Outline · [ Standard ] · Linear+ Baseball the game, Could you explain baseball?

[Evolution]

Ive tried to watch baseball over the last few weeks and have found it to be quite interesting, although the game last night didnt really help much.

I understand that this will be a lengthy post for anybody but could somebody please explain;
the way the baseball season is set out.
how many games get played etc.
The scoring system
what is bottom of the ninth?
and how come it seems that some teams play two days on the run, surely they cant...can they?

any help would be appreciated. thanks
evolution

[Card]

162 games are played a year
bottom of the 9th is the last inning of a game


thats all i can answer

[KHarmon]

A major league baseball team plays 162 games in a season, beginning sometime in early april and stretching to the last week of september and sometimes the first few days of October. Teams generally play between 10 and 20 games in a stretch between days off, usually playing two to four games in one city, flying to the next city shortly after the last game in a series. For example, the Texas Rangers just opened the season with 20 straight games and got a day off today. There are 9 innings in a game of baseball, the bottom of the 9th refers to the home teams last at bat in a game, unless the game is tied and then they play extra innings. Each team gets three "outs" per inning when they're at bat. While they are batting they try to hit the ball thrown from the pitcher and if they get a hit they can run from the batters box to first base, second base if they hit the ball along ways, third base if they hit it a long ways and they run fast, and home if they hit a homerun. For every person who crosses home plate the team gets one point, or run. I hope this helps a little.

[bob_TCC]

and how come it seems that some teams play two days on the run, surely they cant...can they?

Sometimes, the teams even play 2 back-to-back games on the same day - known as a "doubleheader".

-Bob

[Evolution]

our soccer players complain when they have to play 5 games over the christmas period! even while some of them are on near to £100, 000 a week!!! moaners the lot of them.

so in an inning is where each team gets to bat, three outs and the teams swap around. is the rule of three strikes and your out true?, because when I was watching it the other day, the player was batting and on the screen it had the numbers: 3-0 or something like that??? can anyone explain this for me?

im trying to get into the baseball recently, but with the time it is on our televisions, it is hard to really get involved. For example last sunday I stayed up till 1am to watch the Angels(not to sure about the name) and it was onto at least 4am, long story short I ended up falling asleep, I had college the next day.

by the way thanks KHarmon and Bob for the help

[bob_TCC]

so in an inning is where each team gets to bat, three outs and the teams swap around. is the rule of three strikes and your out true?, because when I was watching it the other day, the player was batting and on the screen it had the numbers: 3-0 or something like that??? can anyone explain this for me?

Yep, that's an inning. 3-0 was the "count". The first number is the number of balls while the second number is the number of strikes. 4 balls equals a "walk" - player gets to go to first base even though they didn't hit it. 3 strikes equals an out. By the way, a 3-2 count is known as a "full count".

-Bob

[jrlenox]

our soccer players complain when they have to play 5 games over the christmas period! even while some of them are on near to £100, 000 a week!!! moaners the lot of them.

that's what everybody in the UK says when I try to explain american baseball's 162 game season.

American Football (NFL) on the other hand plays only once a week.

so in an inning is where each team gets to bat, three outs and the teams swap around. is the rule of three strikes and your out true?

yep .. that's the basics. 4 Balls is a walk, too.

, because when I was watching it the other day, the player was batting and on the screen it had the numbers: 3-0 or something like that??? can anyone explain this for me?

what you are referring to is know as "the count" usually the number of balls followed by number of strikes. A Ball is any ball thrown outside of the "strike zone" - which is over home plate and between the batter's knees and chest. 4 of these balls (think cricket's "no Balls" or "wides") before the ball is hit in play or 3 strikes, and the batter gets to "walk" to first. or called a "BB" or "Base on Balls".

so the count of 3-0 = 3 balls and no strikes.

A strike by the way is when the ball is either swung at and missed, is not swung at but is in the "strike zone" mentioned above, or his hit foul (not in the playing area). A batter though, cannot strike out (get the third strike) on a foul ball, unless (a) the catcher catches it after it hits the bat or ( B ) the player was in a bunting position.

im trying to get into the baseball recently, but with the time it is on our televisions, it is hard to really get involved. For example last sunday I stayed up till 1am to watch the Angels(not to sure about the name) and it was onto at least 4am, long story short I ended up falling asleep, I had college the next day.

I used to watch channel Five's converage here which was really good and the commentators would explain the game between innings instead of showing commericals like american TV does. But I also fell asleep on work nights

Sky offers a channel called "NASN - north american sports network" for about £10 a month which plays a few baseball games a day .. live and rebroadcast. A lot of the live games are day games (2 pm US central, 8pm in the UK) from WGN in Chicago, because the Cubs have a tradition of playing day games and wrigley field in Chicago was the last professional baseball stadium to install lighting.

This year I got a subscription to MLB all access which is the best .. you can watch every game live over the internet .. and watch all the highlights and condensed games.

[Evolution]

thanks bob and lenox, i would get that Nasn channel but just cant aford it at the moment, being a student is crap.

[cap5750]

Evolution,

Don't feel bad. I remember the first time I watched Cricket, I never could understand it. I had a friend who was from Pakistan who explained it to me...it helped a little...I watched a game...it helped a little, but what you really need is to watch it at the same time while someone who understands it can explain things when you have a question.

Whew...horribly written...sorry about that!

Chad