Baseball Basics: The Game – Part 2
The aim for the fielding side, also referred to as the defensive side, is to halt the flow of runs and restrict the batters from unleashing hits freely. For this, variety and precision from the mound is a necessity for pitchers to survive in an era where
the hitters get more popularity than pitchers.
Every team has an active roster of 25 players and traditionally 12 of these players are pitchers. However, this number is not fixed and can go up to 13 as well, depending on the strategy that the manager devises for his team.
Teams usually stick to a rotation of five starters and seven relief pitchers to complete the pitching staff. The starters usually get to start every fifth day to avoid overload of pitching. However, this is not a fixed phenomenon and some teams have played
with a rotation of six starters and at times four.
The pitchers now need to have a wide repertoire of deliveries in their arsenal and thus need loads of practice. The relief pitchers, on the contrary, are usually required to pitch in one inning and thus stick to the fastball in an attempt to quickly end
the inning before the batter adjusts.
The pitching’ staff sits separately from the regular team bench in what is called a bull-pen. They use this place to warm-up before making their way to the mound in a session that lasts for about five to ten minutes. However, if a pitcher is required to
make an emergency start due to some injury or other concerns, he is allowed to warm-up on the mound.
There is usually one ace pitcher in each bull-pen who is considered the best pitcher in the staff. Scheduling the starts is a technical thing too because it requires matching the pitchers with their opposites. As a tactic, some managers allow their least
effective pitcher, usually the fifth starter, to start against the best pitcher from the opposition and then expose their ace against the lesser effective pitchers.
Pitchers are usually at an advantage when they are playing in a pitcher’s ballpark. A pitcher’s ballpark usually has a larger outfield and the conditions do not favour the batters. The wind is blowing towards the batter which makes hitting an uphill task.
The pitchers gain from this as they receive added pace to movement to their pitches. Moreover, the mound is usually higher in a pitcher’s ballpark which enables the pitchers to be more effective against the batters.
Quality pitching is not beneficial unless it is supported by equally good fielding. The infield attempts to stop the drives while the outfield attempts to restrict the batters to as less bases as possible. The infield consists of the first baseman, the second
baseman, the shortstop and the third baseman in addition to a catcher who is positioned behind the home-plate.
The basemen are required to cover their bases and tag the batters out with the second baseman having to do most of the work. The shortstop, positioned between the second and third base is a tactical position to defend the pull shot of right-handed batters.
There are more right-handed batters in baseball in comparison to left-handed batters and this gap is the most favoured one.
All outfielders need to have a strong throw and the best outfielder is usually placed in the centre field.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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