the United States. A national sport is a Sport or Game that is considered to be a intrinsic part of the culture of a Nation. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The game is sometimes referred to as hardball in contrast to the very similar game of softball. Softball is a team Sport popular especially in the United States.

In North America, professional Major League Baseball teams are divided into the National League (NL) and American League (AL). The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the National League ( NL) is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League ( AL) is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in Each league has three divisions: East, West, and Central. Every year, the champion of Major League Baseball is determined by playoffs culminating in the World Series. A playoff or final in Sports is a game or series of games played after the regular season is over with the goal of determining a league champion or a similar accolade For other events named "World Series" see World Series (disambiguation. Four teams make the playoffs from each league: the three regular season division winners, plus one wild card team. The term wild card refers broadly to a Tournament or Playoff berth awarded to an individual or team that has not qualified through normal play The wild card is the team with the best record among the non–division winners in the league. In the National League, the pitcher is required to bat, per the traditional rules. In Baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the Pitcher's mound toward the Catcher to begin each play with the goal of In the American League, there is a tenth player, a designated hitter, who bats for the pitcher. In Baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6 Each major league team has a "farm system" of minor league teams at various levels. In sports a farm team, feeder team or nursery club, generally refers to a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players with an These teams allow younger players to develop as they gain on-field experience against opponents with similar levels of skill.

Contents 1 History of baseball 1.1 Origins of baseball 1.2 History of baseball in the United States 1.3 Baseball around the world 2 Rules and gameplay 3 Other personnel 4 Baseball's unique style 4.1 Time element 4.2 Individual and team 4.3 The uniqueness of each baseball park 5 Statistics 6 Popularity 7 Organized leagues 8 See also 8.1 General information 8.2 Culture 8.3 Related sports 9 Notes 10 Sources and further reading 10.1 Published 10.2 Online 11 External links

History of baseball

Part of the Baseball series on History of baseball

• Origins of baseball • Early years • First league • New York rules • Massachusetts rules • Alexander Cartwright • Abner Doubleday • First pro team • First pro league • Derived from: • Cricket • Compared to baseball • Rounders • Town ball • History of baseball in: • the United States • Worldwide • the United Kingdom • Canada • Japan • Cuba • Netherlands • Negro league baseball • Minor league baseball • Ken Burns' documentary • Baseball Hall of Fame • Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) • Baseball year-by-year • MLB season-by-season

Baseball Portal  v • d • e

Main article: History of baseball

Origins of baseball

Main article: Origins of baseball

The distinct evolution of baseball from among the various bat-and-ball games is difficult to trace with precision. The history of Baseball can be broken down into various aspects by era by locale by organizational-type game evolution as well as by political and cultural influence The question of the origins of baseball has been the subject of debate and controversy for more than a century Part of the History of baseball series Champions National Association of Base Ball Players The National Association of Base Ball Players (NABBP was the first organization governing American Baseball. The Knickerbocker Rules are a set of Baseball rules formalized by Alexander Cartwright in 1845 The Massachusetts Game was a type of Amateur club Baseball popular in 19th century New England. Alexander Cartwright II ( April 17 1820 – July 12 1892) was officially credited by the United States Congress on Abner Doubleday (June 26 1819 &ndash January 26 1893 was a career United States Army officer and Union general in the American Civil War. The Cincinnati Red Stockings of 1869 were Baseball 's first openly all-professional team The National Association of Professional Base Ball Players (NAPBBP or simply the National Association (NA was founded in 1871 and lasted through the 1875 season Cricket is a bat-and-ball team Sport that originated in England and is now played in more than 100 countries Baseball and Cricket at the professional level are the best-known members of a family of related bat-and-ball games Rounders ( Irish: cluiche corr) is a Sport played between two teams each alternating between batting and fielding The term town ball, or townball, describes the Bat-and-ball, Safe haven games played in North America in the 18th and 19th centuries which were The History of baseball in the United States can be traced to the 18th century when amateurs played a baseball-like game by their own informal rules using improvised equipment Perhaps the first recorded instances of baseball played outside North America came in 1874 when a party comprising members of the Boston and Philadelphia clubs toured Although Baseball is now considered to have originated from England in the United Kingdom around 1755 it was many years before it became a widely known sport The historic London Tecumsehs were a professional men's baseball team in London Ontario, Canada, that were first formed in 1868 — a merger of the Forest City Base The sport of Baseball was introduced to Japan in 1872 by Horace Wilson, and the first formal team was established in 1878 The Cuban League was one of the earliest and longest lasting professional baseball leagues outside of the United States, operating in Cuba from 1878 to 1961 Baseball in the Netherlands started in in Amsterdam. The first league (now the Honkbal Hoofdklasse) began in. Part of the History of baseball in the United States series The Negro leagues were American professional Baseball leagues Part of the History of baseball series Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of Professional baseball leagues in North Baseball A Film by Ken Burns is an Emmy Award -winning 1994 documentary series by Ken Burns about the game of Baseball. The Society for American Baseball Research was established in Cooperstown New York, in August 1971 This is a list of seasons of Major League Baseball. 1870s 1876 • 1877 • 1878 • 1879 1880s The history of Baseball can be broken down into various aspects by era by locale by organizational-type game evolution as well as by political and cultural influence The question of the origins of baseball has been the subject of debate and controversy for more than a century Oina, a very similar bat-and-ball traditional game played in Romania was mentioned for the first time during the rule of King Vlaicu Voda, in 1364. For the Brachiopod Genus, see Oina (brachiopod. Oina ('ojna is a Romanian traditional ball sport Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania Vladislav I (Владислав I of the Basarab dynasty, also known as Vlaicu-Vodă was a ruler of the Principality of Wallachia (an area in ^[1] While there has been general agreement that modern baseball is a North American development from the older game rounders, the 2006 book Baseball Before We Knew It: A Search for the Roots of the Game, by David Block, argues against that notion. Rounders ( Irish: cluiche corr) is a Sport played between two teams each alternating between batting and fielding ^[2] Several references to "baseball" and "bat-and-ball" have been found in British and American documents of the early eighteenth century. ^[3] The earliest known description is in a 1744 British publication, A Little Pretty Pocket-Book, by John Newbery. ^[4] It contains a wood-cut illustration of boys playing "base-ball," showing a baseball set-up roughly similar to the modern game, and a rhymed description of the sport. The earliest known unambiguous American discussion of "baseball" was published in a 1791 Pittsfield, Massachusetts, town bylaw that prohibited the playing of the game within 80 yards (70 m) of the town's new meeting house. ^[5] The English novelist Jane Austen made a reference to children playing "base-ball" on a village green in her book Northanger Abbey, which was written between 1798 and 1803 (though not published until 1818). Jane Austen (16 For films named Northanger Abbey see Northanger Abbey (1986 film or Northanger Abbey (2007 TV drama.

The first full documentation of a baseball game in North America is Dr. Adam Ford's contemporary description of a game that took place in 1838 on June 4 (Militia Muster Day) in Beachville, Ontario, Canada; this report was related in an 1886 edition of Sporting Life magazine in a letter by former St. Marys, Ontario, resident Dr. Events 781 BC - The first historic Solar eclipse is recorded in China. Ontario (ɒnˈtɛrioʊ is a province located in the central part of Canada, the largest by population and second largest after Quebec Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page St Marys is a Town in southwestern Ontario, Canada. It is located on the Thames River southwest of Stratford Matthew Harris. In 1845, Alexander Cartwright of New York City led the codification of an early list of rules (the so-called Knickerbocker Rules), from which today's have evolved. Alexander Cartwright II ( April 17 1820 – July 12 1892) was officially credited by the United States Congress on The Knickerbocker Rules are a set of Baseball rules formalized by Alexander Cartwright in 1845 He had also initiated the replacement of the soft ball used in rounders with a smaller hard ball. ^[6] While there are reports of Cartwright's club, the New York Knickerbockers, playing games in 1845, the game now recognized as the first in U. The New York Knickerbockers were one of the first organized Baseball teams which played under a set of rules similar to the game today S. history to be officially recorded took place on June 19, 1846, in Hoboken, New Jersey, with the "New York Nine" defeating the Knickerbockers, 23–1, in four innings. Events 1179 - The Norwegian Battle of Kalvskinnet outside Nidaros. For the game see 1846 (board game. Year 1846 ( MDCCCXLVI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display Hoboken is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.

History of baseball in the United States

Main article: History of baseball in the United States

Semiprofessional baseball started in the United States in the 1860s; in 1869, the first fully professional baseball club, the Cincinnati Red Stockings, was formed and went undefeated against a schedule of semipro and amateur teams. The History of baseball in the United States can be traced to the 18th century when amateurs played a baseball-like game by their own informal rules using improvised equipment The Cincinnati Red Stockings of 1869 were Baseball 's first openly all-professional team By the following decade, American newspapers were referring to baseball as the "National Pastime" or "National Game. " The first attempt at forming a "major league" was the National Association, which lasted from 1871 to 1875. The National Association of Professional Base Ball Players (NAPBBP or simply the National Association (NA was founded in 1871 and lasted through the 1875 season The "major league" status of the NA is in dispute among present-day baseball historians, and Major League Baseball does not include the NA among the major leagues. Whether to cover the National Association as a major league is a recurring and crucial matter of difference in historical work on American Baseball &mdashthat is The National League, which still exists, was founded in 1876 in response to the NA's shortcomings. The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the National League ( NL) is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball Several other major leagues formed and failed, but the American League, which evolved from the minor Western League (1893) and was established in 1901 as a major league, succeeded. The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League ( AL) is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in The two leagues were initially rivals that actively fought for the best players, often disregarding one another's contracts and engaging in bitter legal disputes. A modicum of peace was established in 1903, and the World Series was inaugurated that fall, albeit without formal major league sanction or governance. For other events named "World Series" see World Series (disambiguation. The next year, the National League champion New York Giants did not participate, as their manager, John McGraw, refused to recognize the major league status of the American League and its champion, the Boston Americans who beat the Pittsburgh Pirates in the first World Series. The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in, that currently play in the National League West Division. The Boston Red Sox are a Professional baseball team based in Boston Massachusetts, and are the reigning (2007 World Series Champions. The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The following year, Giants' management relented, and actually led the formal establishment of rules that standardized the format of the World Series and made participation compulsory.

Compared with the present day, games in the early part of the 20th century were lower scoring and pitchers were more successful. The "inside game", whose nature was to "scratch for runs", was played more violently and aggressively than it is today. Ty Cobb said of his era especially, "Baseball is something like a war!" This period, which has since become known as the "dead-ball era", ended in the 1920s with several rule changes that gave advantages to hitters and the rise of the legendary baseball player Babe Ruth, who showed the world what power hitting could produce, altering the nature of the game. Tyrus Raymond "Ty" Cobb (December 18 1886 – July 17 1961 nicknamed " The Georgia Peach," was a baseball player and is regarded by historians The dead-ball era is a Baseball term used to describe the period between 1900 (though some date it to the beginning of baseball) and the emergence of Babe Ruth George Herman Ruth Jr (February 6 1895 &ndash August 16 1948 also popularly known as " Babe " " The Bambino " and " The Sultan of Two of the changes introduced were the construction of additional seating to accommodate the rising popularity of the game, which often had the effect of bringing the outfield fences closer to the infield in the largest parks; and the introduction of strict rules governing the size, shape and construction of the ball which, coupled with superior materials becoming available following World War I, caused the ball to travel farther when hit. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The aggregate result of these two changes was to enable batters to hit many more home runs.

In 1884, African American Moses Walker (and, briefly, his brother Welday) had played for the Toledo Blue Stockings of the major league American Association. African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa Moses Fleetwood "Fleet" Walker ( October 7 1857 &ndash May 11 1924) was an American Major League Baseball player The Toledo Blue Stockings formed as a minor league Baseball team in Toledo Ohio in 1883. This article refers to the former Baseball major league that existed from 1882 to 1891 An injury ended Walker's major league career, and by the early 1890s, a "gentlemen's agreement" in the form of the baseball color line effectively barred African-American players from the majors and their affiliated minor leagues, resulting in the formation of several Negro Leagues. The baseball color line, sometimes called the " Gentleman's Agreement " was the policy unwritten for nearly its entire duration which excluded African Part of the History of baseball in the United States series The Negro leagues were American professional Baseball leagues There was never any formal segregation rule in baseball, which presented an opportunity for integration for someone bold enough to attempt it. The first crack in the unwritten agreement occurred in 1946, when Jackie Robinson was signed by the National League's Brooklyn Dodgers and began playing for their minor league team in Montreal. Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson (January 31 1919 – October 24 1972 was a Baseball player for the Brooklyn Dodgers. The Los Angeles Dodgers are a Major League Baseball team based in Los Angeles California, USA Finally, in 1947, the major leagues' color barrier was broken when Robinson debuted with the Dodgers. Larry Doby debuted in the American League the same year. Lawrence Eugene "Larry" Doby ( December 13, 1923 – June 18, 2003) was an American professional Baseball player Although the transformation was not instantaneous, baseball has since become fully integrated. Racial integration, or simply integration includes Desegregation (the process of ending systematic Racial segregation)

Major League baseball finally made it to the West Coast of the United States in 1958, when the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants relocated to Los Angeles and San Francisco respectively. The Los Angeles Dodgers are a Major League Baseball team based in Los Angeles California, USA The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in, that currently play in the National League West Division. The first American League team on the West Coast was the Los Angeles Angels, who were founded as an expansion team in 1961. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California.

Pitchers dominated the game in the 1960s and early 1970s. In the early 1970s the designated hitter (DH) rule was proposed. In Baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6 The American League adopted this rule in 1973, though pitchers still bat for themselves in the National League to this day. The DH rule now constitutes the primary difference between the two leagues.

Despite the popularity of baseball, and the attendant high salaries relative to those of average Americans, the players have become dissatisfied from time to time, as they believed the owners had too much control and retained an unfair share of the money. Various job actions have occurred throughout the game's history. Players on specific teams occasionally attempted strikes, but usually came back when their jobs were sufficiently threatened. The throwing of the 1919 World Series, the "Black Sox scandal", was in some sense a "strike" or at least a rebellion by the ballplayers against a perceived stingy owner. The 1919 World Series matched the American League champion Chicago White Sox against the National League champion Cincinnati Reds. The Black Sox Scandal refers to a number of events that took place around and during the play of the 1919 World Series. But the strict rules of baseball contracts tended to keep the players "in line" in general.

This began to change in 1966 when former United Steelworkers chief economist (and assistant to the president) Marvin Miller became the Baseball Players Union executive director. Template talkInfobox Union for usage --> The United Steel Paper and Forestry Rubber Manufacturing Energy Allied Industrial Marvin Julian Miller (born April 14 1917) is the former executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA from 1966 The Major League Baseball Players Association (or MLBPA) is the union of professional major-league baseball players The union became much stronger than it had been previously, especially when the reserve clause was effectively nullified in the mid-1970s. Conflicts between owners and the players' union led to major work stoppages in 1972, 1981, and 1994. The 1994 baseball strike led to the cancellation of the World Series, and was not settled until the spring of 1995. The 1994 Major League baseball strike was the eighth work stoppage in Baseball history as well as the fourth in-season work stoppage During this period, as well, many of the functions — such as player discipline and umpire supervision — and regulations that had been administered separately by the two major leagues' administrations were united under the rubric of Major League Baseball.

The number of home runs increased dramatically after the strike. Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa both surpassed Roger Maris's long-standing single season home run record in 1998. Mark David McGwire (born October 1 1963 in Pomona California) is a former professional baseball player who played the majority of his Major League career with the Samuel Peralta Sosa (born November 12, 1968 in San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic) is a Right fielder who is currently Roger Eugene Maris ( September 10 1934 &ndash December 14 1985) was an American Right fielder in Major League Baseball In 2001, Barry Bonds established the current record of 73 home runs in a single season. Barry Lamar Bonds (born July 24 1964 is a Major League Baseball Outfielder who is currently a Free agent. In 2007, Bonds became MLB's all-time home run leader, surpassing Hank Aaron's total of 755. Henry Louis "Hank" Aaron (born February 5 1934 in Mobile Alabama) nicknamed "Hammer" "Hammerin' Hank” or "Bad Henry” is a retired Even though all three sluggers (McGwire, Sosa, and Bonds) have been accused in the steroid-abuse scandal of the mid-2000s, their feats did do a lot at the time to bolster the game's renewed popularity. A steroid is a Terpenoid Lipid characterized by a Carbon skeleton with four fused rings generally arranged in a 6-6-6-5 fashion

Currently, baseball makes up around 20 percent of the franchise sports industry. The team with the highest average game attendance is the New York Yankees, with 51,848 spectators. The New York Yankees are closely followed by the Los Angeles Dodgers (46,400) and the New York Mets (42,327). The 30 Major League Baseball teams earned $5. 11 billion in revenue in 2006. ^[7]

Baseball around the world

Main article: History of baseball outside the United States

Baseball is largely known as America's pastime, but has a fan base in several other countries as well. Perhaps the first recorded instances of baseball played outside North America came in 1874 when a party comprising members of the Boston and Philadelphia clubs toured The history of baseball in Canada has remained closely linked with that of the sport in the United States. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page As early as 1877, a professional league, the International Association, featured teams from both countries. While baseball is widely played in Canada, and many minor league teams have been based in the country, the American major leagues did not include a Canadian club until 1969, when the Montreal Expos joined the National League as an expansion team. Franchise history Creation of the franchise In 1960 Montreal lost its International League team the Montreal Royals (an affiliate of In 1977, the expansion Toronto Blue Jays joined the American League. The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays won the World Series in 1992 and 1993, the first and still the only club from outside the United States to do so. In 2004, Major League Baseball relocated the Expos to Washington, D. C. , where the team is now known as the Nationals. The Washington Nationals is an American professional baseball team based in Washington D

The first formal baseball league outside of the United States and Canada was founded in 1878 in Cuba, which maintains a rich baseball tradition and whose national team has been one of the world's strongest since international play began in the late 1930s. The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la Professional baseball leagues began to form in other countries between the world wars, including the Netherlands (formed in 1922), Australia (1934), Japan (1936), and Puerto Rico (1938). The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Puerto Rico (ˌpwertoˈriko officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ("Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" {{lang-en|"Associated Free State of Puerto Rico"}} After World War II, professional leagues were founded in Italy (1948) and in many Latin American nations, most prominently Venezuela (1945), Mexico (1945), and the Dominican Republic (1951). World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. The Dominican Republic ( Spanish: República Dominicana;) is a nation located in the Caribbean region and shares the island of Hispaniola with In Asia, Korea (1982), Taiwan (1990), and China (2003) all have professional leagues. Korea is a geographic area composed of two sovereign countries a civilization and a former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. Taiwan ( Taiwanese: Tâi-oân/Tāi-oân (historically 大灣/台員/大員/台圓/大圓/台窩灣 is an Island in East Asia. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National

Many European countries have pro leagues as well, the most successful beside the Dutch being the Italian league founded in 1948. Compared to those in Asia and Latin America, the various European leagues and the one in Australia historically have had no more than niche appeal. Recently, the sport has begun to grow in popularity in those nations, most notably in Australia, which won a surprise silver medal in the 2004 Olympic Games. The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was an International Multi-sport event which was celebrated In 2007, the Israel Baseball League, featuring six teams, was launched. The Israel Baseball League (IBL ( Hebrew: ליגת הבייסבול הישראלית Liget ha-Beisbol ha-Israelit) was a professional six-team Baseball Competition between national teams, such as in the Baseball World Cup and the Olympic baseball tournament, has been administered by the International Baseball Federation since its formation in 1938. The Baseball World Cup is an international tournament in which national Baseball teams from around the world compete Baseball at the Summer Olympics had its unofficial debut at the 1904 Summer Games and has been contested in 12 Olympiads (including The International Baseball Federation ( IBAF) is the worldwide governing body for the sport of baseball As of 2004, the organization has 112 member countries.

Since the early 1970s, the annual Caribbean Series has matched the league-winning clubs from Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic. The Caribbean Series is a Baseball tournament the brainchild of the Venezuelans Oscar "El Negro" Prieto and Pablo Morales, who devised the idea The Confédération Européene de Baseball (European Baseball Confederation), founded in 1953, organizes a number of competitions between clubs from different countries as well as national squads. The inaugural World Baseball Classic, held in March 2006, had a much higher profile than previous tournaments featuring national teams, owing to the participation for the first time of a significant number of players from Major League Baseball. The World Baseball Classic, sometimes abbreviated WBC, is an international Baseball tournament first held in March 2006.

The 117th meeting of the International Olympic Committee, held in Singapore in July 2005, voted not to hold baseball and softball tournaments at the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, but they will remain Olympic sports during the 2008 Summer Olympic Games and will be put to vote again for each succeeding Summer Olympics. Softball is a team Sport popular especially in the United States. The Olympic sports comprise all the Sports contested in the Summer and Winter Olympic Games. The elimination of baseball and softball from the 2012 Olympic program enabled the IOC to consider adding two different sports to the program, but no other sport received the majority vote required for inclusion. While baseball's lack of substantial appeal in much of the world was a factor; more important is the unwillingness of Major League Baseball to have a break during the Games so that its players can participate, something that the National Hockey League now does during the Winter Olympic Games. The National Hockey League ( NHL) is a professional Ice hockey league composed of 30 teams in North America The Winter Olympic Games are a winter Multi-sport event held every four years Because of the seasonal nature of baseball and the high priority its fans place on the integrity of major-league statistics from one season to the next, it would be more difficult to accommodate such a break in Major League Baseball.

For further information, see also:

• Baseball in Cuba
• Baseball in the United Kingdom
• Baseball in Japan

Rules and gameplay

Main article: Baseball rules

A single game is played by two teams, who, during the course of a game, alternate playing offense and defense. Baseball is the official sport of Cuba. The Early years (1864 - 1874 Baseball was introduced to Cuba in the 1860s by Cubans who studied in the Although Baseball is now considered to have originated from England in the United Kingdom around 1755 it was many years before it became a widely known sport The sport of Baseball was introduced to Japan in 1872 by Horace Wilson, and the first formal team was established in 1878 Baseball rules differ slightly from league to league but in general share the same basic gameplay In sports offense or offence (see American and British English spelling differences; pronounced with first-syllable stress also known as attack, is the In many team Sports defense or defence (see spelling differences) is the action of preventing an opponent from scoring Each alternation is called an "inning", and there are usually 9 innings in a game. An inning, or innings, is a fixed-length segment of a game in any of a variety of Sports &ndash most notably Cricket and Baseball during A "season" is played over the course of many months by a group of teams, called a league. Each team in the league plays all the other teams in the league a fixed number of times, though it is not always in round robin format. The term round-robin describes correspondence to a single Address authored or signed by numerous individuals (as found in a Petition) At the end of the season, the team with the most wins is the winner of the regular season. A win is a Statistic in Major League Baseball credited to the Pitcher for the winning team who was in the game when his team last took the lead

The goal of a game is to score more points, which are called "runs" in the language of baseball, than the other team. Each team, usually composed of 9 players, attempts to score runs while on offense, by completing a tour of the bases, which form a square-shaped figure called a "diamond. A baseball field or baseball diamond is the field upon which the game of Baseball is played " A tour starts at home plate and proceeds counter-clockwise. A baseball field or baseball diamond is the field upon which the game of Baseball is played A clockwise motion is one that proceeds 'like the Clock 's hands' from the top to the right then down and then to the left and back to the top See the image below.

There are four basic tools of baseball: the bat, the ball, the mitt, and the field. A baseball field or baseball diamond is the field upon which the game of Baseball is played A baseball bat is a smooth wooden or metal club used in the game of Baseball to hit the ball after the ball is thrown by the pitcher. A baseball is a Ball used primarily in the sport of the same name Baseball. A baseball glove or mitt is a large Leather glove that Baseball players on the defending team are allowed to wear to assist them in catching and fielding

• The bat is an offensive tool, either made of wood or aluminum depending on the game being played. It is a long, hard stick, about 2 inches (5 centimeters) in diameter, except at the handle, which is about 1-inch (2. 5 centimeters) diameter.
• The ball in baseball is about the size of a fist and white (though other colors can be used) with red lacing. Softball uses a white or yellow ball (usually) about the size of two fists with white lacing.
• The glove or mitt is a defensive tool, made of leather, worn on the player's hand to aid in catching the ball. It takes various shapes to meet the unique needs of the defensive position of the player.
• The game is played on a field, whose dimensions vary depending on the age of the players. However, every field has a diamond, with bases at its corners, which the offensive players circumnavigate, as mentioned above. The part of the field closest to the bases is called the infield, and the part most distant from the bases is called the outfield. Infield is a widely used term in Sports Terminology, its meaning depends on in what sport it is used The outfield is a Sporting term used in Cricket and Baseball to refer to the area of the Field of play further from the Batsman

Baseball is played in a series of (usually 9) "innings", each of which is divided into two halves (called "top" and "bottom" in that order: hence the phrase bottom of the ninth). In each half-inning, the offensive team attempts to score runs until three of its players are put "out" (removed from play by actions of the defensive team; discussed below). 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 - a reference to the rectangular rubber plate at the center of the mound. In Baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the Pitcher's mound toward the Catcher to begin each play with the goal of Another defensive player is called the "catcher" and stands on the other side of home plate from the pitcher. Catcher is also a general term for a fielder who catches the ball in Cricket. 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 (counterclockwise) to the next base (corner) 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 (point) is scored. Often an offensive player will achieve a base but be forced to stop there; on future plays (usually in concert with other runners), 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 then drop the bat and begin running toward first base. First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a Baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run (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 "home run": the batter and all other offensive players on bases may complete a tour of the bases and score a run. This is the most desirable result for the batter. )

When a batter begins running, he or she is then referred to as a "runner". Runners attempt to reach a base, where they are "safe" and may remain there. The 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). In Baseball, the dugout is a team's bench area and is located in foul territory between home plate and either first or third base

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. In Baseball or Softball, a strikeout or strike out (denoted by SO or K) occurs when a batter receives three strikes (Hence the phrase "Three strikes and you are out". )
2. The "ground out": 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. Ground out may refer to In Baseball rules, when the batter hits the ball but a defensive player retrieves it after it has touched the ground and throws it to another
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. In Baseball, a force is a situation when a Baserunner is compelled (or forced) to vacate his time-of-pitch base--and thus try to advance 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). In Baseball, the rules state that a batted ball is considered In flight when it has not yet touched any object other than a fielder or his equipment
5. The "tag out": while between bases, a runner is out if a defensive player touches him with a held ball. In Baseball, a tag out, sometimes just called a tag, is a play in which a Baserunner is out because he is touched by the fielder's

Other personnel

Any baseball game involves one or more umpires, who make rulings on the outcome of each play. In Baseball, the umpire is the person charged with officiating the game including beginning and ending the game enforcing the rules of the game and the grounds making At a minimum, one umpire will stand behind the catcher, to have a good view of the strike zone, and call each pitch a ball or a strike. Additional umpires may be stationed near the bases, thus making it easier to see plays in the field. In Major League Baseball, four umpires are used for each game, one near each base. In the all-star game and playoffs, six umpires are used: one at each base and two in the outfield along either foul line.

Baseball's unique style

Baseball is unique among American sports in several ways. This uniqueness is a large part of its longstanding appeal and strong association with the American psyche. The philosopher Morris Raphael Cohen described baseball as a national religion. Morris Raphael Cohen ( July 25, 1880 – January 28, 1947) was a Jewish Philosopher, Lawyer and Legal scholar Many Americans believe that baseball is the ultimate combination of skill, timing, athleticism, and strategy. In this, baseball is similar to its cousin game cricket: in many Commonwealth nations, cricket and the culture surrounding it hold a similar place and affection to baseball's role in American culture. Cricket is a bat-and-ball team Sport that originated in England and is now played in more than 100 countries

Time element

Basketball, ice hockey, American football, and soccer all use a clock, and games often end by a team with the lead killing the clock rather than competing directly against the opposing team. Basketball is a team Sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a ball through a 10 feet (3 m Ice hockey, often referred to simply as hockey, is a team Sport played on Ice. American football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, is a competitive Team sport known for mixing strategy with Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Killing the clock (or milking the clock icing the clock or time wasting is a term used in timed sports such as Australian rules football, soccer, American football In contrast, baseball has no clock; a team cannot win without getting the last batter out and rallies are not constrained by time. Other sports popular on the professional level in the U. S. that do not have a time limit are tennis and golf, although these are individual as opposed to team sports. Tennis is a sport played between two players ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles)

In recent decades, observers have criticized professional baseball for the length of its games, with some justification as the time required to play a baseball game has increased steadily through the years. At the turn of the 20th century, games typically took an hour and a half to play. In the 1920s, they averaged just less than two hours, which eventually ballooned to 2 hours and 38 minutes in 1960. ^[8] Though this average dipped to 2 hours 25 minutes in 1975, ^[9] by the turn of the 21st century, games had become so long that Major League Baseball's goal in 2004 was to get the average game down to 2 hour and 45 minutes, after coming close in 2003 at 2 hours and 46 minutes. ^[8]

The lengthening of games is attributed to longer breaks between half-innings for television commercials, increased offense, more pitching changes, and a slower pace of play. In response, Major League Baseball mandated a maximum break between half-innings, while instructing umpires to be stricter in enforcing speed-up rules and the size of the strike zone. Strike Zone is a Star Trek The Next Generation novel by Peter David. ^{[8] [9]}

Although the official rules specify that when the bases are empty, the pitcher should deliver the ball within 12 seconds of receiving it (with the penalty of a ball called if he fails to do so), this rule is rarely, if ever, enforced. The umpire also has the option of calling a ball if there are runners on base, but this is also rarely, if ever, enforced. The official rules also require the batter to remain in the batter's box at all times when at bat—another rule that is "observed in the breach".

Individual and team

Baseball is fundamentally a team sport—even a franchise financially blessed enough to afford two or three Hall of Fame-caliber players cannot count on success. Yet it places individual players under great pressure and scrutiny. The pitcher must make good pitches or risk losing the game; the hitter has a mere fraction of a second to decide what pitch has been thrown and whether to swing at it. While managers and coaches can signal players to pursue certain strategies, no one can help the pitcher while he pitches or the hitter while he bats. If the batter hits a line drive, the outfielder, as the last line of defense, makes the lone decision to try to catch it or play it on the bounce. Baseball's history is full of heroes and goats—men who in the heat of the moment (the "clutch") distinguished themselves with a timely hit or catch, or an untimely strikeout or error.

The uniqueness of each baseball park

Main article: Baseball park

Unlike the majority of sports, baseball playing fields can vary significantly, within certain guidelines, in size and shape of the field. A baseball park, baseball stadium, or ball park / ballpark is the field of play in the game of Baseball and the spectator seating areas With the exception of the strict rules on the dimensions of the infield, discussed above, the official rules simply state that fields built after June 1, 1958 must have a minimum distance of 325 feet (99 m) from home plate to the fences in left and right field and 400 (121 m) feet to center. Events 193 - Roman Emperor Didius Julianus is Assassinated 987 - Hugh Capet is elected Year 1958 ( MCMLVIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. This rule (a footnote to official rule 1. 04) was passed specifically in response to the fence at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, which was not originally designed for baseball, and thus was only 251 feet (77 m) to the left field pole (1 foot [0. The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is a large outdoor sports Stadium in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles California at Exposition 3 m] over the bare minimum required by the rules). Major league teams often skirt this rule. For example, Minute Maid Park's Crawford Boxes are only 315 feet (96 m), and with a fence much lower than the famous "Green Monster" at Fenway Park which is labeled as 310 feet (94 m) away and 37-foot (11 m), two-inches tall. Minute Maid Park (formerly The Ballpark at Union Station, Enron Field, and Astros Field) is a ballpark in Houston, Texas The Crawford Boxes are a special section of seating in Minute Maid Park, the home of the Houston Astros. The Green Monster is the nickname of the thirty-seven-foot two-inch (11 And there are no rules at all regulating the height of "fences, stands or other obstructions", other than the assumption that they exist. However, teams are required to obtain approval from the League Office when constructing new stadiums, or when proposing alterations.

Because of this flexibility, there are numerous variations in park configuration, from different lengths to the fences to uneven playing surfaces to massive or minimal amounts of foul territory. The differing styles create a unique sense of ambiance in each location, something that many fans find alluring (and even a source of civic pride). All of these factors, as well as local variations in altitude, climate and game scheduling, can affect the nature of the games played at those ballparks. Certain stadiums eventually get labeled as either a "pitcher's park" or a "hitter's park", depending on which side benefits more from the unique factors present. Some ballparks, notorious for both strong and frequently shifting wind currents, such as Chicago's Wrigley Field can be either, depending on the wind direction at any given time. Wrigley Field is a Baseball Stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago

In the end, the lack of a consistent, standardized playing field has caused some debate, particularly when comparing players' statistics and career records. For example, hitting a fly ball to the warning track at one field may result in an easy catch for the outfielder, while at another the same hit could result in a home run.

Statistics

Main article: Baseball statistics

As with many sports, and perhaps even more so, statistics are very important to baseball. Statistics play an important role in summarizing Baseball performance and evaluating players in the Sport. Statistics is a mathematical science pertaining to the collection analysis interpretation or explanation and presentation of Data. Statistics have been kept for the Major Leagues since their creation, and presumably statistics were around even before that. General managers, baseball scouts, managers, and players alike study player statistics to help them choose various strategies to best help their team. "Talent scout" redirects here For talent scouting in the music industry see A&R Professional sports scouts are trained talent ^[10]

Statistics are more important to baseball than to other sports for a variety of reasons. Primary among them is the fact that every play has only a finite (and relatively limited) number of possible outcomes, unlike sports like hockey, basketball, soccer, and to a lesser extent American football, all of which are more fluid and open. Hockey is any of a family of Sports in which two teams compete by trying to maneuver a Ball, or a hard round rubber or heavy plastic disc called a puck Basketball is a team Sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a ball through a 10 feet (3 m Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered American football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, is a competitive Team sport known for mixing strategy with This facilitates a statistical analysis of baseball, and allows a deeper level of mathematical study than that provided by other sports.

Traditionally, statistics like batting average for batters—the number of hits divided by the number of at bats—and earned run average—approximately the number of runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings—have governed the statistical world of baseball. Batting average is a Statistic in both Cricket and Baseball measuring the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters, respectively In Baseball statistics, earned run average ( ERA) is the Mean of Earned runs given up by a Pitcher per nine Innings pitched However, the advent of sabermetrics has brought an onslaught of new statistics that perhaps better gauge a player's performance and contributions to his team from year to year. Sabermetrics is the analysis of Baseball through objective evidence especially Baseball statistics.

Some sabermetrics have entered the mainstream baseball statistic world. Sabermetrics is the analysis of Baseball through objective evidence especially Baseball statistics. On-base plus slugging (OPS) is a somewhat complicated formula that some say gauges a hitter's performance better than batting average. On-base plus slugging (OPS is a baseball statistic calculated as the sum of a player's On-base percentage and Slugging percentage. It combines the hitter's on base percentage—hits plus walks plus hit by pitches divided by at bats plus bases on balls plus hit by pitches plus sacrifice flies—with their slugging percentage—total bases divided by at bats. In Baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP (sometimes referred to as on-base average ', as the statistic is rarely presented as a true Percentage) In Baseball, hit by pitch ( HBP) or hit batsman ( HB) refers to the batter being hit in some part of the body by a pitch from the In Baseball, an at bat ( AB) or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including Batting average, On base A base on balls ( BB) is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in Baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire In Baseball, hit by pitch ( HBP) or hit batsman ( HB) refers to the batter being hit in some part of the body by a pitch from the In Baseball, a batted ball is considered a sacrifice fly if the following four criteria are met There are fewer than two outs when the ball is hit In Baseball statistics, slugging percentage (abbreviated SLG) is a popular measure of the power of a hitter. In Baseball statistics, total bases refers to the number of bases a player has gained with hits, i Walks plus hits per inning pitched (or WHIP) gives a good representation of a pitcher's abilities; it is calculated exactly as its name suggests. In Baseball statistics, Walks plus hits per inning pitched ( WHIP) is a sabermetric measurement of the number of baserunners a Pitcher

Also important are more specific statistics for particular situations. For example, a certain hitter's ability to hit left-handed pitchers might cause his manager to give him more chances to face lefties. Some hitters hit better with runners in scoring position, so an opposing manager, knowing this statistic, might elect to intentionally walk him in order to face a worse hitter. A base on balls ( BB) is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in Baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire

There are some other statistics, perhaps less important than those mentioned. For hitters, these include at-bats, the number of hits and extra-base hits, and runs batted in, or RBIs. In Baseball, an at bat ( AB) or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including Batting average, On base For pitchers, these include total innings pitched, strikeouts per nine innings, walks, and the pitch count. In Baseball statistics, pitch count is the number of pitches thrown by a Pitcher in a game

Popularity

The majority of baseball's popularity resides in East Asia, and the Americas, although in South America its popularity is mainly limited to the northern portion of the continent. Baseball is among the most popular sports in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Japan, Cuba, Panama, Canada, Venezuela, Nicaragua, South Korea, Taiwan and the United States. The Dominican Republic ( Spanish: República Dominicana;) is a nation located in the Caribbean region and shares the island of Hispaniola with Sports in Puerto Rico can be traced from the ceremonial competitions amongst the Pre-Columbian Native Americans of the Arawak also known as Taíno tribes For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. The Republic of Cuba (ˈkjuːbə or) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles) Isla de la Panama, officially the Republic of Panama (República de Panamá) is the southernmost country of Central America. The following is a list of currently active professional or semi-profesionnal Baseball teams in Canada. Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the Nicaragua (ˌnɪkəˈrɑgwə officially the Republic of Nicaragua () is a representative democratic republic and the largest nation in Central America South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea and often referred to as Korea ( Korean: 대한민국 tɛː REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES The United States of America —commonly referred to as the

Baseball's biggest market is the United States where it is the second most popular sport. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the ^[11] This popularity has resulted in baseball being regarded as more than just a "major sport". Since the 19th Century, it has been popularly referred to as the "national pastime" and Major League Baseball has been given a unique monopoly status by the Supreme Court of the United States. A national sport is a Sport or Game that is considered to be a intrinsic part of the culture of a Nation. The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States and leads the federal judiciary. ^[12] This popularity continues with Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig commenting that baseball is currently more popular now than it has ever been. The Commissioner of Baseball is the chief executive of Major League Baseball. Allan Huber "Bud" Selig Jr (born July 30, 1934 in Milwaukee Wisconsin) is the Commissioner of Major League Baseball and has ^[13]

Worldwide, baseball is estimated as being the seventh most popular sport, behind Association football (soccer), cricket, field hockey, tennis, volleyball and table tennis. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Cricket is a bat-and-ball team Sport that originated in England and is now played in more than 100 countries Field hockey is a Team sport in which players attempt to score goals by hitting the Ball across the pitch with a stick Tennis is a sport played between two players ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles) Volleyball is an Olympic team sport in which two teams of 6 active players (5 normal players and one 'libero' are separated by a net that is usually four feet However, on the 8th July 2005 the IOC controversially decided to drop baseball from the 2012 Olympics. ^[14]

Organized leagues

See List of organized baseball leagues. This article contains a list of organized Baseball Leagues International Competition Many international baseball events are coordinated by the

Baseball is played at a number of levels, by amateur and professionals, and by the young and the old. Amateur baseball is a form of Baseball in which the players either are not paid for playing or (as in Town Team Baseball) receive only a modest stipend or employment Youth programs use modified versions of adult and professional baseball rules, which may include a smaller field, easier pitching (from a coach, a tee, or a machine), less contact, base running restrictions, limitations on innings a pitcher can throw, liberal balk rules, and run limitations, among others. Baseball rules differ slightly from league to league but in general share the same basic gameplay Since rules vary from location-to-location and among the organizations, coverage of the nuances in those rules is beyond this article.

See also

General information

• Baseball clothing and equipment
• Baseball fielding positions
• Baseball scorekeeping
• Baseball slang (slang also used outside the scope of baseball)
• List of rare baseball events (occurring within a single game)
• Baseball terminology
• Sports league attendances
• National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
• Baseball awards
• Vintage base ball
• Baseball batting robot
• Safe haven games
• Comparison between cricket and baseball

Culture

Take Me Out to the Ball Game English language idioms derived from baseball Ceremonial first pitch "Casey at the Bat" "Curse of the Bambino" "Curse of the billy goat" "Who's on First?"

Rawlings (company) Baseball superstition Baseball card Baseball movie Fantasy baseball Baseball metaphors for sex George Carlin: "Baseball & Football"[5] Moundball

Related sports

• Oina (Romanian traditional sport)
• British baseball
• Lapta ("Russian baseball")
• Pesäpallo ("Finnish baseball")
• Softball
• Stickball

Notes

Sources and further reading

Published

• Robert K. Barney and Nancy Bouchier, "A Critical Examination of a Source in Early Ontario Baseball: The Reminiscence of Adam E. Ford," Journal of Sport History (1988)
• Joe Brinkman and Charlie Euchner, The Umpire's Handbook, rev. Joseph Norbert Brinkman (born April 9 1944 in Little Falls Minnesota) is a former umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the ed. (1987)
• Bob Elliott, The Northern Game: Baseball the Canadian Way (Sport Classic, 2005)
• Charles Euchner, The Last Nine Innings: Inside the Real Game Fans Never See (2006)
• William Humber, Diamonds of the North: A Concise History of Baseball in Canada (Oxford University Press, 1995)
• Bill James and John Dewan, Bill James Presents the Great American Baseball Stat Book, ed. George William “Bill” James (born October 5, 1949, in Holton Kansas) is a Baseball writer historian and statistician whose work has been by Geoff Beckman et al. (1987)
• Bill James, The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract (ISBN 0-7432-2722-0)
• Mark Kearney, "Baseball's Canadian Roots: Abner Who?" The Beaver: Exploring Canada's History (October-November 1994)
• Michael Mandelbaum, The Meaning of Sports (PublicAffairs) (ISBN 1-58648-252-1)
• Robert Peterson, Only the Ball Was White (1984 [1970])
• Joseph L. George William “Bill” James (born October 5, 1949, in Holton Kansas) is a Baseball writer historian and statistician whose work has been Reichler (ed. ), The Baseball Encyclopedia, 7th rev. ed. (1988)
• Lawrence Ritter and Donald Honig, The Image of Their Greatness: An Illustrated History of Baseball from 1900 to the Present, updated ed. (1984)
• Lawrence S. Ritter (comp. ), The Glory of Their Times: The Story of the Early Days of Baseball Told by the Men Who Played It, new ed. The Glory Of Their Times The Story Of The Early Days Of Baseball Told By The Men Who Played It is a book edited by Lawrence Ritter, telling the stories of early (1984)
• Seth Swirsky, Baseball Letters, A Fan's Correspondence With His Heroes (Crown Books, 1996).
• David Quentin Voigt, Baseball, an Illustrated History (1987)

Online

• Pittsfield: Small city, big baseball town, earliest known baseball reference

External links

Baseball Organizations/Leagues/Clubs

• mlb.com Major League Baseball
• milb.com Minor League Baseball
• baseballsoftballuk.com British Baseball Federation
• boltonbaseball.co.uk Bolton Blaze Baseball Club

Baseball Reference & Stats

• baseball.wikia.com The Baseball Wiki
• baseball-reference.com Baseball stats
• thebaseballcube.com Baseball stats
• sabr.org Society for American Baseball Research
• baseball-almanac.com Baseball Almanac with Stats/history/anecdotes

Baseball News, Resources, & Other

• cycleback.com Online museum of early baseball
• memory.loc.gov Library of Congress of Spalding Guides
• pbs.org PBS documentary - "Baseball" by Ken Burns
• pbs.org PBS documentary - "Stealing Home"
• Seth.com Extensive collection of historic baseball memorabilia
• probaseballarchive.com Baseball newspaper archive
• robbinssports.com Baseball in China
• sportscollectorsdaily.com online news/collecting magazine
• HKsportsFields.com Baseball Field Construction, Design, Renovation
• European Baseball & Softball News and Information

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