Baseball

Infield

Home plate, bases, pitcher’s mound

Outfield

Left, center, and right field

Foul Territory

Outside the foul lines

Picther

Throws pitches to get the batter out

Catcher

Catches pitches, calls the game, and protects home plate

First Baseman

Fields throws at first base and gets runners out

Second Baseman

Covers second base and fields ground balls on the right side

Third baseman

Fields hard-hit balls on the left side (“the hot corner”)

Shortstop

Covers the area between second and third base and is often the best infielder

Left fielder

Catches fly balls and fields hits to left field

Center field

Covers the most ground in the outfield and often directs the other outfielders

Right fielder

Field balls hit to right field and often has the strongest throwing arm among outfielders

Single hit

1 base

Double

2 bases

Triple

3 bases

Home run

Ball leaves the field in fair territory

4 balls

Walk

How do you get an out?

Strikeout, fly out, ground out, force out, tag out

How many outs end the half inning

3

Double play

Two outs on one play

Sacrifice fly

Batter gets out, but a runner scores

Starter

Pitcher that begins in game

Reliever

Pitcher that comes in later in the game

Closer

Pitcher that finishes out the game

ERA

Earned run average (lower is better)

WHIP

Walks + Hits per inning (lower is better)

K

Strikeouts

SV

Saves

AVG

Batting average (.300 is excellent)

HR

Home runs

RBI

Runs Batted in

OPS

Overall hitting effectiveness

Hit by pitch HBP

Batter is awarded first base

Error

Defensive mistake

Bullpen

Relief pitchers and their warmup areas

Balk

Illegal move by the pitcher; runners advance

Walk-off

Game-winning hit by the home team in the final inning

Grand slam

Home run with the bases loaded (4 run scores)

Hit-and-run

Runner steals while the batter swings

Intentional walk

Pitcher purposely walks a dangerous hitter

Defensive shift

Fielders reposition based on the batter

Who are the infielders?

These are 4 defensive positions: First baseman, Second Baseman, Third baseman, and Shortstop

What is Grand Out

When a ball is struck beyond the reach of the infield, then the outfielders (the right, center, and left outfielder) spring into action to retire the batter, now turned base runner

Who are the outfielders

These are 3 defensive positions: Left fielder, center fielder, and right fielder.

What qualities do outfielders need to have?

They need to be quick to chase down soaring balls, have a powerful throwing arm, and be good at catching.

What qualities do infielders need to have?

A good infielder relies on soft hands, quick footwork, fluid glove-to-hand transfers, and high baseball IQ to anticipate plays. Elite defenders master the "Five Fs": Feet, Field, Funnel, Fire, and Follow,

What is a flyout

This is when the batter send the ball high above the infield and an outfielder catches the ball before it touches the ground.

What is a forceout

This happens when a base runner is compelled to advance to the next as the ball is hit into play and the defense successfully tags the base before the runner arrives

What is a double play

a defensive maneuver in baseball where the fielding team records two outs in a single continuous play

What is a triple play

an extremely rare defensive feat where the fielding team records three outs in a single, continuous play

Fastball

Most common pitch

Thrown hard and fast toward the plate

Changeup

Meant to trick hitters into thinking its a fastball but comes out much slower and is typically 8-15 mph slower than the fastball

Curveball

A breaking pitch, meaning that the pitch will dive down into the side as it approaches the plate. It;s the second most common pitch thrown in baseball.

Sinker pitch

Commonly referred to as a two seam fastball, as it dives hard toward the ground at the last minute

Knuckleball

The most unpredictable pitch

It glides and moves towards the plate rather than spinning.

What is a bunt?

The batter deliberately meets the ball with the bat, lightly tapping it so that it trickles within the infield

What is a lead off

When a baseman moves a few steps away from the base during the pitcher’s throw

Why do baseman lead off?

It prepared them for a quick dash to the next base on a hit and also sets them up for a potential steal

What is a steal

When a baseman advances to the next base while the pitcher is in the process of delivering the ball to home plate

Why do baseman steal?

It is a shorter run distance to score a run

What is the risk of a steal

It exposes the runner to being tagged out by an infielder

What happens if after a runner steals a base the batter hits a foul ball

The runner must retreat to their previous base

Why is a bunt used?

It is often used to advance base runners or to surprise and confuse the defense.