Baseball for Dummies | What You Need To Know

Baseball 101 On A Yellow Legal Pad — Source: TethysImagingLLC / Getty

Baseball for Dummies | What You Need To Know

Welcome to the wonderful world of baseball!

If you’ve felt overwhelmed trying to understand the game or puzzled by the lingo, don’t worry.

This article will break it all down for you in the simplest terms. By the end, you’ll have a basic grasp of how baseball is played and what some of the common phrases mean.

Let’s get started!

How Baseball is Played

Baseball is a team sport played between two teams of nine players. The goal of the game is simple: score more runs (points) than the other team. Here’s how it works:

The game is played on a baseball field, which has a diamond-shaped infield with four bases.
- The bases are home plate, first base, second base, and third base.
- Players run around the bases after hitting the ball to score runs.
A full game is usually divided into nine innings. An inning has two halves:
- Top half: The away team bats while the home team plays defense.
- Bottom half: The teams switch roles, and the home team bats.
Each team gets three outs per half-inning. An “out” happens when a batter or runner is eliminated from play in one of several ways (explained below).

The Roles of Players

Pitcher: Throws the ball to the batter.
Catcher: Crouches behind home plate to catch pitches and direct the defense.
Batter: Tries to hit the ball to get on base or score a run.

Fielders (1st baseman, 2nd baseman, shortstop, 3rd baseman, and outfielders): These players work to catch the ball and make outs to stop the batting team from scoring.

How Scoring Works

If a batter hits the ball and successfully runs to all four bases (home plate being the last one), their team earns one run. You’ll often see a celebration when a batter hits a home run (when the ball is hit out of the park, and the batter automatically circles all the bases)!

Common Baseball Phrases and What They Mean

Here are some terms you might hear while watching baseball, with simple explanations:

Strikeout: When a batter gets three strikes (misses or doesn’t swing at good pitches) and is out.
Ball: A pitch outside the strike zone that the batter doesn’t swing at. Four “balls” give the batter a free trip to first base, known as a walk.
Home Run: When a batter hits the ball out of the park in fair territory, allowing them to run around all the bases and score.
Double Play: A defensive play where two outs are made during the same sequence.
Pop Fly (or just fly ball): A ball hit high in the air. If a fielder catches it before it hits the ground, the batter is out.
Ground Ball: A ball hit on the ground.
Steal (or Stolen Base): When a runner advances to a base while the pitcher is throwing without being tagged out.
RBI (Run Batted In): When a batter’s hit allows another runner to score a run.
Error: A mistake by a fielder that gives the batting team an advantage.
Grand Slam: A home run hit when all bases are already occupied by runners. This is worth four runs and is one of the most exciting plays in baseball!

A Typical Play-by-Play Example

Here’s how part of a game might go:

The pitcher throws a fastball, and the batter hits a single (a hit that lets them reach first base).
On the next pitch, the batter hits a double (a hit where they safely reach second base), and the runner on first base advances to third.
The next batter hits a home run! Both runners on base and the batter score three runs total. The crowd goes wild!

Now you’re ready to step up to the plate, whether you’re watching a game at the stadium, on TV, or just chatting with baseball fans. Baseball is a game of strategy, skill, and fun, and it gets more exciting the more you understand it. Play ball! ⚾