Baseball is a bat-and-ball game in which two teams of nine players each cycle between fielding and hitting. A person on the fielding team, known as the pitcher, throws a ball that a player on the batting team, known as the batter, tries to hit with a bat. The game is played across multiple plays.
The attacking team's goal is to hit the ball into the playing field and out of the way of the players on the other team so that its players can run the bases and circle four bases in a counterclockwise motion to score "runs."
In a baseball game, two teams, each consisting of nine players, continuously play defence and offence. An inning consists of two turns by each team, one in the field and one at-bat. Nine innings make a game.
Every inning, one team typically the visiting team bats in the top half. Every inning, the other team typically the home team bats in the bottom half.
To score more runs than the other team is the aim of the game. To score runs, the players on the team at bat must touch each of the four bases, which are located at the corners of the square-shaped baseball diamond, in that order.
The baseball is around nine inches (23 cm) in circumference, or the size of an adult fist. A single, solid piece of wood is typically used to make the bat, which is a hitting carry-out. Non-professional games now frequently use different materials.
The stick is round and firm, with a diameter of around 2.5 inches (6.4 cm) at the hitting end. The handle gets narrower and ends in a knob. A fielding tool, the glove or mitt consists of padded leather with webbing sandwiched between the fingers. It takes on varied forms to meet the unique requirements of various fielding positions to help in catching and holding onto the ball.
A baseball roster, or squad, has a different number of players depending on the league and level of organized play. There are 26 players in each MLB club, each with a specialized job. The following players are often on a roster:
Major strategic choices made by the club, such as deciding on the starting lineup, batting order, and starting rotation, are overseen by the manager, also known as the head coach. The manager also makes game-day substitutions, especially when relief pitchers are needed. Two or more coaches usually work alongside managers; they may also have specialized duties like coaching players on hitting, fielding, pitching, or strength and conditioning.
When the team is at bat, the first base coach and the third base coach, who belong to dedicated coach’s boxes just outside the foul lines, are stationed on the field at most levels of organized play. When the ball is in play, these coaches help baserunners get to the base and, when play pauses, they convey tactical signals from the manager to batters and runners.