Baseball has nearly an infinite amount of rules. Some of them are self-explanatory, while others are mostly unknown and just make no sense at all. Check out the following rules and let me know, if you have heard of them before in the comments.
- If the home team takes the lead in the bottom of the ninth inning (or any inning after that) it is automatically declared the winner of the game. This is known as “walk-off”, as the guest team has to walk off the field without completing the inning. If this happens with a home run, it is called a walk-off home run. Even rarer is a walk-off grand slam.
- Ground Rule Double: This is a special rule which grants the batter to go to second base immediately. It applies if the ball lands between the foul lines, but then leaves the park for example by sliding under the stadium.
- Double Play: the team playing defense can out two players in one play by throwing the ball to one base and then to another. If the ball reaches the base before the player in both instances, both players are out. This also works with three players and is called triple play.
- In the MLB it is possible to have a designated hitter, who bats for the team’s pitcher. These guys are highly specialized in batting and scoring runs. In the national league and everywhere else the pitcher is required to bat himself.
- Other than with every other foul ball, a foul bunt is always considered a strike, even if it is the third strike. All other foul balls if not caught in the air only count as a strike if it is not the third strike.
- Ever heard of the Infield Fly Rule? If the umpire uses this rule, a fly ball is considered caught before the ball is caught or if the infielder fails to catch the ball. This means that the batter is out. The idea behind this is to prevent the defense from making a double or even triple play. But this rule only applies if there are fewer than two outs and a force play at third base.
- A pitcher is not allowed to wipe his face with his hand before grabbing the ball.
- Even though it looks pretty cool, you are not allowed to catch the ball with your hat or throw your glove to catch the ball. In general you are not allowed to manipulate the ball with your equipment at all.
- Wanna know what’s even crazier? If you manipulate the ball with your uniform and get caught, the batter and all players on base get three free bases.
- If the ball gets stuck in any of the catcher’s equipment, it is considered dead and all baserunners move up one base.
- Normally a ball deflected by a fieldplayer into the stands counts as a homerun. But here is the thing: if that happens 250 feet or closer to home plate, the runners can only move up two bases. Seriously?
- If a runner runs the bases in reverse order after legally acquiring a base, he is out. Makes a lot of sense to me, but what runner even does that?
- In one baseball game there are roughly 70 balls used. Not because of all the home runs, but because the ball is replaced if it gets dirty. Good thing that baseball is played on grass and dirt, which is known to be a sterile environment…
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Bonus rules (because there are so many in baseball):
- If a baserunner passes another baserunner, the baserunner passed is out. This even applies for home runs, even though all players will end up in the same spot.
- Did you know that there are no official rules about the size of the outfield in a baseball stadium?
- Being the catcher is a tough job. You did not catch the ball? Well bad luck for your team as the batter can now walk to first base.
- Did you know that there are no official rules about the size of the outfield in a baseball stadium?
Quite some interesting rules here huh?
Get home safe,
Jan