(Baseball) a hit that allows the player to go around all four bases, generally by hitting the ball out of play. Also called a home run.
This term comes from the fact that such hits are often long balls, as they tend to travel far. The word "long" here is used in its early modern sense of "lengthy," but it also means "to the center field fence (which is usually considered to be about 450 feet from home plate)." A long ball is thus one that goes beyond what a normal hit would do. In actuality, only about 10% of all hits are long balls, but because most extra-base hits are singles, it seems like more than 10%.
Long balls are valuable, because they score lots of runs and allow players to reach base easily. Thus, it is desirable for hitters to hit them well. A long ball that reaches the outfield is usually caught by one of the defenders, although some are hit into certain types of outs (i.'thout any runners on base). If a long ball gets past the first defender, an error is made on the part of the defense; otherwise, it is called perfect.
Most people are familiar with the following baseball terms: strikeout, base, walk, home run, hit, bat, batter, and so on. Along with these well-known baseball words, there are those that are less well-known, such as WHIP, assist, hot corner, launch angle, slugging percentage, and others. In this article, we will discuss some of the more unusual terms used in baseball.
The first thing you should know is that every time a player comes to the plate, he is given the opportunity to hit for the cycle. A hit, single, error, or fielder's choice can all lead to the hitter coming around to face up again. Thus, the term "to hit for the cycle" means to get a hit, score a run, earn an error, and drive in a run all in the same game.
Some players who have done this include George Brett (who accomplished it twice), Carl Yastrzemski, and Alex Rodriguez. It is very difficult to do; only five other players have ever managed it. The last player to hit for the cycle was Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in 2017.
There is no such thing as a perfect game. A pitcher can pitch himself out of a jam by striking out the side or two times through the order. If a pitcher goes beyond three strikes against him, the batter has the right to come out of the box. A new pitcher will then take the mound.
Bases on balls or walks A ball is any pitch that is outside the strike zone and is not struck by the batter. If the hitter hits four balls in a row, he receives a free pass to first base. This means that if the pitcher throws enough pitches, the hitter will make some type of error, such as walking or being thrown out at first base.
This term applies only when the pitcher uses his entire count to get the batter out. If the pitcher has two strikes on him when he reaches four balls, he will usually stop there rather than walk the batter. However, if the batter gets a free pass, then the pitcher can continue to throw strikes until he uses up his remaining chances to retire the batter.
Examples: A pitcher sends a 95-mph fastball down the pike. It's fouled off by the batter. He then throws another one just like it, which is also fouls off. The pitcher has now used up his three chances and is said to have "four-balled" the batter. (He has no more opportunities to strike him out.)
On the other hand, if the first pitch was inside and the second one was too, the batter has had two good pitches to hit and is given another chance to do so.
A baseball bat is a smooth wooden or metal rod used in baseball to smash the ball after the pitcher has thrown it. When used in this manner, a bat is referred to as a club. The word "bat" comes from the Germanic word batan, which means "to strike."
According to one source, the first baseball bats were made out of wood and had no metal parts on them at all. In 1867, an Englishman named George Tobin invented the first bat with a metal barrel, but it was not until much later that most modern bats were built with this type of design element today. In 1939, aluminum replaced wood for most baseball bats.
During World War II, gasoline and other material shortages prevented the production of new bats, so old ones were taken off the shelves and used instead. After the war, many manufacturers produced new bats using wood again as the main material. In 1957, aluminum returned to most bats for safety reasons - before this time, there had been several fatal accidents involving broken glass under the stands where children played soccer with the balls- Thomas Edison suggested that baseball use bats with rubber ends because they would be less dangerous if they broke.
Today, wood is again the most common material for baseball bats. Some people think wood bats are better than others depending on the wood used to make them.
A pitch in baseball is the act of tossing a baseball toward home plate to begin a play. The phrase is derived from the Knickerbocker Rules. Originally, the ball had to be "pitched" underhand, much like horseshoes. But in 1857, the rules were changed to allow for overhand pitching.
In modern baseball, three pitches are necessary to complete a batter's turn at-bat: a fastball, a curveball, and a changeup. While many pitchers have more than these three, they often use one of them as their primary pitch. A pitcher can also have a fourth pitch if he or she chooses, such as a spitball or knuckleball.
The term "pitch" comes from the early game of cricket, where it meant to deliver a ball with the intent of getting out an opponent. This usage probably inspired its adoption into baseball, where it originally referred to an underhanded throw but now generally means an attempted delivery of a ball at home plate with the intention of putting out an opposing player.
During World War II, when rubber and other material shortages prevented the manufacture of balls, it was common for pitchers to use stumps, rocks, or any other hard object they could find as a replacement ball.
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