Baseball field
The baseball field or baseball diamond is the field on which the game of baseball is played.
Overview
The place on the field that forms the starting point for every move and at the same time represents the end base is home plate , a five-sided rubber plate . To the left and right of home plate there is a batter's box , i.e. the zone in which the batter is standing when it is his turn to hit the ball.
The starting point of the arrow-shaped right angle of the home plate is one of the four corners of the 90 feet square, which is theInfield matters. The other three corners are marked by cushions that are slightly above the ground level of the playing field. These bases have a side length of 15 inches (38 cm) and together with the home plate form the infield. They are called first base , second base , and third base counterclockwise .
It is interesting that the home plate, the first base and the third base are completely within the 90-foot square. They are placed there so that the referee can give the ball "fair" immediately if he touches one of the cushions (first and third base). Home plate has this special shape to make it easier for the main referee to decide whether the ball has been thrown over the plate or not, i.e. whether it was in the strike zone or not.
The second base, which is located in the fully playable area, is placed in such a way that its center is exactly on the corner of the 90 foot infield. This results in a walking distance between the bases of less than 88 feet, about 27 meters.
The lines from home plate to third base and first base are extended to the edge of the field, these lines are called foul lines . The foul lines end at the outfield fence and continue vertically through the foul poles . The part of the playing field that lies between the foul lines is called the fair territory ; the remaining area is the foul territory . The area that lies outside the infield and that belongs to the fair territory is called the “outfield”. Most baseball fields have a fence that completes the outfield. The fence is typically between 300 and 410 feet (90 to 125 m) from home plate. Between the outfield and the fence is the warning track , a circumferential edge strip that is supposed to help the outfielders better assess the end of the field of play.
details
There are 4 bases in total. Next to the home base (Base 4) stands the batsman with the bat.
First base
First Base, or 1B, is the first stop on the baseball field. After a successfully struck ball, the runner must try to reach this base as quickly as possible, whereby it is not important here to remain on base; he only has to reach it before the first baseman has the ball and touches this base at the same time. On the defensive list, the first baseman occupies position 3.
Second base
Second Base or 2B is the second stop on the baseball field. It is the second station a runner must touch to score a point in baseball. The second baseman and the short stop are the players who are responsible for guarding the second base. You need to be quick and skillful with your hands so that you can pass the ball quickly to make multiple outs. On the players' defensive list, the second baseman is number 4 and the short stop is number 6.
Third base
Third Base, or 3B, is the third stop on the baseball field. The third baseman is the player whose job it is to defend the area around his base. It is the last station before the opposing team can score a point. He's number 5 on the defensive list.
Home plate
In baseball, home plate is the end base that a player must touch in order to score a point. Unlike the other three bases, the home plate is made of solid rubber with rounded corners; it is not a pillow, but flat, and is at floor level. The five-sided home plate is 17 inches (43.18 cm) on the top and 8 ½ inches (21.5 cm) on the sides and 12 inches (30.5 cm) at the top.
There is a batter's box on either side of the 8 ½ inch parallel. The batter's box to the left of the home plate is used by batteries hitting right , and vice versa. In addition, the right-angled tip of the homeplate is the starting point for the infield delimitation. The extension of the 45 ° sides towards the first and third base also represent the foul lines.
The seats directly behind the home plate are traditionally considered the most desirable in a stadium and are correspondingly expensive.
Pitcher's Mound
The pitcher's mound is located in the middle of the infield. This mound cannot be more than ten inches (25 cm) high. On the hill there is a white rubber plate called a “pitcher's plate” or just rubber. It is six inches (15 cm) wide and two feet (61 cm) long. It is located 60 feet from the rear of home plate. Here is the pitcher .
Baseline
A baseline is the direct connection between two neighboring bases. But it is not a drawn line (in contrast to the foul lines). The basepath is the area in the region around three feet (0.9 meters) from the baseline. Baserunners do not have to run on this path while the ball is not in play. From the moment a tag is attempted, the running baseline is the direct link from its current position to the one it wants to reach, the next base. To avoid a day, however, it must not be more than three feet away from the baseline, otherwise it is automatically off.
Grass line
The "grass line" that describes the grass in the outfields has no special meaning for the game. It is only used for visual differentiation and thus to support the referees.
Warning track
The Warning Track is the circumferential edge strip of a baseball field between the grass field and the wall or the fence of the field boundary. It is used to ensure that an outfielder who walks towards the fence and looks at the ball approaching from behind does not hit the fence without warning.
Foul pole
A foul pole helps the umpire decide whether a ball that has been hit is out of play or fair (in this case, a home run ). The bar is a vertical extension of the point where the foul line meets the side of the playing field. The rod itself belongs to Fair Territory, so if it is hit by a stroke, the ball is a home run.
Backstop
Backstop is the name of the limit behind home plate. The backstop can consist of a wide variety of materials. Usually there is a net or a fence there . The purpose of the backstop is to prevent foul balls or wild pitches from getting too far behind the field of play.
Batter's Eye
In professional stadiums with all-round seating, a small part of the grandstand is left open behind the outfield fence directly opposite home plate; there is a dark surface, such as a black wall, dark seats that remain empty during baseball, or a dark green hedge. This area, called batter's eye (eye of the batsman), is used so that the batsman can clearly see the thrown white ball against a dark background and it does not blur in front of a crowd of spectators dressed in different colors. In large stadiums, however, there may still be seats above the batter's eye.
history
The basic layout of the playing field has changed relatively little since the original Knickerbocker Rules from 1845. The distance between the bases has not changed since then and is 90 feet. The trial and error method has shown this to be the optimal distance, as 100 feet too much favored the defensive and 80 feet favored the offensive. The distance between the pitcher and the batter is a little bigger today than it used to be, and the hill he stands on is a little lower. Another change was the replacement of the home base , which initially looked exactly like the other three bases, with a flat home plate , which reduces the risk of injury in close confrontations between catcher and runner. These changes already took place in the late 19th century, after 1900 the playing field has remained practically the same.
credentials
- Official Rules of Major League Baseball
- The Baseball Encyclopedia , published by MacMillan
- Glory Fades Away , by Jerry Lansche