A baseball field or baseball diamond is the field upon which the game of baseball is played. A playing field is a field used for playing sports or games They are generally outdoors but many large structures exist to enclose playing fields from bad weather Baseball is a Bat-and-ball Sport played between two teams of nine players each
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Specifications
The starting point for much of the action on the field is home plate, which is an irregular white rubber pentagon 17 inches by 8 1/2 by 12 by 12 by 8 1/2 inches (defined in the rule book as a one-foot square with "two of the corners filled in"). A baseball field or baseball diamond is the field upon which the game of Baseball is played Inches redirects here To see the Les Savy Fav album see Inches. Adjacent to each of the two parallel 8 1/2-inch sides is a batter's box. In Baseball, Softball, and similar sports and games the batter's box is the place where the batter stands when ready to receive a pitch The point of home plate where the two 12-inch sides meet at right angles, is at one corner of a ninety-foot square. A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit The other three corners of the square, in counterclockwise order from home plate, are called first base, second base, and third base. First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a Baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a Baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in Baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of Three canvas bags fifteen inches (38 cm) square mark the three bases. These three bags along with home plate form the four bases at the corners of the infield.
A subtlety about the bases is that first and third base, along with home plate, lie entirely within the ninety-foot square created by the four bases. They are positioned this way to help the umpires, as any ball hitting those bases must necessarily be in fair territory. Home plate has its peculiar shape in order to help the plate umpire judge whether a pitch is over the plate or not, that is, whether it might be in the strike zone. Strike Zone is a Star Trek The Next Generation novel by Peter David. The second base bag, which is fully within fair territory, is placed so that its center coincides exactly with the corner or "point" of the ninety-foot infield square. Thus, although the "points" of the bases are 90 feet apart, the physical distance between each successive pair of base markers is closer to 88 feet.
The lines from home plate to first and third bases extend to the nearest fence, stand or other obstruction and are called the foul lines. The portion of the playing field between (and including) the foul lines is fair territory; the rest is foul territory. The area in the vicinity of the square formed by the bases is called the infield; fair territory outside the infield is known as the outfield. Most baseball fields are enclosed with a fence that marks the outer edge of the outfield. The fence is usually set at a distance ranging from 300 to 410 feet (90 to 125 m) from home plate. Most professional and college baseball fields have a right and left foul pole. These poles are at the intersection of the foul lines and the respective ends of the outfield fence. Another common feature of baseball fields is a warning track, a narrow dirt path that follows the outer edge of the outfield at the fence that serves to warn outfielders chasing a long fly ball of their proximity to the wall. A warning track is the term for the part of the Baseball field that is closest to the wall or fence and is typically made of dirt instead of Grass or Artificial
First base
First base is the first of four bases that must be touched {while running} by a player on the batting team in order to score a run. First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a Baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run In contrast to second and third base, it is permitted for a runner to overrun first base without being in jeopardy of being put out after contact is made with the base, provided the runner makes no move to attempt to advance another base. There are several ways a batter can reach first base. They are: 1. Walk 2. Hit 3. Hit by pitch 4. Fielder's choice 5. Error 6. Dropped third strike 7. Catcher's interference 8. Fielder's interference
The first baseman, or 1B, is the defensive player responsible for the area near first base. Professional first basemen are often tall both to present a large target to which other fielders can throw and because their long limbs give them a larger range to reach errant balls. Players who are left-handed are preferable for first base for a couple of reasons. Among them are: 1. It is easier to catch a pick-off throw from the pitcher and tag the baserunner 2. Their left foot (which they use to tag the first base after receiving a throw from another fielder) is closer to first base than their right foot. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the first baseman is assigned the number 3.
Second base
Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a Baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that Second base is typically defended by the second baseman and the shortstop. Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and Third base. Second base is also known as the keystone sack. A runner on second base is said to be in "scoring position," owing to the high likelihood of reaching home plate and scoring a run from second base on most base hits. Since second is the farthest base from home plate, it is the most common target of base stealing. In Baseball, a stolen base occurs when a Baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the Pitcher is delivering the ball to Home plate
Ideally, the second baseman and shortstop possess quick hands and feet and the ability to release the ball rapidly and with accuracy. One will usually cover second base when the other attempts to field the ball. Both players must communicate well to be able to make a double play. This article is about Baseball. For double play Magnetic tape, see Audio tape length and thickness. Particular agility is required of the second baseman in double play situations, which usually forces the player to throw towards first while his momentum carries him in the opposite direction. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the second baseman is assigned the number 4, and the shortstop 6.
Third base
Third base is the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in a counterclockwise succession in order to score a run. A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in Baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of Many batted balls that result in the batter being put out (such as a sacrifice fly) may nevertheless allow a runner to reach home plate and score a run from third base, provided that the third and final out is not recorded before he can do so. In Baseball, a batted ball is considered a sacrifice fly if the following four criteria are met There are fewer than two outs when the ball is hit A runner on third base is therefore particularly valuable to the batting team when fewer than 2 outs have been recorded.
The third baseman, or 3B, is the defensive player whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base. A third baseman ideally possesses quick reaction to batted balls and a strong arm to make the long throw to first base. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the third baseman is assigned the number 5.
Home plate
Home plate, formally designated home base in the rules, is the final base that a player must touch to score. Unlike the other bases, home plate is five-sided and is usually a slightly flexible hard plastic with beveled edges that rises only slightly above ground level. The plate is shaped the way it is in order to help the umpire judge balls and strikes.
50 to 100 feet (15 to 30 meters) behind home plate is the backstop, which is a wall/fence that will stop wild pitches, passed balls, and foul balls. In Baseball, a wild pitch (abbreviated WP) is charged against a Pitcher when his pitch is too high too short or too wide of Home In Baseball, a Catcher is charged with a passed ball when he fails to hold or control a legally pitched ball that with ordinary effort should have been In Baseball, a foul ball is a batted ball that is not a Foul tip, and that passes out of the playing field in flight while over foul In enclosed stadiums, the backstop is often comprised of a lower part, which is like any other part of the wall, and an upper netting to protect spectators seated behind it; in recreational baseball fields, there is usually a tall chain-link fence, including an angled top section, composing the entire backstop. A chain-link fence or wire netting or chain-wire fence is a type of Woven Fence usually made from galvanized or LLDPE -coated
Additionally, the catcher covers home plate when a runner is attempting to score a run; he must tag the runner with the ball (or the glove with the ball inside) before the runner touches home plate. Professional catchers in the major leagues often have large body frames to maximally obstruct home plate from the runner's access. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the catcher is assigned the number 2.
Batter's box and catcher's box
The batter's box is the place where the batter stands when ready to receive a pitch from the pitcher. In Baseball, batting is the act of facing the opposing Pitcher and trying to produce offense for one's team In Baseball, a pitch is the act of throwing a baseball toward home plate to start a play In Baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the Pitcher's mound toward the Catcher to begin each play with the goal of It is usually drawn in chalk on the dirt surrounding home plate, and the insides of the boxes are watered down before each game. Chalk (ʧɔːk is a soft white porous Sedimentary rock, a form of Limestone composed of the Mineral Calcite. A baseball field or baseball diamond is the field upon which the game of Baseball is played There are two batter's boxes, one for left-handed batters and one for right-handed batters, although rules-wise they serve the same purpose. A right handed batter would stand in the batter's box on the left side of home plate from the perspective of the catcher and umpire. Handedness is an attribute of human beings defined by their unequal distribution of Fine motor skill between the left and right Hands. Catcher is also a general term for a fielder who catches the ball in Cricket. A left-handed batter would stand in the batter's box to their right. A batter may only occupy one batter's box at a time.
The pitcher may not throw his pitch while any part of the batter's body is touching the ground outside of the batter's box. Once the batter has entered the batter's box, any time the batter wishes to leave the batter's box once the pitcher has put his foot on the rubber, he must first ask the umpire for time-out. A baseball field or baseball diamond is the field upon which the game of Baseball is played In Baseball, the umpire is the person charged with officiating the game including beginning and ending the game enforcing the rules of the game and the grounds making In sports, a time-out refers to a stoppage in the match for a short amount of time
The catcher's box is located behind home plate. The catcher, abbreviated C, is the defensive player who crouches behind home plate and receives balls thrown by the pitcher that are not struck by the batter in the catchers box. Catcher is also a general term for a fielder who catches the ball in Cricket. It is the same size as the batters box and is also drawn in chalk. The umpire may also have a box.
Foul poles
The purpose of the foul poles is to help the umpire judge whether a fly ball hit above the fence line is foul (out of play) or fair (a home run). The poles are a vertical extension of the foul lines. Both objects are used to determine whether a ball is foul or fair, but the names are misleading, because both the lines and the poles are actually within fair territory. Prior to 1920, the foul lines were "infinite": A fly ball over the fence had to land in fair territory, or to be fair "when last seen" by the umpire, in order to be a home run. The rule was changed to be where the ball is when it clears the fence. Thus, a fly ball hitting a foul pole above the top of the outfield fence is a home run, regardless of where the ball goes after striking this pole, and a fly ball clearing the fence on the fair side of the pole is a home run regardless of where it lands. Foul poles (shown above) are typically much higher than the top of the outfield fence, and often have a narrow screen running along the fair side of the pole to further aid the umpire's judgment. It can still be a difficult call, especially in ballparks with no outfield stands behind the poles to provide perspective. Wrigley Field is notorious for arguments over long, curving flies down a foul line (most notably in left field) that sail higher than the foul pole. Wrigley Field is a Baseball Stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Sometimes, even repeated TV replays cannot prove a call either way.
Pitcher's mound
In roughly the middle of the square, equidistant between first and third base, and a few feet closer to home plate than to second base, is a low artificial hill called the pitcher's mound. On the mound, there is a white rubber slab, called the pitcher's plate or commonly the rubber, six inches (15 cm) front-to-back and two feet (61 cm) across, the front of which is exactly sixty feet, six inches (18. 4 m) from the rear point of home plate. This peculiar distance was set by the rulemakers in 1893, not due to a clerical or surveying error as popular myth has it, but purposely (further details in History section). Year 1893 ( MDCCCXCIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common On a baseball field, the pitcher's mound is a raised section in the middle of the diamond where the pitcher stands when throwing the pitch. In Baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the Pitcher's mound toward the Catcher to begin each play with the goal of In Baseball, a pitch is the act of throwing a baseball toward home plate to start a play
In Major League Baseball, a regulation mound is 18 feet (5. 5 m) in diameter, with the center 59 feet (18. 0 m) from the rear point of home plate, on the line between home plate and second base. Second base, or 2B, is the second of four stations on a Baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that The front edge of the pitcher's plate or rubber is 18 inches (45. 7 cm) behind the center of the mound, making the front edge's midpoint 60 feet 6 inches (18. 4 m) from the rear point of home plate. Six inches (15. 2 cm) in front of the pitcher's rubber the mound begins to slope downward. The top of the rubber is to be no higher than ten inches (25. 4 cm) above home plate. From 1903 through 1968, this height limit was set at 15 inches, but was often slightly higher, sometimes as high as 20 inches (50. Year 1903 ( MCMIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar or a Common year starting Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. 8 cm), especially for teams that emphasized pitching, such as the Los Angeles Dodgers, who were reputed to have the highest mound in the majors. The Los Angeles Dodgers are a Major League Baseball team based in Los Angeles California, USA
A pitcher will push off the rubber with his foot in order to gain velocity toward home plate when pitching. A baseball field or baseball diamond is the field upon which the game of Baseball is played In addition, a higher mound generally favors the pitcher. With the height advantage, the pitcher gains more leverage and can put more downward velocity on the ball, making it more difficult for the batter to strike the ball squarely with the bat. A baseball bat is a smooth wooden or metal club used in the game of Baseball to hit the ball after the ball is thrown by the pitcher. The lowering of the mound in 1969 was intended to "increase the batting" once again, as pitching had become increasingly dominant, reaching its peak the prior year; 1968 is known among baseball historians as "The Year of the Pitcher". Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1968 ( MCMLXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. This restrictive rule apparently did its job, contributing to the hitting surge of modern baseball.
In Little League Baseball, the distance between the mound and homeplate is 46'. Little League Baseball is the name of a Non-profit organization in the United States which organizes local children's leagues of baseball and Softball PONY Baseball caters to most of the same age ranges as Little League in their Shetland, Pinto, Mustang and Bronco divisions (covering ages 5 through 12 respectively) Each of these divisions features a different distance between the mound and home plate, as well as progressively longer baselines. This graduation of the field dimensions is meant to mirror the growth of the participants themselves as they mature physically. For example the Mustang division mound is 44' from home, and the Bronco division 48'. PONY baseball offers divisions for kids beyond the age of 12 in the Pony, Colt and Palomino divisions. The Pony division utilizes a 54' distance from the mound to home while Colt and Palomino use a major league dimensions of 60' 6" mound distance and 90' basepaths.
A pitcher's mound is difficult for groundskeepers to maintain. A groundskeeper is a person who maintains landscaping gardens or sporting venues (and their vegetation where appropriate for appearance and functionality Usually before every game it is watered down to keep the dust from spreading. On youth and amateur baseball fields, the mound may be much different from the rulebook definition due to erosion and repair attempts. Even in the major leagues, each mound gains its own character, as pitchers are allowed to kick away pieces of dirt in their way, thereby sculpting the mound a bit to their preference. The pitcher keeps rosin on the side of the mound to dry off his hands. Rosin, formerly called colophony or Greek pitch ( Pix græca) is a solid form of Resin obtained from Pines and some other Plants
Baseline
A baseline is the direct route—a straight line— between two adjacent bases, though it is not drawn in chalk or paint on the field (though foul lines are drawn). The basepath is the region within three feet (0. 9 meters) of the baseline. Baserunners are not required to run in this objective basepath, however; a baserunner may run wherever he wants when no play is being attempted on him. In Baseball, baserunning is the act of running around the bases performed by members of the team at bat At the moment the defense begins to attempt a tag on him, his running baseline is established as a direct line from his current position to the base which he is trying for. In Baseball, a tag out, sometimes just called a tag, is a play in which a Baserunner is out because he is touched by the fielder's The runner may not stray three feet away from this line in an attempt to avoid a tag; if he does, the umpire can call him out.
Grass line
The grass line, where the dirt of the infield ends and the grass of the outfield begins, has no special significance to the rules of the game, but it can influence the outcome of a game. Dirt running paths between the bases (and, at one time, between the pitcher and the catcher) have existed since the beginning of the game, although they were not mentioned in the rule books until around 1950, and their specifications are flexible. In addition to providing a running path, the grass lines act as a visual aid so that players, umpires and fans may better judge distance from the center of the diamond. In Baseball, the umpire is the person charged with officiating the game including beginning and ending the game enforcing the rules of the game and the grounds making Occasionally the ball may take a tricky bounce off the dirt area or the edge between the dirt and the grass. World Series championships (including 1924, 1960 and 1986) have been decided or heavily influenced by erratic hops of ground balls. For other events named "World Series" see World Series (disambiguation. In artificial turf stadiums (such as those with FieldTurf in Major League Baseball), infield dirt is placed only around the bases and around the pitcher's and batting areas; thus the "grass line" is designated with a white line. Artificial turf, or synthetic turf, is a man-made surface manufactured from synthetic materials made to look like natural Grass. FieldTurf Tarkett, a division of Tarkett Inc is a Peachtree City GA -based company that manufactures and installs Artificial turf playing surfaces identified The exception is at St. Petersburg's Tropicana Field, where, in spite of artificial turf, standard dirt basepaths are used.
Outfield
The outfield is made from thick grass or artificial turf. It is where the outfielders play. The positions to play in the outfield are right, center, and left field.
Warning track
The warning track typically refers to the strip of dirt in front of the home run fence. Because the warning track's color and feel differs from the grass outfield, an outfielder can remain focused on a fly ball near the fence and take his proximity to the fence into consideration while attempting to catch the ball safely.
A warning track is also a common feature along the left and right sides of a field.
A warning track's width varies from field to field. It is generally designed to give about three steps of warning to the highest level players using the field. Typical widths run from about six feet for Little League fields to about 10 feet for college- or professional-level play.
The track can be composed of finely ground rock particles such as cinders, which is why announcer Bob Wolff used to call it the "cinder path" rather than the "warning track". Bob Wolff is a Hall of Fame Broadcaster and the longest running broadcaster in both radio and television history who was the radio and TV voice of the Washington Senators from
The idea of a warning track originated in Yankee Stadium, where an actual running track was built for the use of track and field events. When baseball people saw how the track helped fielders, it soon became a feature of every ballpark.
Despite the warning track's presence, it is common to see outfielders crash into the wall to make a catch, due either to a desire to field the play regardless of the outcome or because they fail to register the warning. For this reason, outfield walls are typically padded for extra safety, where feasible. Wrigley Field's brick wall is covered only by ivy, which is not especially soft. Wrigley Field is a Baseball Stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago There are pads on the walls of the tight left and right field corners in foul ground.
Warning-track power is a derogatory term for a batter who seems to have just enough power to hit the ball to the warning track for an out, but not enough to hit a home run. The term more generally refers to someone or something that is almost but not quite good enough for something.
Outfield wall
Outfield wall is the wall that separates the outfield from the out of play zone. Certain ballparks give up more home runs depending on the height of their walls. Fenway Park's Green Monster is the tallest of these walls at 37ft. The Green Monster is the nickname of the thirty-seven-foot two-inch (11 Many ballparks have padding on the walls for the protection of outfielders trying to make plays.
Bullpen
The bullpen (sometimes referred to as just "the pen") is the area where pitchers warm-up before entering a game. In Baseball, the bullpen (or simply the pen) is the area where relief Pitchers warm-up before entering a game Depending on the ballpark, it may be situated in foul territory along the baselines or just beyond the outfield fence. The term bullpen is also used to collectively refer to a team's relief pitchers. These relievers usually wait in the bullpen when they have yet to play in a game, rather than in the dugout with the rest of the team. The starting pitcher also makes his final pregame warmups in the bullpen. Managers can call coaches in the bullpen on an in-house telephone from the dugout to tell a certain pitcher to begin his warmup tosses.
On-deck circles
There are two on-deck circles in the field, one for each team, positioned in foul ground between home plate and the respective teams' benches. They are technically known as next-batter's circles. The on-deck circle is where the next scheduled batter, or "on-deck" batter, warms up while waiting for the current batter to finish his turn. The on-deck circle is either an area composed of bare dirt; a plain circle painted onto artificial turf; or often, especially at the professional level, made from artificial material, with the team's logo painted onto it.
Coach's boxes
The coach's boxes, located behind 1st and 3rd base, are where the 1st and 3rd base coach are supposed to stand, but often they don't stand on them and move closer into the field. That is permissible as long as they do not interfere with play. The coach's boxes are made with paint and sometimes wood. In early day's, the term "coacher's box" was used, as "coach" was taken to be a verb. As the term "coach" evolved into a noun, the name of the box also changed.
History
The basic layout of the diamond has been little changed since the original Knickerbocker Rules of the 1840s. The Knickerbocker Rules are a set of Baseball rules formalized by Alexander Cartwright in 1845 The distance between bases was already established as 90 feet, which it remains to this day. Through trial and error, 90 feet had been settled upon as the optimal distance. 100 feet would have given too much advantage to the defense, and 80 feet too much to the offense. As athleticism has improved on both sides of the equation, 90 feet remains the appropriate balance between hitting and fielding, as it continues to provide frequent tests between the speed of a batter-runner and the throwing arm of a fielder.
It is the pitching distance, and other aspects of the pitcher's mound, and of pitching itself, that have been tinkered with from time to time over the many decades, in an effort to keep an appropriate balance between pitching and hitting.
In contrast to the distance between the bases, which seems natural enough, the very specific pitching distance of 60 feet 6 inches is one of those sports oddities that seems like a mistake unless one knows the history:
- The original Knickerbocker Rules did not specify the pitching distance explicitly. The Knickerbocker Rules are a set of Baseball rules formalized by Alexander Cartwright in 1845
- By the time major league baseball began in the 1870s, the pitcher was compelled to pitch from within a "box" whose front edge was 45 feet from the "point" of home plate. Although he had to release the ball before crossing the line, as with bowlers in cricket, he also had to start his delivery from within the box; he could not run in from the field as bowlers do. Cricket is a bat-and-ball team Sport that originated in England and is now played in more than 100 countries Furthermore, he had to throw underhand. By the 1880s, pitchers had mastered the underhand delivery quite well. The year 1880 saw two perfect games within a week of each other.
- In an attempt to "increase the batting", the front edge of the pitcher's box was moved back 5 feet in 1881, to 50 feet from home plate.
- The size of the box was tinkered with over the next few years. Pitchers were allowed to throw overhand starting in 1884, and that tilted the balance of power again. In 1887, the box was set at 4 feet wide and 5 1/2 feet deep, with the front edge still 50 feet from the plate. However, the pitcher was compelled to deliver the ball with his back foot at the 55 1/2 foot line of the box, thus somewhat restricting his ability to "power" the ball with his overhand delivery. (Lansch, p. 96)
- In 1893, the box was replaced by the pitcher's plate, although the term "knocked out of the box" is still sometimes used when a pitcher is replaced for ineffectiveness. Exactly 5 feet was added to the point the pitcher had to toe, again "to increase the batting" (and hopefully to increase attendance, as fan interest had flagged somewhat), resulting in the seemingly peculiar pitching distance of 60 1/2 feet. (Lansch, p. 230)
- Many sources tend to say that the pitching distance evolved from 45 to 50 to 60 1/2 feet. However, the first two were the "release point" and the third is the "pushoff point", so the 1893 increase was not quite as dramatic as is often implied; that is, the 1893 rule change added only 5 feet to the release point, not 10 1/2 feet.
- Originally the pitcher threw from flat ground (as softball pitchers still do), but over time the mound was developed, tipping the balance back the pitchers' way somewhat.
- The dirt path between the pitcher and the catcher was once as wide as the pitchers box and resembled the "pitch" area used in the game of cricket. Sometimes this path extended through the batting area and all the way to the backstop. Once the rounded pitcher's mound was developed, the path became more ornamental than practical, and was entirely abandoned by the late 1940s, although some recent teams (such as the Detroit Tigers) re-created the path in their new ballparks, for nostalgic reasons. The Detroit Tigers are a professional baseball team based in Detroit, Michigan, USA
References
- Official Rules of Major League Baseball
- The Baseball Encyclopedia, published by MacMillan
- Glory Fades Away, by Jerry Lansch
External links
- Baseball field Almanac
- PONY Baseball
- Baseball Field Design, construction, and renovations Frazier's Field Repair
- Baseball field design, construction & renovation H&K Sports Fields
- Outfield fence size calculator Signature Fencing
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