 Team
at bat
The ultimate goal
of the team at bat is to score runs. The team at bat
sends its nine players up to home plate as batters in an
order called a lineup. Each team sets its batting lineup
at the beginning of the game and may not change the
order, except by sending in substitute players. A
substitute player fills the same spot in the order as
the player he replaced; however, he is not required to
play the same position in the field. After the ninth
player has batted, the order returns to the beginning
with the first player in the lineup. Batting out of turn
is not allowed. Once a runner reaches home plate, they
score a run and are no longer a base runner. They must
leave the playing area until their spot in the order
comes up again. A runner may only circle the bases once
per plate appearance and thus can score no more than a
single run.Each
player's turn at the plate is a plate appearance. When
the batter hits a fair ball, he must run to first base,
and may continue or stop at any base unless he is put
out. A successful hit where the batter reaches only
first base is a single; if he reaches second base, a
double; or third base, a triple. A hit that allows the
batter to touch all bases in order on the same play is a
home run, whether or not the ball is hit over the fence.
Once a runner is held to a base, he may attempt to
advance at any time, but is not required to do so unless
the batter or another runner displaces him.
Depending on the way the
ball comes off the bat, the play has different names. A
batted ball is called a fly ball if it was hit in the
air in a way causing the fielder to catch it on its
descent, or a line drive if it is hit in the air, but
almost level to the ground. A batted ball which is not
hit into the air, and which touches the ground within
the infield before it can be caught, is called a ground
ball.
Once the batter and any
existing runners have all stopped at a base or been put
out, the ball is returned to the pitcher, and the next
batter comes to the plate. This continues until three
outs have been recorded, at which point all runners are
removed from the bases and the teams exchange sides for
the next half-inning. After the opposing team bats in
its own order and three more outs are recorded, the
first team's batting order will continue again from
where it left off. |
