Questions tagged [baseball]
Questions about the sport of baseball in general. For the American professional baseball league, see [mlb]. Note that autograph identification questions ("Who signed this baseball?") are OFF-TOPIC and will be closed.
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Does a run score if the batter is tagged for the 3rd out before he reaches first?
There is a runner on third with two out. Batter hits a slow roller to first base. First baseman charges and picks up the ball. Runner from third crosses home. First baseman tags the runner running ...
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3
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Does a run count if it's made on the same play as the 3rd out?
Under what conditions can a run be scored on a play that results in a 3rd out for the team? I was under the impression that if a 3rd out happens, all runs that might have scored before time during ...
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4
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What happens to the runner if he misses a base after hitting a homerun?
Scenario: No one on base. 2 outs. Batter hits a homerun. However, while rounding the bases, completely misses stepping on second base. Now, I understand that being a home run, it's a dead ball, and ...
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13
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2
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What team has the shortest "longest losing streak" within a season in MLB history?
Don't know if the wording of the title makes sense, but I want to know what team had the longest losing streak that was the shortest in MLB history (or at least the live ball era)
A completely made ...
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1
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Does a run count if it's made after an unforced out? [duplicate]
scenerio: runners on second and third, two outs. Ball hit to shortstop who immediately tags out the runner going from second to third. This happens before runner gets to first and before runner from ...
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19
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2
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If a play ends with two runners at the same base who is safe?
In baseball if a play ends and two base runners are at the same base who is safe and who is out? Does the situation change if one of the runners can be forced?
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16
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2
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What are the criteria for wins, losses, and saves in MLB?
I've read the rules for determining Wins, Losses and Saves for pitchers, and I've never been able to make heads or tails of it. Is there an easier way to explain it?
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10
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1
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Switch-Pitcher versus Switch-Batter
A Switch-Pitcher is pitching (Can pitch with the left or right arm).
A Switch-Batter is at the plate (Can bat from the left or right side).
In the MLB, who is forced to choose what side they are ...
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10
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1
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Are there any rules in baseball which prohibit teams from "borrowing" players via trade?
Every season near the trade deadline, we see teams that are out of it trading expensive players and/or free agents-to-be, typically for younger players or prospects. For example, Matt Garza, set to ...
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1
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Does a run scored on a tag out on a forced runner?
The situation:
Runners at third and first, ball is hit to the second basemen, 2nd basemen goes to tag the runner out. Runner stops, runner on third scores and then 2nd basement tags the runner, does ...
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1
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What makes Stealing Signs wrong?
Edit: I originally asked this question in 2016. This was before the scandals of the Astros and Red Sox came to light, where the teams allegedly used devices such as cameras, smartwatches, and trash ...
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4
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Is a base runner automatically out if they stop advancing when forced to their next base?
Here's a situation that came up during a back lot league softball game a few weeks ago.
(Note: While our league has some of its own rules we try to defer to MLB rules in all causes that aren't ...
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3
votes
1
answer
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Tag out of a forced runner to end the inning, does the run still score?
Bases loaded with 2 outs, ground ball hit towards 3B/SS hole fielded by 3B. The third-basemen elects to try and tag the runner advancing from 2nd to 3rd, but the runner sees the decision and stops ...
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2
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1
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Ball goes through the strike zone, but the catcher doesn't catch the ball?
I'm still learning the basics of baseball, so please excuse my ignorance.
If a ball is pitched through the strike zone, but the catcher doesn't catch the ball, does this count as a ball or strike?
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3
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If the pitcher throws to 1st base to try to get the base runner out, is the runner on 2nd allowed to run to 3rd?
There are runners on 2nd and 1st base, and they're both leading off. The pitcher throws to 1st to try to get him out - is the runner on 2nd base allowed to run to 3rd?
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5
answers
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Why does a foul ball not count as a third strike?
From the Wikipedia entry for foul ball
A strike is issued for the batter if he had fewer than two strikes ...
A strike is, however, recorded for the pitcher for every foul ball the
batter hits, ...
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20
votes
4
answers
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What gives a left-handed pitcher an advantage over a left-handed batter?
In baseball, a pitcher is often assumed to have an advantage over a batter based on his handedness (i.e. left-handed vs right-handed). I think it is that right-handed pitchers have an advantage of ...
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6
answers
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Is the runner on first forced to run?
Looking for some clarification on this situation that came up today:
There is one out and a runner on first base (R1). The batter hits a fly ball in the infield. The first baseman (1st) makes an ...
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13
votes
1
answer
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When and why did baseball players start exclusively running the bases counterclockwise?
In modern baseball, the players always run around the bases counterclockwise (anticlockwise). However, a book written in the 1830's - one of the first to describe the version of the sport we know ...
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13
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1
answer
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Can a pitcher also be a designated hitter?
Suppose an American League Team ended up with a good-hitting pitcher e.g Yovani Gallardo, or from an earlier era, Ken Brett, who had established this reputation in the National League.
Could such a ...
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9
votes
3
answers
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What is BABIP in Baseball, and what does it tell us?
How does one get a high/low BABIP? Is this statistic for hitters and/or pitchers? What does a high/low BABIP mean?
Definition: BABIP = (Hits - Homeruns) / (At Bats - Strikeouts - Homeruns + ...
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1
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Batting average greater than on-base percentage
While watching a New York Mets game early this season, before one plate appearance the broadcast graphics displayed that catcher John Buck had a batting average (AVG) of .400 and an on-base percentage ...
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10
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What's the rarest event in professional baseball?
What is the rarest feat in professional baseball?
Unassisted triple play?
Pitching a perfect game?
Pitching more than 9 innings, perfect game?
Using a statistic or terminology that can be ...
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votes
2
answers
1k
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Is there any concept of 'declaring' an inning in Baseball?
This is a question regarding a somewhat hypothetical situation, but one I have been thinking about quite a bit and can't get my head around.
In Cricket, a team can 'Declare' an innings at any time, ...
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votes
2
answers
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Does any rule require MLB teams to announce probable pitchers?
In Major League Baseball, a few days before each game, each team typically announces a "probable" starting pitcher.
Is there a rule requiring them to do so, or is it simply a matter of tradition or ...
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6
votes
1
answer
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Why are baseball parks allowed to be be so different?
A football field has exactly 100 yards between to "end zones" of a specified size, and a specific width. Likewise, the dimensions of a soccer field, hockey rink, tennis or basketball courts are highly ...
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votes
1
answer
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How could pitchers once pitch both games of a doubleheader?
It was once not unheard for pitchers to pitch both games of a doubleheader, even to throw back-to-back complete games:
The most distinguished doubleheader pitching achievement was that of
“Big Ed”...
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4
votes
1
answer
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Sign stealing in baseball
I don't understand the current sign stealing issue between the Red Sox and the Yankees. I don't understand how sign stealing in baseball actually works. Just seeing a catcher's sign is not enough.
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lead baserunner tagged while occupying base he is forced from
R1 on first, batter hits grounder to 1B who tags R1 who is standing on first, and then 1B touches first base. Is this a double play
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1
answer
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Has any two teams in the World Series ever get there without losing a game during the postseason?
Related: Has there been a time the 2 NBA or NHL teams in the playoffs final series got there without losing any games?
MLB Postseason Format Timeline:
Before 1969, the team with the best record from ...
user527
3
votes
1
answer
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Jackie Robinson's Caught Stealing Totals
I'm doing some analysis on Jackie Robinson's career. I'm using both Retrosheet and Lahman's database in order get his performance per game and overall stats respectively.
The thing is that I see ...
3
votes
0
answers
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Is a base runner out if he back pedals to first base to avoid a tag in a double play situation? [duplicate]
There came a situation in one game where there was a runner occupying first base (R1) and third base (R3), with one out. The batter then hits a ground ball to the left of the second baseman. He fields ...
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2
votes
1
answer
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What does Home Runs Allowed mean?
I am reading an article about data science which uses some baseball statistics as an example. In it, there is the following phrase:
we hypothesize that the number of wins can be predicted by the ...
- 131
2
votes
1
answer
215
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Back to back game tying and game winning walk off home run
Justin Smoke and Kendrys Morals of Toronto Blue Jays hit back to back home runs in the 9th inning against the Oakland Athletics on July 26 2017. Smoke's HR tied the game, and on the next pitch Morals ...
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2
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4
answers
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How high does a baseball travel in a major league pop-up?
It seems that major league baseball players have to wait a relatively long time to field a pop-up. This led me to wonder how high the ball traveled. If one knew how high the ball traveled, one could ...
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0
answers
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What happens if the leading baserunner misses a base?
What is the correct ruling in the following situation?
Runners on first (R1) and second (R2)
Batter gets a hit and is out before reaching first (fewer than three outs)
R1 and R2 advance; R1 touches ...
- 11
1
vote
1
answer
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An earned run and loss despite the runner being out - how?
Why did Tanaka get the earned run and loss against the A's on 26 May 2017, when the runner he allowed in the eighth got thrown out at the plate and didn't score?
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1
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What happens when a baseball player is "DFA'ed" and then signs with another team?
I'm asking specifically about Pablo Sandoval, who signed a five year contract with Boston Red Sox, and is now owed $18 million each for 2018 and 2019, plus the balance of his 2017 salary. He was ...
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1
vote
2
answers
4k
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Third base runner gets hit by a foul ball, is he out?
The batter hit a foul ball that hit his own player? Is the runner out?
0
votes
1
answer
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Does the run count on a force out if it's the second out of the play AND the first is a non-forced tag out?
So the scenario that I'm wondering about (not trying to be difficult, just curious)... Runner at 2nd and 3rd... hit to SS and a slow batter-runner.... SS tags 2nd who was advancing unforced and the ...
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1
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MLB rules for blown save and win by same pitcher
In the Major League Baseball, does a relief pitcher who blows the save in the top of the 9th inning also get credit for the win when his team comes back in bottom of the 9th for the win?
