It’s that time of year again when spring is in full bloom, and the boys of summer begin to play ball. What’s new this year for the major leagues is a pitch clock. Designed to help move the game along, the pitch clock penalizes a pitcher for failing to deliver his pitch within a certain short time limit. It also applies to batters, and to meetings on the mound. Although radical for the game of baseball, that does not use a clock to determine the amount of playing time, other sports have been using a clock to move the game along. Football has its play clock; basketball has its shot clock; and even tennis does not have a clock to determine playing time, but penalizes a player for not serving the ball within a certain time limit. Baseball has many other idiosyncrasies, however, that distinguish the game from other sports.
1. The playing field is fan shaped with most of the action taking place on one end rather than a rectangular playing surface with a goal of some kind on each end that one team must defend against the other. In baseball, the team playing on defense must defend the entire playing field, virtually all of which is inbounds.
2. The playing fields from one ballpark to another are not necessarily uniform in size, except for the base paths, foul lines, and pitching mound. The defensive team always has all nine starting players on the field, while the offensive team has at least two (one at the plate and one in the on-deck circle) and no more than five.
3. There are no boundaries except the fences or walls around the playing surface. A player is permitted to make a play on a ball that requires reaching over these fences, but may do so only at his own risk.
4. Players can request a timeout from an umpire to stop the game for almost any reason. There are no limits to the number of timeouts, however, the umpire is not required to grant the timeout and can let the game continue if he feels the timeout is unnecessary.
5. The players on offense come to bat in a specific order determined by the coach or manager before the game begins. If a player is removed from the order, he is removed from the game and cannot return. All players that play on defense must also play on offense, with the exception of the pitcher who has another player bat for him. Any player entering into the game must be entered into the batting order.
6. It is impossible for the team on defense to score a run until they switch to offense. The switch only takes place after the third out in the inning is achieved, and the automatic inning break in the game occurs.
7. The game has no time limit, no halftime break, and no break at the end of a quarter or period. It ends after both teams have the opportunity to play on offense in the 9th or final inning, if necessary. If the score is tied, another inning is played one at a time until the score is not tied at the end of an inning. The home team has a decided advantage in that they have the final chance to play offense. In the 9th or final inning if the home team takes the lead, the game ends on the spot as the opposing team will not have another chance to match the score. If the home team already has the lead in the 9th inning they do not come to bat as it would not be necessary.
8. The coach or manager of the team on defense may stop the game momentarily to discuss strategy with the pitcher and other players. If he does this twice with the same pitcher, he must replace the pitcher. A replacement pitcher during the middle of an inning must face at least three batters unless the inning finishes. The game is interrupted when the pitcher is replaced during the inning. The replacement pitcher is given a short time to warm up before the game resumes. In most other sports the coaches are not permitted on the field, and substitute players must enter the game without any interruption to play.
9. The coaches and team manager wear the same uniform design as the players. The team on offense has two coaches on the playing field during the game to assist the players as they run the bases when a ball is in play. They cannot touch a ball or interfere with a player fielding the ball. In most other sports the coaches wear casual shirts and trousers, often with the team’s colors or logo. In some sports or leagues, the coaches wear a coat and tie. Female coaches dress correspondingly.
10. Only balls hit between perpendicular lines (foul lines) drawn on the field will permit an offensive player to advance to the next base. All hit balls outside the foul lines will be replayed unless caught in the air by a defensive player. It’s possible for the team that’s batting (on offense) to score runs without hitting the pitched ball with the bat. In other sports the ball must be played inside drawn boundaries.
11. In the professional baseball leagues fans in attendance are permitted to keep any ball hit over the fences or barriers. In most other sports, the ball is returned to the playing field.
12. The game is arguably the hardest of the major sports to officiate as the ball is smaller, travels faster and farther, and is often obscured from view when key plays are made. In the professional leagues the usage of instant replay television has provided a second opinion on certain close calls. The strike zone that the ball must be pitched through while an offensive player is batting is imaginary. The umpire behind the batter will decide whether the pitch passed through the strike zone or not.
13. In the professional leagues the teams will play almost everyday having a handful of days off each season. The starting pitchers, however, typically play no more often than once every five days. If a game cannot be played because of inclement weather, it is rescheduled to be played later in the season, usually on the same day as the teams were scheduled to play another game making it two games on that day. If inclement weather interrupts a game, the umpires decide whether the game will be continued after the bad weather passes. On occasion the interrupted game will be suspended and continued the next day. If the interrupted game is at least half complete, it is subject to being considered a completed game with the team that was ahead when play stopped being declared the winner.
14. The best offensive players in the professional leagues succeed in hitting the ball and reaching at least first base about 30% of the time. An average offensive player succeeds about 25% of the time.
5. I don’t believe the designated hitter has to replace the pitcher. It’s just that the pitcher is almost always the worst hitter. What happens when Ohtani pitches? Replacing another batter would be embarrassing for him.
8. I believe the team that visits the mound twice also has the option of removing the manager from the game. I’ve never heard of it actually happening.
Points well taken. Thank you.