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Under this format, in the two Division Series, the wild card team played the divisional champion outside its own division that had the better record, with the remaining two teams playing each other in the second Division Series for each league. The two Division Series winners from each league go on to play each other in the League Championship Series. As with the previous postseason format, the winners of each League Championship Series met in the World Series.Before 2012, the Wild Card team played the team with the best record that was not from their division. With the addition of a second Wild Card team, the Wild Card Game, a one-game playoff between the 4/5 seeds, was created. In this round, the 4th-seed (1st Wild Card) hosts the 5th-seed (2nd Wild Card), with the winner advancing to the next round of the playoffs to take on the best division winner in their respective league (regardless whether or not the teams are in the same division). This has caused some controversy in that some people want a three-game series to determine a winner instead of an elimination game to make the playoffs more fair. The 2020 implementation of the Wild Card Series had all three games hosted at the higher seed, to reduce travel, and to reward regular season performance. The 2020 format was used again starting in 2022, but with the top two division winners receiving a bye to the Division Series, and the remaining four teams playing in this round. In this case, the third seed (lowest-seeded division winner) hosts the sixth seed (third Wild Card team), and the fourth seed (top Wild Card team) hosts the fifth seed (second Wild Card team). With the adoption of the expanded playoff format in 2012, the five-game Division Series began with two home games for the lower seeds, followed by up to three home games for the higher seeds. This one-year change eliminated a travel day prior to a decisive Game 5 of a Division Series and was necessary because the 2012 regular-season schedule was announced before the agreement on the new postseason was reached. Since 2013, the Division Series restored the 2–2–1 format. Until 1998, the LCS alternated home-field advantage with a 2–3 format in the best-of-5 era (1969–1984) and a 2–3–2 format when it went to best-of-7 (1985–present). Since 1998, the team with the better record has had home field advantage, but a wild card team never secures the extra home game, regardless of regular-season records, unless both teams in the League Championship Series are wild cards (starting in 2022).On July 23, 2020, MLBPA and the owners agreed to expand to a 16-team playoff structure for the 2020 season. The first round was called the Wild Card Series. The format consisted of eight teams from each league, seeded in the following order: division winners by record (1–3), runner-up teams by record (4–6), and the two best teams remaining (7–8). All games in this format were a best-of-three hosted by the higher seeds. All other series (LDS, LCS, and World Series) remained the same. The WCS pairings were as follows: top seed vs. eighth, second vs. seventh, third vs. sixth, and fourth vs. fifth. The DS had the 1/8 winner play the 4/5 winner, while the 2/7 winner played the 3/6 winner. This format was only used for that particular season as MLB reverted to the previous 10-team setup for the 2021 postseason.

From 1901 to 1968, the American and National League teams with the best win–loss records in their respective leagues would win their league’s championship, or pennant. In 1903, modern annual postseason play began with a one-round system, in which the American League champion would play the National League champion in a best-of-seven series (in 1903, 1919, 1920, and 1921 it was best-of-nine) called the World Series; however, there was no 1904 Series because the National League champion New York Giants refused to play. This single-tiered approach persisted through 1968, even with the expansions of 1961–1962 that expanded both leagues to ten teams.In 1969, both leagues expanded to twelve teams, complicating the competition for the league championship. Each team would play opposing clubs in its own region of the country more than clubs in the rest of the country, creating an unbalanced schedule that in some years could give a team from one region an advantage in fighting for the league pennant. To remedy this, and imitating the other major sports’ long-standing playoff traditions, MLB split each league into East and West divisions, creating four divisions overall and no worse than a sixth-place finish for any team in any division until later expansions in 1977 and 1993. This created a new postseason round called the League Championship Series (LCS), in which the East and West division champions of each league would play a best-of-five series to determine the league champion. In 1985, the LCS was expanded to a best-of-seven series, which remains in place today.

The Major League Baseball postseason is an elimination tournament held after the conclusion of the Major League Baseball (MLB) regular season. Starting in 2022, the playoffs for each league—American and National—consist of two best-of-three wild-card playoffs contested by the worst-seeded division winner and the three wild card teams, two best-of-five Division Series (LDS) featuring the wild-card winners and the two highest-seeded division winners, and finally the best-of-seven League Championship Series (LCS). The winners of the American League Championship Series (ALCS) and the National League Championship Series (NLCS) play each other in the best-of-seven World Series. The current system allows for up to 53 postseason games and at least 32 games.There is a separate pool for each series – the Wild Card games, the Division Series, the League Championship Series, and the World Series. The players’ bonus pool is funded with 60% of the gate receipts for each of the Wild Card games, the first three games of each Division Series, the first four games of each LCS and the first four games of the World Series; limiting the funding for the pool to these games, the minimum number in each series, removes incentive to extend the series for merely fiscal sake. The value of the gate is determined by the size of the venues, the amount of high-priced premium seating in the venues, the number of games played in the series and whether the games sell out. Ticket prices for each series are set by MLB, not the home teams, so they are relatively uniform across baseball.

The 2002 All-Star Game ended in a tie, much to the displeasure of both fans and sportswriters, who complained about a lack of intensity and competitiveness on the part of the players. This hit especially close to home for Commissioner Bud Selig, as the game had been played in his home city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In response, to make the game’s outcome more meaningful, in 2003, MLB began assigning home-field advantage in the World Series to the winner of that year’s All-Star Game, which is typically held in mid-July.The World Series used several different formats in its early years. Initially, it generally followed an alternating home-and-away pattern, except that if a seventh game was possible, its site was determined by coin toss prior to the sixth game. In 1924 the Series began using a 2-3-2 format, presumably to save on travel costs, a pattern that has continued to this day with the exception of a couple of the World War II years when wartime travel restrictions compelled a 3-4 format (used in 1943 and 1945, but not in the 1944 series, which was contested between crosstown rivals the St. Louis Browns and St. Louis Cardinals; all games were held in the same stadium in St. Louis). From the start of the 2-3-2 format through the 2002 season, home-field advantage generally alternated between leagues each year. Prior to the 1994 strike, the National League champion received home-field advantage in even-numbered years and the American League champion in odd-numbered years; these were reversed for 1995–2002 (because 1994 would have been the NL’s turn to have home-field, but the World Series was canceled by the aforementioned strike). That changed starting in 2003. There are three factors that determine the actual amount of bonus money paid to any individual player: (1) the size of the bonus pool; (2) their team’s success in the season/post-season; and (3) the share of the pool assigned to the individual player. Since 2022, the World Series winner gets 36%, the World Series runner-up, 24%, two League Championship Series losers, 12% each, the four Division Series losers, 3.25% each, and the four Wild Card playoff losers 0.75% each. In 2020, the eight Wild Card Series losers got 0.375% each.Under this system, it was possible for one of the best teams in a league to be left out of the postseason if it failed to win its division. Most notably, in 1993, the Atlanta Braves and San Francisco Giants finished with the two best records in MLB with 104 and 103 wins, respectively. However, since both teams played in the National League West division, the Giants missed the postseason by a single game.

As an example, playoff-pool full-share holders for the St. Louis Cardinals received US$362,183.97 (equivalent to $525,759 in 2022) each when the team won the World Series in 2006.Until 1997, the Division Series rotated in which one of the three division-winning teams did not have home field-advantage, with the wild card team never having it. From 1998 to 2021, the two division winners with the best records in each league have home field while the worst-ranked division winner and wild-card team (the winner of the Wild Card Game) do not. Since 2022, the two division winners with the best records in each league have home field advantage over the two wild card series winners. The Division Series used a 2–3 format until 1998 and now uses a 2–2–1 format. This is seen as a more fair distribution of home-field advantage because previously under the 2–3 format, the team hosting the first two games had absolutely no chance of winning the series at home. With the current 2–2–1 format however, both teams have the home-field advantage in a sense. While one team gets to host three games (including the critical first and last game), the other team does get two chances out of three (games 3 and 4) of winning the series on its home field.

Following the acceptance of a new collective bargaining agreement after the 2016 season (which went into effect in 2017) home-field advantage in the World Series is no longer tied to the outcome of the All-Star Game, but instead is granted to the team with the better regular-season record. One exception was 2020, when all World Series games were played at a neutral site. The home-field advantage designation in the World Series was determined based on whichever pennant winner held the higher seed in its league, not necessarily the team with the better regular season record. However, in the event both pennant winners had held the same seeding number, only then regular season records would have determined the home team in Games 1, 2, 6, and 7.The division of the team’s share of the pool is voted upon by the players who have been on the team during the entire regular season, in a meeting chaired by their union representative. This meeting follows the trade deadline on July 31. Players who have been with the team for the full season automatically receive a full share. At the meeting, the full-season players vote on whether anyone else—including players who have not been with the team for the full season, coaches, and trainers—is to be granted a full share, less than a full share, a cash award, or no share. After the World Series, the pool of money is split according to the shares determined in the vote. There is no limit to the number of shares that may be granted, but a greater number of shares dilutes the value of each share, and consequently the amount each player is awarded.

This new postseason format was implemented starting with the 2022 season. The top two division winners in each league will receive byes to the division series. The lowest-seeded division winner and three wild card teams, each seeded according to regular season record, will play a best-of-three Wild Card round, with the higher seed hosting all three games. The tie-breaker game (a.k.a. “Game 163”) was also eliminated with playoff spots now determined through tie-breaker formulas.The additional teams meant another elimination round was necessary. This new round would become the new first round of the postseason, the best-of-five Division Series. As mentioned above, this term had first been used for the extra round required in 1981 due to the “split-season” scheduling anomaly following the midseason baseball players strike; with this playoff expansion, the Division Series became permanent. This format was in place for the 1994 season, but that year’s players’ strike canceled the postseason. The format was realized on the field in 1995.

With this format, it is now possible for two teams in the same division to match up before the League Championship Series, provided that one team possesses the best record in its respective league.The baseball players’ strike of 1981 uniquely—for this era—added another round to the postseason. Because the strike split the season into two roughly equal halves, MLB, as a one-off for that season only, had the division winners of each half of the 1981 season first meeting in a best-of-five Division Series. The winners of the division series then progressed to the league championship series, with the remainder of the postseason following a similar format to other years in this era.

With the adoption of the new collective bargaining agreement in November 2011, baseball commissioner Bud Selig announced that a new playoff system would begin within two years; the change was ultimately put into place in 2012. The format chosen was the one-game wild-card playoff.Fielders must be able to catch the ball well, as catching batted balls before they bounce is one way they can put the batter out, as well as create opportunities to prevent the advance of, and put out other runners. In addition, they must be able to throw the ball well, with many plays in the game depending on one fielder collecting the hit ball and then throwing it to another fielder who, while holding the ball in their hand/glove, touches either a runner or the base the runner is forced to run to in order to record an out. Fielders often have to run, dive, and slide a great deal in the act of reaching, stopping, and retrieving a hit ball, and then setting themselves up to transfer the ball, all with the end goal of getting the ball as quickly as possible to another fielder. They also run the risk of colliding with incoming runners during a tag attempt at a base.

In the sport of baseball, each of the nine players on a team is assigned a particular fielding position when it is their turn to play defense. Each position conventionally has an associated number, for use in scorekeeping by the official scorer: 1 (pitcher), 2 (catcher), 3 (first baseman), 4 (second baseman), 5 (third baseman), 6 (shortstop), 7 (left fielder), 8 (center fielder), and 9 (right fielder). Collectively, these positions are usually grouped into three groups: the outfield (left field, center field, and right field), the infield (first base, second base, third base, and shortstop), and the battery (pitcher and catcher). Traditionally, players within each group will often be more able to exchange positions easily (that is, a second baseman can usually play shortstop well, and a center fielder can also be expected to play right field); however, the pitcher and catcher are highly specialized positions and rarely will play at other positions.As a group, the outfielders are responsible for preventing home runs by reaching over the fence (and potentially doing a wall climb) for fly balls that are catchable. The infielders are the ones who generally handle plays that involve tagging a base or runner, and also need quick reflexes in order to catch a batted ball before it leaves the infield. The pitcher and catcher have special responsibilities to prevent base stealing, as they are the ones who handle the ball whenever it has not been hit. The catcher will also sometimes attempt to block the plate in order to prevent a run being scored.

If you’re looking to upgrade the aesthetics of your field and facility, our Custom Signs are a perfect accessory to help you get there. Although it is most common for our team to design your signs with your logo and colors, we are certainly not limited to only that. Our signs are a great way to recognize sponsors, donors, retired jerseys, or honorary alumni. The possibilities are endless!Our field signs are larger than commonly used signs. The size increase allows for increased visibility and improved aesthetics. We do require a minimum order requirement of three signs. CourtHarbor’s Custom Custom Baseball Field Signs are perfect for defining your baseball fields and enhancing the look of your facility. Our design team will produce a custom design, using your logo and colors. Our polystyrene surface substrates are very durable and fade resistant. Our Custom Baseball Field Number Signs are completely customize-able. Feature your logo and your colors, or those of sponsors and donors, for a totally unique look to your facility. You simply email us your logo in vector format and we will do the rest!

A baseball field, also called a ball field or baseball diamond, is the field upon which the game of baseball is played. The term can also be used as a metonym for a baseball park. The term sandlot is sometimes used, although this usually refers to less organized venues for activities like sandlot ball.

A pitcher will push off the rubber with their foot in order to gain velocity toward home plate when pitching. In addition, a higher mound generally favors the pitcher. With the height advantage, the pitcher gains more leverage and can put more downward velocity on the ball, making it more difficult for the batter to strike the ball squarely with the bat. The lowering of the mound in 1969 was intended to “increase the batting” once again, as pitching had become increasingly dominant, reaching its peak the prior year; 1968 is known among baseball historians as “The Year of the Pitcher”. This restrictive rule apparently did its job, contributing to the hitting surge of modern baseball.Single-minded fielders often crash into a wall trying to make a catch despite the warning track. For this reason, outfield walls are typically padded for extra safety. Wrigley Field’s brick wall is covered only by ivy, which is not especially soft. However, there are pads on the walls of the tight left and right field corners in foul ground. The lines from home plate to first and third bases extend to the nearest fence, stand or other obstruction and are called the foul lines. The portion of the playing field between (and including) the foul lines is fair territory; the rest is “foul territory”. The area within the square formed by the bases is officially called the infield, though colloquially this term also includes fair territory in the vicinity of the square; fair territory outside the infield is known as the outfield. Most baseball fields are enclosed with a fence that marks the outer edge of the outfield. The fence is usually set at a distance ranging from 300 to 420 feet (90 to 130 m) from home plate. Most professional and college baseball fields have a right and left foul pole which are about 440 to 500 feet (130 to 150 m) apart. These poles are at the intersection of the foul lines and the respective ends of the outfield fence and, unless otherwise specified within the ground rules, lie in fair territory. Thus, a batted ball that passes over the outfield wall in flight and touches the foul pole is a fair ball and the batter is awarded a home run. The basic layout of the field has been little changed since the Knickerbocker Rules of the 1840s. Those rules specified the distance from home to second as 42 “paces”. The dictionary definition of a “pace” at the time was 30 inches, yielding base paths of approximately 75 feet; however, if a “pace” of three feet was meant then the distance would have been 89 feet. It is not implausible that the early clubs simply stepped off the distance. 30 yards (90 feet) between the bases was first explicitly prescribed by the NABBP Convention of 1857. Through trial and error, 90 feet had been settled upon as the optimal distance. 100 feet would have given too much advantage to the defense, and 80 feet too much to the offense.Like a runner on second base, a runner on third base is said to be in “scoring position”, since there is a higher likelihood of scoring a run on a single or sacrifice fly provided that the third and final out is not recorded before they can reach home plate. The batter’s box is the place where the batter stands when ready to receive a pitch from the pitcher. It is usually drawn in chalk on the dirt surrounding home plate, and the insides of the boxes are watered down before each game. Foul poles, if present, help umpires judge whether a fly ball hit above the fence line is foul (out of play) or fair (a home run). The poles are a vertical extension of the foul lines at the edge of the field of play. The outer edge of the foul lines and foul poles define foul territory. Both the lines and the poles are in fair territory, in contrast to American football and basketball, where the lines marking the playing boundaries are out of bounds. The minimum distance to hit a home run (along either foul line) is set by baseball rules, generally at 325 feet (99 m).Generally, baserunners are not required to follow the baseline. A baserunner seeking to advance more than one base typically “rounds” the base, following a more circular path. However, a runner’s left-right motion is constrained when the defense tries to tag him. At the moment the defense begins the attempt, the baserunner’s running baseline is established as a direct line from their current position to the base they are trying for. A runner straying more than three feet (1 m) away from this baseline to avoid a tag may be called out.

Many sources suggest that the pitching distance evolved from 45 to 50 to 60.5 feet. However, the first two were the “release point” and the third is the “pushoff point”, so the 1893 increase was not quite as dramatic as is often implied; that is, the 1893 rule change added only 5 feet to the release point, not 10.5 feet.

In artificial turf stadiums, infield dirt was originally only placed in three five-sided areas around the bases and in two circles around the pitcher’s and batting areas, which are referred to as “sliding pits”. In this configuration, the “grass line” is usually designated with a white arc. This setup first appeared at Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium upon its opening in 1970. Among Major League Baseball fields, Rogers Centre was the last stadium to maintain this type of configuration and was reconfigured with a full dirt infield starting in the 2016 MLB season.In an attempt to “increase the batting”, the front edge of the pitcher’s box was moved back 5 feet in 1881, to 50 feet (15 m) from home plate. The size of the box was altered over the following few years. Pitchers were allowed to throw overhand starting in 1884, and that tilted the balance of power again. In 1887, the box was set at 4 feet (1.2 m) wide and 5.5 feet (1.7 m) deep, with the front edge still 50 feet from the plate. However, the pitcher was compelled
to deliver the ball with their back foot at the 55.5-foot (16.9 m) line of the box, thus somewhat restricting their ability to “power” the ball with their overhand delivery.In some college baseball parks with artificial turf fields, the entire field (along with possibly the pitcher’s mound) is made up of turf, with parts of the field mainly containing dirt instead merely being clay-colored turf.There are two on-deck circles in the field, one for each team, positioned in foul ground between home plate and the respective teams’ benches. The on-deck circle is where the next scheduled batter, or “on-deck” batter, warms up while waiting for the current batter to finish their turn. The on-deck circle is either an area composed of bare dirt; a plain circle painted onto artificial turf; or often, especially at the professional level, a mat made from artificial material, with the team or league logo painted onto it.A runner on second base is said to be in “scoring position”, since there is a higher likelihood of scoring a run from second base on a single. Since second base is the farthest from home plate, it is the most commonly stolen base in baseball. From 1857 to 1867 home plate was a circular iron plate, painted or enameled white, covering “a space equal to one square foot of surface”, i.e. with a diameter of ~13-1/2 inches. In 1868 the plate was changed to a square, 12″ on a side, originally set with the flat sides toward the pitcher and catcher; the new professional National Association rotated it 45 degrees in 1871. In 1872 the rules required it to be made of white marble or stone set flush with the ground. For the rest of the century materials varied between stone, iron and wood, but at all times it was a white twelve-inch square. The pentagonal shape and the mandatory use of rubber were developed by Robert Keating, who had pitched one game for the 1887 Baltimore Orioles; the new plate was adopted by the National League in 1900. From 1861 to 1874 the center, not the back, of the plate was situated on the intersection of the foul lines, and in 1875–76 was moved entirely into foul ground with the “pitcher’s point” at the intersection. In 1877 it was moved forward to its modern location, wholly in fair territory. The first baseman is the defensive player mainly responsible for the area near first base. A first baseman is often tall. A tall first baseman has a larger range for reaching and catching errant throws.In roughly the middle of the square, equidistant between first and third base, and a few feet closer to home plate than to second base, is a low artificial hill called the pitcher’s mound. This is where the pitcher stands when throwing the pitch. Atop the mound is a white rubber slab, called the pitcher’s plate or pitcher’s rubber. It measures 6 inches (15 cm) front-to-back and 2 feet (61 cm) across, the front of which is exactly 60 feet 6 inches (18.44 m) from the rear point of home plate. This peculiar distance was set by the rule makers in 1893, not due to a clerical or surveying error as popular myth has it, but intentionally (further details under History).

Foul poles are typically much higher than the top of the outfield fence or wall, and often have a narrow screen running along the fair side of the pole. This further aids the umpires’ judgment, as a ball that bounces off this screen is a home run. It can still be a difficult call, especially in ballparks with no outfield stands behind the poles to provide perspective. Wrigley Field is notorious for arguments over long, curving flies down a foul line (most notably in left field) that sail higher than the foul pole.The warning track is the strip of dirt at the edges of the baseball field (especially in front of the home run fence and along the left and right sides of a field). Because the warning track’s color and feel differ from the grass field, a fielder can remain focused on a fly ball near the fence and measure their proximity to the fence while attempting to catch the ball safely.

Third base is the third of the four bases a runner must touch in order to score a run. The third baseman is the defensive player mainly responsible for the area nearest third base. A third baseman ideally possesses quick reaction to batted balls and a strong arm to make the long throw to first base. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the third baseman is assigned the number 5.The grass line, where the dirt of the infield ends and the grass of the outfield begins, has no special significance to the rules of the game (except in Double-A Minor League Baseball where all infielders must be on the infield dirt when the pitch is thrown as part of an experimental rule for the 2021 season), but it can influence the outcome of a game. Dirt running paths between the bases (and, at one time and still in some parks, between the pitcher and the catcher) have existed since the beginning of the game, although they were not mentioned in the rule books until around 1950, and their specifications are flexible. In addition to providing a running path, the grass lines act as a visual aid so that players, umpires and fans may better judge distance from the center of the diamond. Occasionally the ball may take a tricky bounce off the dirt area or the edge between the dirt and the grass. Multiple World Series championships (including 1924, 1960 and 1986) have been decided or heavily influenced by erratic hops of ground balls.The pitcher may keep a rosin bag on the rear of the mound to dry off their hands. Major League Baseball teams are also permitted cleat cleaners on the back of the mound. This may be a flat grate-style plate, or simply a hand tool such as a piece of wood used to remove mud and dirt from cleats. These items are allowed to remain on the backside of the mound at the discretion of the umpire, thus reducing the probability that they will affect a live play.The coach’s boxes, located behind first and third base, are where the first and third base coaches are supposed to stand, although coaches often stand outside the box. This is permissible as long as the coach does not interfere with play and the opposing team does not object (in which case the umpire shall ensure that all coaches on both teams must abide by the boundaries of the coach’s boxes). The coach’s boxes are marked with chalk or paint. In the early days of baseball, the term “coacher’s box” was used, as “coach” was taken to be a verb. As the term “coach” evolved into a noun, the name of the box also changed.

Originally the pitcher threw from flat ground, but over time the raised mound was developed, somewhat returning the advantage to the pitchers. Before the mid-20th century, it was common for baseball fields to include a dirt pathway between the pitcher’s mound and home plate. This feature is sometimes known as the “keyhole” due to the shape that it makes together with the mound. The keyhole was once as wide as the pitcher’s box and resembled a cricket pitch. Sometimes this path extended through the batting area and all the way to the backstop. Once the rounded pitcher’s mound was developed, the path became more ornamental than practical, and was gradually thinned before being largely abandoned by the 1950s. In recent years some ballparks, such as Comerica Park and Chase Field in the major leagues, have revived the feature for nostalgic reasons.Baselines are straight lines between two adjacent bases. Physical baselines are not drawn between first and second or second and third bases; the foul lines serve to mark the baseline between home plate and first base, and between third base and home.

The chalk lines delineating the two foul lines are rarely extended through the batter’s boxes. However, those lines exist conceptually for the purpose of judging a batted ball fair or foul. In addition, inside edges of the batter’s boxes are often not laid-in with chalk. Similarly, though not marked, those lines continue to exist for the purpose of the rules pertaining to the batter’s box and the batter’s position relative thereto.

The Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA) presents various awards each year. Starting in 2001, its Sports Turf Manager of the Year Awards have been presented annually in the Triple-A, Double-A, Class A, and Short-Season/Rookie divisions of Minor League Baseball and are chosen from the 16 league winners. STMA also presents the Baseball Field of the Year Award, which includes Schools and Parks, College/University and Professional categories.

Beginning halfway between home and first base, and ending at first base, there is a second chalk line to the right of the foul line. This second line and the part of the foul line it runs parallel to, form the running lane that defines the path in which a batter-runner must run as they are advancing to first base. Rule 6.05(k) of the Official Baseball Rules states that if a batter-runner running to first base runs outside the running lane, and “in doing so” interferes with the fielder taking the throw at first, then the batter-runner is automatically out. First base itself is not located in the running lane, but Rule 6.05 lets the batter-runner leave the running lane “by means of a step, stride or slide in the immediate vicinity of first base” to step on first base.

A baseball infield is the square area within the four 90-foot baselines (60-foot baselines in Little League Baseball for youths 12 years old and under). The four bases are integral parts of the infield; a ball that touches any part of a base is considered a fair ball.A pitcher’s mound is difficult for groundskeepers to maintain. Usually before every game it is watered down to keep the dust from spreading. On youth and amateur baseball fields, the mound may be much different from the rule book definition due to erosion and repair attempts. Even in the major leagues, each mound gains its own character, as pitchers are allowed to kick away pieces of dirt in their way, thereby sculpting the mound a bit to their preference.

Second base is the second of the four bases a runner must touch in order to score a run. Second base is mainly defended by the second baseman and the shortstop. The second baseman and shortstop ideally possess quick feet and the ability to release the ball rapidly and accurately. One player will usually cover second base while the other attempts to field the ball. Both players must communicate well to be able to make a double play. Particular agility is required of the second baseman in double play situations, which usually force the player to throw towards first base while their momentum carries them in the opposite direction.The track can be composed of finely ground rock particles such as cinders, which is why announcer Bob Wolff called it the “cinder path” rather than the “warning track”.

All the bases, including home plate, lie entirely within fair territory. Thus, any batted ball that touches those bases must necessarily be ruled a fair ball. While the first and third base bags are placed so that they lie inside the 90-foot square formed by the bases, the second base bag is placed so that its center (unlike first, third and home) coincides exactly with the “point” of the ninety-foot square. Thus, although the “points” of the bases are 90 feet apart, the physical distance between each successive pair of base markers is closer to 88 feet (26.8 m).At Major League Baseball fields, foul poles are usually yellow. Those at Citi Field are orange. At Petco Park, there is no foul pole in left field; the pole’s function is served by a yellow metal strip along the corner of the Western Metal Supply Co. building. Several parks featuring advertising along the length of the foul pole, with the most prominent example being the advertising from Chick-fil-A at both Citi Field and Minute Maid Park (serving as a pun, with “fowl” being another term for a chicken, the primary meat featured by that restaurant chain).

In 1893, the box was replaced by the pitcher’s plate, although “the box” is still used today as a slang term for the pitcher’s location on the field. Exactly 5 feet was added to the point the pitcher had to toe, again “to increase the batting” (and hopefully to increase attendance, as fan interest had flagged somewhat), resulting in the seemingly peculiar pitching distance of 60.5 feet (18.44 m).

The starting point for much of the action on the field is home plate (officially “home base”), a five-sided slab of white rubber. One side is 17 inches (43 cm) long, the two adjacent sides are 8.5 inches (22 cm). The remaining two sides are approximately 11 inches (30 cm) and set at a right angle. The plate is set into the ground so that its surface is level with the field. The corner of home plate where the two 11-inch sides meet at a right angle is at one corner of a 90-foot (27.43 m) square. The other three corners of the square, in counterclockwise order from home plate, are called first, second, and third base. These bases are marked by canvas or rubber cushions, 18 inches (46 cm) square and 3–5 inches (7.6–12.7 cm) thick. Adjacent to each of the two parallel 8.5-inch sides is a batter’s box.In Major League Baseball, a regulation mound is 18 feet (5.5 m) in diameter, with the center 59 feet (18 m) from the rear point of home plate, on the line between home plate and second base. The front edge of the pitcher’s plate or rubber is 18 inches (46 cm) behind the center of the mound, making the front edge’s midpoint 60 feet 6 inches from the rear point of home plate. Six inches (15 cm) in front of the pitcher’s rubber the mound begins to slope downward. The top of the rubber is to be no higher than ten inches (25 cm) above home plate. From 1903 through 1968, this height limit was set at 15 inches (38 cm), but was often slightly higher, sometimes as high as 20 inches (51 cm), especially for teams that emphasized pitching, such as the Los Angeles Dodgers, who were reputed to have the highest mound in the majors. There are two batter’s boxes, one on each side of home plate. The batter’s boxes are 4 feet (1.22 m) wide and 6 feet (1.83 m) long. The batter’s boxes are centered lengthwise at the center of home plate with the inside line of each batter’s box 6 inches (15 cm) from the near edge of home plate. A right-handed batter would stand in the batter’s box on the right side of home plate from the perspective of the pitcher. A left-handed batter would stand in the batter’s box to their left. A batter may only occupy one batter’s box at a time and may not legally leave the batter’s box after the pitcher has come set or has started their windup. Should the batter wish to leave the batter’s box once the pitcher has engaged the rubber, they must first ask the umpire for time-out. Time will not be granted if the pitcher has already started their pitching motion. For playing rules relating to the batter’s box, see Rules 6.05 and 6.06 of the Official Baseball Rules. There were no batters’ boxes before 1874. Up until that time, the batter was required to hit with their front foot on a line passing through the center of the plate. The 1874 batters’ boxes were 6 feet by 3 feet, 12 inches from the plate; the modern dimensions (6′ x 4′) were instituted in 1885 by the National League and the following year by the American AssociationBefore 1931 (with the exception of a couple months in 1920) the foul lines extended indefinitely; a batter was awarded a home run only if a fly ball out of the field was fair where it landed. Now, a batted ball that leaves the field in flight is judged fair or foul at the point it leaves the field. Thus, such a fly ball passing on the fair side of a foul pole, or hitting a foul pole, is a home run regardless of where the ball goes thereafter.

The outfield wall or fence is the outer boundary of the outfield. A ball passing over the wall is dead. If it passes over the wall in fair territory, without touching the ground, it is a home run. The official rules do not specify the shape, height, or composition of the wall, or a specific mandatory distance from home plate (though Major League Baseball mandates a minimum distance of 250 feet (76 m) and recommends a minimum distance of 320 feet (98 m) at the foul poles and 400 feet (120 m) at center field). As a result, baseball fields can vary greatly along those lines. The wall has numbers affixed or painted on it that denote the distance from that point on the wall to home plate. In most modern major league ballparks, the wall is made of some hard material (e.g., concrete, plywood, sheet metal) with padding on the field side to protect players who may collide with the wall at high speed while trying to make a play. Chain link fencing may also be incorporated into the wall in areas where the wall needs to be transparent, e.g., an outfield bullpen, a spectator area behind the wall, or to protect a scoreboard incorporated into the wall. Many ballparks feature a yellow line denoting the top of the wall to aid umpires in judging whether the ball passed over the wall or if the ball is fair or foul.In some youth leagues and adult recreational leagues, a “double first base” or “safety first base” is used. A double first base is rectangular (rather than square), measuring 30 by 15 inches. It is normally colored white and orange (two 15 by 15 inches squares). It is placed with the white half in fair territory and the orange half in foul territory. The white half is used by the first baseman to make plays while the orange half is used by the runner. This creates a separation between the first baseman and runner, reducing the chance of injury on plays at first base.

The bullpen (sometimes referred to as simply “the ‘pen”) is the area where pitchers warm up before entering a game. Depending on the ballpark, it may be situated in foul territory along the baselines or just beyond the outfield fence. Relief pitchers usually wait in the bullpen when they have yet to play in a game, rather than in the dugout with the rest of the team. The starting pitcher also makes their final pregame warmups in the bullpen. Managers can call coaches in the bullpen on an in-house telephone from the dugout to tell a certain pitcher to begin their warmup tosses. “Bullpen” is also used metonymically to describe a team’s collection of relief pitchers.

Because it takes a specific shift play to cause this 5-6-3 double play to occur, it is rarely seen in baseball (but does occur occasionally). In this article let’s take a closer look at a 5-6-3 double play, including why and how it happens, and what other types of double plays are more common.To adjust to this new hitting style, managers began applying what is known now as a “shift.” As we discussed above, the shift overloads the defense on one side of the infield based on the hitter’s tendencies, and can result in odd double play combinations like this one.

A 5-6-3 double play is not one of the most common double play combinations in baseball. The three most common types of double plays in baseball are a 6-4-3 double play, a 4-6-3 double play, and a 5-4-3 double play. Here’s what you need to know about each one:Sportsfanfocus.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This website also participates in affiliate programs with Fanatics, NHL Shop, MLB Shop, NBA Store, NFL Shop, and Vivid Seats. Sports Fan Focus is owned by VFK Digital LLC, a limited liability company located in Kansas, USA.

Even the fastest players can easily find themselves thrown out at first for a double play when they ground the ball to the shortstop or second baseman, so these plays (6-4-3 and 4-6-3) tend to be the “easiest” for the defense to make.Under normal defensive alignment, when a ball is hit to the left side of the infield and fielded by the third baseman, it is the second baseman (4) that covers second base, not the shortstop (6). This means that the most common double play combination for a ball hit to the third baseman would be a 5-4-3 double play. This specific scenario has now created times where, when a ball is hit to the left side and field by the third baseman, the shortstop is the closest to second base, and covers the bag (whereas under normal alignment, the second baseman would cover second on a ball hit to the left side of the infield). The double play started by the third baseman (5-4-3) results in a longer initial throw, which means it is a bit more difficult to turn than the other two common types of double plays. Regardless, all three of these double plays are much more common than a 5-6-3 double play in baseball. As we discussed above, a 5-6-3 double play in baseball occurs when the third baseman (5) throws the ball to the shortstop (6) who is covering second base for the first out, and the shortstop (6) then throws the ball to the first baseman (3) for the second out. Normally, when a ball is hit to the left side of the infield and fielded by the third baseman, the second baseman would be responsible for covering second base. But as defensive shifts have become more popular in baseball, there are occurrences now where the shortstop (because he is shifted to the right side of second base) is the player to cover the bag on a ground ball to the left side of the infield.

Double plays are a very common occurrence in a Major League Baseball game, and they can happen in a variety of ways. One of the less common double plays is a 5-6-3 double play. What is a 5-6-3 double play in baseball?But in recent years, more and more teams have been applying defensive shifts which means the infield defense will overload to either the left or right side of the infield, depending on the tendencies of the batter at the plate. This often causes the shortstop to move from the left side of second base, to the right side of second base (leaving the third baseman alone on the left side of the infield). When a batter has been in a slump perhaps for no evident reason, but then starts getting hits, he may be said to have “found his bat”. “With the Tigers having found their bats for a night, they reset the series and put themselves in position to all but lock up the AL Central.” A fielder who puts an extra flourish on his movements while making a play in hopes of gaining the approval of the spectators. Wilbert Robinson was manager when Al López started out as a catcher in the majors. Robinson watched Lopez’ style and finally hollered, “Tell that punk he got two hands to catch with! Never mind the Fancy Dan stuff.” Lopez went on to eventually surpass Robinson’s record of games behind the plate.To throw a strike that is so unexpected or in such a location that the batter doesn’t swing at it. “As Cashman spoke, Pettitte fired a strike on the corner, which froze the hitter.” “But the right-hander reached in her bag of tricks and threw a tantalizing changeup that froze the hitter for the final out.”

Purposely batting a pitch foul with two strikes in order to keep the at-bat going, in part to tire the pitcher and in part to get another, different pitch that might be easier to hit. Luke Appling was said to be the king of “fouling them off”. Such a hitter might also be said to be battling or working the pitcher. As if a ball leaving the bat is in search of a place to land, a ball that “finds the seats” is one that leaves the field of play and reaches the stands. It may either be a home run or a foul ball (out of the reach of the fielders). A count of 3 balls and 2 strikes; another strike will result in a strikeout, while another ball will result in a walk. At that point, only a foul ball will extend the at-bat.The success of most pitchers is based on statistics such as won-loss record, ERA or saves, but the unsung “innings eater” is judged by how many innings he pitches and the impact his work has on the rest of the staff. “I don’t have a whole lot of goals going into the season. I don’t shoot for a certain ERA or a certain strikeout number or certain number of wins,” says Blanton, entering his second full season. “I try to go out and get a quality start every time, six innings or more, and not miss any starts. I feel if I can do that, I’ll get my 200 innings in a year and everything else falls into place with that.”

Making an outstanding or difficult defensive play. A player who regularly makes difficult defensive plays may be described as a “leather flasher”. See leather.

When a batter has experienced a slump, he may take extra practice or instruction to “find his swing”. Perhaps he has a hitch in his swing, or his batting stance has changed. Having “lost his swing”, now he must “find it”. This phrase is also used in golf. The one time the Fall Classic was actually played in the summer was 1918, when the season was curtailed due to World War I and the Series was played in early September. A standard fastball, which does not necessarily break though a good one will have movement as well as velocity and location that makes it difficult to hit. The batter sees the four parallel seams spin toward him. A four-seamer. See two-seamer.

A pitcher who tends to induce more fly balls than ground balls. Those pitchers are disadvantageous in that they allow more home runs than any other pitcher.

Any defensive player (the offense being batters and runners). Often, defensive players are distinguished as either pitchers or position players. Position players are further divided into infielders and outfielders.When a fan or any person not associated with one of the teams alters play in progress (in the judgment of an umpire), it is fan interference. The ball becomes dead, and the umpire will award any bases or charge any outs that, in his judgment, would have occurred without the interference. This is one of several types of interference calls in baseball.

A position player who has great skill in all the tools or basic skills: hitting for average, hitting for power, base running and speed, throwing, and fielding. See tools for how baseball scouts rate these skills.When a hitter swings slightly under the center of the pitched ball, thereby leading to a high fly ball out instead of a home run, he’s said to “get under the ball”.

The runner placed on second base to start all extra innings beginning in the 2020 season. The rule change was put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic in order to prevent marathon games. The term “Manfred Man” has been used by many fans unhappy with the rule who are also unhappy with commissioner Rob Manfred and the changes he has made to the game. It reflects an attitude of disdain for the rule itself as well as for Manfred’s ability as a commissioner, and is generally used more amongst traditional or die hard fans who believe that many changes under Manfred’s commissionership aimed at growing the game have failed to do so and instead have only served to ruin parts of the game many people traditionally have enjoyed.A hitter who hits really well during batting practice, but not so well during games. These were formerly known as “ten o’clock hitters” or “two-o’clock hitters” back when there were no night games.

A count in which the pitcher would be ordinarily expected to throw a fastball, such as 3–1, 3–2, or 2–1, as fast ball are usually easiest to locate in the strike zone. Occasionally a pitcher will pull the string by throwing an off-speed pitch.

Despite their names, both the foul lines and the foul poles are in fair territory. Any fly ball that strikes the foul line (including the foul pole) beyond first or third base is a fair ball (and in the case of the foul pole, a home run).A lightweight bat with a long, skinny barrel used to hit fungoes. It is not a legal or safe bat to use in a game or even in practice with a live pitcher, because it is too light.

Note that while the foul lines in baseball are in fair territory, just like the side- and end-lines of a tennis court, in basketball or American football the sidelines are considered out of bounds. In other words, hitting the ball “on the line” is good for the offensive player in baseball and tennis, but stepping on the line is bad for the offensive player in basketball and American football. The situation is slightly different in association football (soccer): the sideline and the goal line are inbounds, and the ball is out of play when it has wholly crossed the side line (touch line) or the goal line, whether on the ground or in the air.

A pitch is said to “fall off the table” when it starts in the strike zone or appears hittable to the batter and ends low or in the dirt. This term is mainly used for change ups and split-fingered fastballs, and occasionally for an overhand curveball.A derogatory term referring to a starting pitcher who is unable to go beyond five innings before wearing out. In the current era in which managers are increasingly aware of the risk of injury to pitchers who have high pitch counts, and in which relief pitching has become a critical part of the game, starters achieve fewer and fewer complete games. Headline: “Vasquez Disputes Five-and-Dive Label”.When a batter has two strikes on him and gets a pitch he cannot hit cleanly, he may be said to “fight off the pitch” by fouling it off. “Langerhans fought off one 3-2 pitch, then drove the next one to the gap in left-center to bring home the tying and winning runs.”

To catch or knock down a line drive, as if flagging down a speeding train. “Cody Ross, who singled and moved to second on a ground-out, was stranded when Ramírez’s scorched liner … was flagged down by a diving Jones.”A situation where a batter puts the ball in play in a way that maximizes the result for his team. “Good pieces of hitting” tend to result in runs scoring and draining several pitches out of an opposing pitcher, especially in situations where the pitcher’s team was looking for a decent amount of length.

A farm team is a team or club whose role it is to provide experience and training for young players, with an expectation that successful players will move to the big leagues at some point. Each Major League Baseball team’s organization has a farm system of affiliated farm teams at different minor league baseball levels.

The World Series—the championship series of Major League Baseball, in which the champion of the American League faces off against the champion of the National League. Typically, this series takes place in October, so playing in October is the goal of any major league team. Reggie Jackson’s moniker “Mr. October” indicates that he played with great distinction in the World Series for the Yankees. Another Yankee, Derek Jeter, picked up the nickname “Mr. November” after he hit a walk-off home run in Game 4 of the 2001 World Series just after midnight local time on November 1. By comparison, Yankees owner George Steinbrenner’s dubbing another of his players (Dave Winfield) “Mr. May” expressed his disappointment with that player’s performance in the Fall Classic.Inherited runners or inherited baserunners are the runners on base when a relief pitcher enters the game. Since a previous pitcher has allowed these runners to reach base (or was simply pitching when the runners reached base, such as in the case of a fielding error), any inherited runners who score when the relief pitcher is pitching are charged to the previous pitcher’s runs allowed and/or earned runs allowed total, depending on how each runner reached base. Modern box scores list how many runners each relief pitcher inherits (if any), and how many of those inherited runners the relief pitcher allows to score, called inherited runs allowed (IRA).

A player, often one of small stature, who is known for his energy, extroversion, and team spirit – sometimes perhaps more than for his playing ability. “Morgan defied this mold by outworking everybody and employing his moderate athletic gifts to become one of the best all-around players of his era. He hit for power, he hit for average, he stole bases and manufactured runs and he was one of the toughest, smartest defensive second basemen the game has ever seen. He was a relentless fireplug, respected by opposing players and hated by opposing fans.”A batted ball that is hit sharply and directly from the bat to the catcher’s mitt and legally caught by the catcher. It is not a foul tip, as most announcers and journalists mistakenly use the term, if the ball is not caught by the catcher. In this case, it is simply a foul ball. It is also not considered a foul tip if it rebounds off something, like the ground, catcher’s mask, the batter, etc. after being struck by the bat but before touching the catcher’s mitt. A foul tip is considered in play, not a foul ball, and also counts as a strike, including the third strike (and is also considered a strikeout for the pitcher). It is signalled by the umpire putting his right hand flat in the air and brushing his left hand against it (imitating the ball glancing off the bat) and then using his standard strike call. If the out is not the third out then the ball is alive and in play (unlike on a foul) and runners are in jeopardy if they are trying to advance.A pole located on each foul line on the outfield fence or wall. The left-field foul pole and right-field foul pole are used by umpires to determine whether a batted ball is a home run or a foul ball. The foul pole is a vertical extension of the foul line. The term “foul pole” is actually a misnomer, because the “foul pole” (like the foul line) is in fair territory and a fly ball that hits the foul pole is considered to be a fair ball (and a home run).