Baseball, competitive game of skill played with a hard ball and bat between two teams of nine players each. Baseball is often called the national pastime of the United States, because of its strong tradition and great popularity. It is played throughout the world by people of all ages. Baseball is played on a level field, which usually covers about 2 acres. The field dimensions in this section refer to high school, college, and professional baseball.
Youth baseball competition, such as Little League, uses smaller dimensions. The playing area is divided into the infield and the outfield. Together, these two areas make up fair territory. The rest of the field is called foul territory. The pitcher’s mound, a slightly raised piece of ground, lies near the center of the infield, between home plate and second base. A strip of rubber is nailed to the top of the mound, 60 ft 6 in from home plate. Pitchers place one foot on the rubber when they put the ball in play. Two covered shelters called dugouts are located in foul territory along each base line. Players occupy the dugouts when they are not on the field. The baseball field is also designed with a number of markings that indicate the use of certain regions. Boxes outlined in chalk on each side of home plate indicate where a batter may stand. Chalk boxes in foul territory near first and third base define the position of team coaches. Similar regions limit where pitchers may warm up during the game and where players may prepare before batting.
Posted 2011-01-29 and updated on Jan 29, 2011 8:02pm by crisd