Baseball for everyone: what you need to know about the sport

Baseball is a popular sport, especially in North America, and its rules and features can be interesting for beginners. Here are some basic things to know about baseball:

1. Teams: Baseball is played between two teams, each with 9 players. The team defending is called the “infield team” and the team attacking is called the “outfield team”.
2. Fields: The game is played on a field of nine divided sections, called bases. Four bases are placed in the corners of a square called a “field” or “infield”. The starting base, where the game starts, is called the “bases”.
3. Objective of the game: The objective of the team in attack is to score the most points by running over all four bases and returning to the starting base. The aim of the team in the field is to prevent the team in attack from scoring points.
4. Throw and catch: The pitcher of the team in the field throws the ball and the batter of the team in attack tries to hit the ball to send it into the field. The batter must hit the ball and run to the next base until the ball is caught by the team in the field.
5. Outs and Points: A baseman is “out” if his throw is caught in flight, if he does not make it to the base before the ball gets there before him, or if he is caught while running between the bases. A team scores “points” when its players manage to run across all four bases.
6. Playing time: Baseball does not have a strictly limited playing time. It consists of nine “innings” (tactical stretches) and each team has the opportunity to attack and defend during each inning.
7. Strategy: Baseball is also a strategic game, where teams develop tactics for defence and attack.

Here are some strategic aspects that teams can consider in baseball:

1. Pitching: Pitching is one of the key elements in baseball. Teams strive to have strong pitchers who can throw balls accurately and forcefully to make it difficult for opposing batters to hit. A team’s infield strategy may include selecting different types of throws and varying their speed and direction.
2. Hitting: Teams also develop strategies for hitting to maximise their chances of reaching base. This may include tactics such as bunting (a soft hit to put the ball over the pitcher’s head), crushing (hitting the ball hard on the ground), or finding backpots (running second base while striking out).
3. Running: The speed and efficiency of running between the bases also plays an important role in a team’s offensive strategy. Teams can use tactics such as stealing bases (trying to run to the next base while the pitcher is preparing to throw) or a hit-and-run (running second and third base in the same inning).
4. Defence: Teams develop strategies for defence, including positioning players on the field depending on the intended direction of the hit, using shifts (shifting players to one side to increase the chances of intercepting the ball) and choosing appropriate game plans in response to situations.
5. Substitutions and substitutions: Tactics also include the substitution of players to improve the defence or attack depending on the current game situation. Coaches may decide to change a pitcher, replace a striker or change a player’s fielding position to improve the team.
6. Data Analysis: In modern baseball, teams increasingly rely on data analysis and statistics to make strategic decisions. This may include analysis of past games, player statistics.