Baseball
A bat-and-ball sport with nine players per team.
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. It evolved from older bat-and-ball games played in England by the mid-18th century and was brought by immigrants to North America, where the modern version developed. Baseball has been unofficially recognized as the national sport of the United States since the late 19th century, earning the moniker 'America's Pastime' due to its role as a source of escapism during troubled periods such as the American Civil War and the Great Depression.
- origin
- England (mid-18th century)
- modern development
- North America
- players per team
- 9
- innings per game
- 9 (typically)
- governing body
- World Baseball Softball Confederation
- major leagues
- Major League Baseball (MLB) in the US and Canada
Lore & Background
Baseball is played on a field with foul lines extending from home plate at 45-degree angles, dividing fair and foul territory. The infield contains a raised pitcher's mound with a rubber plate at its center, and the outfield is bounded by a fence. The game uses three basic tools: a ball about 9 inches in circumference, a bat typically 34 inches long, and a padded leather glove or mitt. Protective helmets are standard for batters.
Reader's Guide
Baseball's significance lies in its status as a historically important sport in the United States, where it was unofficially recognized as the national sport from the late 19th century. It spread throughout the Americas and Asia-Pacific in the 19th and 20th centuries, becoming the most popular sport in parts of Central and South America, the Caribbean, and East Asia, particularly Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. The highest professional level in the US and Canada is Major League Baseball, divided into the National and American Leagues, each with three divisions. The sport has no game clock, though some competitions use pace-of-play regulations like a pitch clock.
Did You Know?
- A run is scored when a runner legally advances around the four bases in order and touches home plate.
- The pitcher can get a batter out by throwing three pitches that result in strikes.
- A game is usually composed of nine innings, but extra innings are played if the score is tied.
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