25
votes
Accepted
What does this description of a baseball game mean?
The date of the game is set, and with Atlanta's win, their presence is assured. What is not yet known is their opponent or the location. It's just trying to show the different possibilities.
As a ...
- 6,940
13
votes
Accepted
What is a balk?
Balk
From MLB.com
A balk occurs when a pitcher makes an illegal motion on the mound that the umpire deems to be deceitful to the runner(s).
Exactly what constitutes a balk is summed up in section 8 ...
- 585
11
votes
Accepted
New York Yankees logo
Both are.
The left logo is the official team logo since 1968.
The right one with the letters NY is the more famous one, because it's way older and they still use it on the caps and jerseys. This ...
- 5,342
10
votes
Accepted
Why does there exist a pause on seventh inning?
According to Wikipedia, the 7th Inning Stretch is something that is widely disputed, and no real record exists of exactly when it started. There are several accounts of what could have started it, ...
- 2,087
10
votes
What's the rarest event in professional baseball?
This isn't perfectly answerable, because it's easy to come up with specific things that only occur once if you get complicated enough.
However, if you limit it to things that would merit a sports ...
- 12.9k
10
votes
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Is this a Little League balk?
Baseball Rules Acadamy has a page for little league rules including 8.05 (g)
8.05 - With a runner or runners on base, it is an illegal pitch when
(g) the pitcher makes any motion naturally associated ...
- 6,940
9
votes
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Runners at first and third. Why not steal?
Thrown baseballs move a lot faster than people. The ball will get to second and then back to home again before the runner from third can make it home, particularly as the runner on third has to delay ...
- 24.8k
9
votes
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Why not get the force out at third?
There are a couple reasons, but the primary one is thinking about the location of the runners by the time the ball is picked up.
There are a few things you're correct about:
There is a force out at ...
- 2,526
8
votes
Intentionally being struck with batted ball to prevent a double play
Both the runner who interfered and his teammate (the batter) are out, and any other runners cannot advance.
6.01(a)(6):
If, in the judgment of the umpire, a base runner willfully
and ...
- 1,667
8
votes
Accepted
Do MLB players wear new uniforms every game?
The answer is basically No, though there is no official statement of teams many articles I have read so far points out teams does not provide new jerseys to the players for every game. Uniforms are ...
- 6,524
8
votes
Accepted
Why did baseball players start wearing gloves but cricket players not?
Regarding 1.
Why didn't cricket players ever start wearing gloves?
I focused on why baseball players began to wear gloves, because it is a much more answerable question, and can be used to ...
- 417
8
votes
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What is a hit called, that is not a home run, but still allows the batter to make it around the bases?
A home run is when a batted ball enables the batter to make it around the bases and touches home plate without the defense committing errors. Hitting the ball over the outfield fence is the easy way ...
- 1,164
8
votes
Accepted
Sac fly and sac bunt
These are both covered by MLB Rule 9.08:
The Official Scorer shall:
(a) Score a sacrifice bunt when, before two are out, the batter advances one or more runners with a bunt and is put out at first ...
- 24.8k
7
votes
Ball headed foul but stopped before it gets there - is it still fair?
This is a fair ball, the ball never touches foul territory, so therefore it can't be a foul ball.
MLB Rules State:
A FOUL BALL is a batted ball that settles on foul territory
...
- 2,087
7
votes
If two pitchers pitch to the same batter, who is credited with the result of the at-bat?
You needed to look in rule 9.16(h). Rule 9 deals with the official scoring of MLB games. So based on the official rules at mlb.com:
(h) A relief pitcher shall not be held accountable when the ...
7
votes
Accepted
Why do baseball managers argue with umpires in situations where they know it won't help?
A manager might argue to stick up for his team and motivate them, even if he knows the call was right or it won't be reversed. Here's an article highlighting some of the sillier things managers have ...
7
votes
Accepted
Why are combined no hitters so rare?
The simple answer is that there are very few chances for such a feat. Pitchers are usually replaced when they're being ineffective, not when they're doing a good job.
I'd say you'd generally need ...
- 6,940
6
votes
Accepted
Opening Day Baseball Location
As you can imagine, scheduling an MLB season is not the easiest task to accomplish. Especially with all the different specifications enacted by the league and the player's union. More or less, there ...
- 699
6
votes
Why are there no left handed catchers in baseball?
Well, there are a few downsides for left handed catchers, such as throwing out a base stealer at 3B, which would probably happen more often with a left handed catcher, but probably the biggest reason ...
- 2,087
6
votes
Accepted
What criteria does each batter in baseball's batting order have?
Traditional
1 - High OBP/Speed
This guy should have a high chance of getting on base. You want to get your guys on base so the later hitters have a chance to drive in runs.
2 - Contact/Bunt
This ...
- 2,087
6
votes
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Number of baseballs used in a major league baseball game?
This question doesn't have an exact answer but there are many articles which suggest, for a particular (9 innings) game , on avergage 8 to 10 dozen baseballs are used.
From old.post-gazette.com ...
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6
votes
Two runners on same base
As you can see from the full play-by-play of the game, the hit by Albert Almora Jr. was a ground-rule double. This is due to the ground rule at Wrigley Field that any ball which lodges in the ivy is ...
- 24.8k
6
votes
Accepted
What happens if fielder catches ball at fence but drops ball over fence?
This is a home run.
Rule 5.05(a)(9) says:
Any fair fly ball is deflected by the fielder into the stands ...
or over the fence in fair territory, the batter shall be entitled to a
home run.
...
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6
votes
Runner on third base catches a soft line drive
According to the 14U rules here:
The Official Baseball Rules are the first in the order of precedence to specify a rule for this scenario.
According to The Official Baseball Rules
Rule 5.09(b)3) - ...
- 161
6
votes
Accepted
How does the runner placed at second base in extra innings affect Earned Run Average?
It doesn't. The scored run is considered unearned.
A news article on MLB's own website describes the effect on scoring:
For purposes of calculating earned runs, the runner who begins an inning on ...
Nij♦
- 8,216
6
votes
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Why does there seem to be more pitching changes in recent years?
If by "recent" you mean "since 2012", yes it's up, but I would say it's just a continuation of a trend that has been going continuously since the 1980s. At least in part due to ...
- 6,940
6
votes
Accepted
Can a runner steal bases while batters are switching?
A runner is allowed to advance at their own peril whenever the ball is in play. The ball is not automatically dead after completion of a play. But if "time" has been called, then no ...
- 6,940
6
votes
Batter stepping over first base
Until either the runner crosses first base, or a force out or tag has been applied, the umpire will not make a safe or out call.
Given this scenario, the umpire will not make a call either when the ...
- 1,531
6
votes
Accepted
Is it possible for a batter to be at bat twice in a row?
No, it's not possible, at least as you explain it.
In baseball, once you're removed from the game, you're done for the day - at least in mlb. In some other leagues, there may be re-entry permitted, ...
- 12.9k
5
votes
Why don't baseball players get involved with the spectators when something good happens?
While browsing through the Major League Baseball rules I think I found a clue:
4.06 (3.09) No Fraternization Players in uniform shall not address or mingle with spectators, nor sit in the stands ...
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Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible