Contents
The Baseball Field
Baseball Equipment
The Basic Rules of Baseball
Pitching in Baseball
Fielding in Baseball
Hitting in Baseball
Baserunning in Baseball
Baseball Statistics
Major League Baseball
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Pitching in Baseball
Pitching involves a series of at-bats in which the pitcher tries to get the batter at the plate out and the batter tries to get on base. Most at-bats involve multiple pitches. On most pitches, one of three things happens:
- The batter swings and misses the pitch.
- The batter takes the pitch (doesn’t swing at the pitch).
- The batter swings and hits the pitch.
If the Batter Swings and Misses . . .
If the batter swings at a pitch and misses it, that pitch is called a strike.
If the Batter Doesn’t Swing . . .
If the batter doesn’t swing at the pitch, what happens next depends on whether the pitch passed through the strike zone—an imaginary rectangle above home plate that extends from one side of home plate to the other and from the batter’s knees to the center of his chest (or roughly to the letters on his uniform).
- If the ball passes through the strike zone: The umpire calls the pitch a strike.
- If the ball does not pass through the strike zone: The umpire calls the pitch a ball.
Since the strike zone is invisible, the home-plate umpire uses his best judgment to determine whether a pitch has passed through it. Players, coaches, and fans often disagree with an umpire’s call.
If the Batter Swings and Hits the Pitch . . .
- If the batter hits the ball into fair territory: The batter either gets a hit, or the fielders get him out (see Fielding in Baseball).
- If the ball is hit into foul territory: If the ball is hit into the air in foul territory and a fielder catches it on a fly, then the hitter is out. If the ball is hit into the air in foul territory and no fielder catches it or it’s hit along the ground in foul territory, then it’s a strike as long as the batter doesn’t already have two strikes against him. If the batter already has two strikes against him, a ball hit into foul territory that isn’t caught in the air is not called a strike, but rather, a foul ball. Batters can hit an unlimited number of foul balls without being called out.
Balls, Strikes, Strikeouts, and Walks
When a batter has two strikes and then swings and misses, or doesn’t swing but the pitch is ruled a strike, the batter strikes out. If the pitcher throws four balls to the batter, the batter earns a walk (also called a base on balls) and advances to first base.
The combination of balls and strikes that have been thrown to a batter at any point is called the count and is denoted by the number of balls, followed by the number of strikes. For example, if the pitcher has thrown two balls and one strike, the count is described as “two balls and one strike” or simply “two and one.”
Pitching Wind-Up or Stretch
The pitcher uses a different motion to pitch the ball depending on whether runners are on base.
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Wind-up: If there are no runners on base, a pitcher pitches from a wind-up, which involves a big leg kick that helps the pitcher generate power.
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Stretch: If there are runners on base, the pitcher can’t use a wind-up because it takes too long to get the ball to home plate, making it easier for runners to steal (see Baserunning in Baseball). Instead, the pitcher simply strides toward the plate when he pitches.
Balks
Once a pitcher steps on the rubber, he must either throw the ball to the plate or attempt to pick off one of the runners by stepping toward or throwing to a base. If he begins his pitch delivery but then interrupts his motion for any reason, or if he steps toward home plate while throwing to a base, the umpire calls a balk, and any runners on base advance one base.
Pitching Technique
Successful pitching requires far more than simply throwing the ball in the strike zone. The best pitchers can throw the ball with pinpoint accuracy to the corners of the strike zone, throw the ball out of the strike zone to keep hitters off guard, vary the velocity of their pitches, and throw different types of pitches that move through the air in different ways.
Types of Pitches
Pitchers can throw a number of different types of pitches, which move in particular ways based on:
- How the pitcher grips the ball
- The particular arm and wrist motion the pitcher uses to release the ball
Some of the most popular pitches used by pitchers are the fastball, curveball, slider, changeup, and knuckleball.
Fastball
Throwing a fastball—the most basic of all pitches—involves gripping the ball loosely and throwing it with a hard motion to generate as much speed as possible. The hardest throwers in the Major Leagues can throw fastballs of 100 miles per hour or more. There are several variations on a standard fastball, including a two-seam fastball, a cut fastball, and a split-finger fastball, all of which are thrown just as hard but rotate and move through the air slightly differently.
Curveball and Slider
To throw a curveball or slider, the pitcher grips the ball along the seams and snaps his wrist as he releases the ball. This motion creates a spin on the ball and causes it to curve downwards, from left to right or right to left. Some curveballs and sliders are designed to curve only slightly in order to entice the batter into swinging. Other curveballs and sliders have much more dramatic curves—they appear to be headed toward the strike zone, but curve out of it at the last moment.
Changeup
Although a pitcher throws a changeup with the same arm speed used to throw fastballs, the pitcher grips the ball with all five fingers, which causes the ball to move significantly slower than a fastball. The batter sees the pitcher’s arm move like he’s throwing a fastball and prepares to swing. Often, by the time the batter realizes that the ball is moving slower, it’s too late and he’s already swung (and missed). The best pitchers throw changeups that move 10–15 miles per hour slower than their fastballs.
Knuckleball
To throw a knuckleball, the pitcher grips the ball with his fingertips and pushes it toward the plate with an easy motion to eliminate all spin from the ball. A properly thrown knuckleball moves even slower than the slowest changeup, but the lack of spin on the ball causes it to dip and dive unpredictably in the air, which makes it very difficult to hit. A knuckleball thrown even slightly incorrectly, however, is incredibly easy to hit. As a result, few pitchers use this pitch.
Calling Pitches
Before each pitch, the pitcher and catcher communicate using a series of hand signals and head gestures to decide which type of pitch the pitcher should throw. As he crouches behind the plate, the catcher flashes his fingers between his legs in a way that signals what pitch he thinks the pitcher should throw. Every team has different signs, so an opposing team won’t know what pitch is coming. When the pitcher agrees, he nods. If the pitcher wants to throw a different pitch, he shakes his head and the catcher signs for a new pitch. This communication prepares the catcher for the specific pitch coming his way so he can more easily catch it.
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