How many ways can a player reach first base?

Question

Hit, walk, hit-by-pitch - is there anything else?

Answer 1

you gotta have smooth game with the ladies, and you'll get to 1st base with ease.  

Answer 2

There's the hit, a walk, the hit by a pitch, but also

1.) Drop three strike.. Where if the catcher drops the 3rd strike, the batter has an opportunity to run to first, and is safe if they beat the ball to first.

2.) Also, a fielding error, once the ball has been hit.

3.)If you're playing international tie breaker rule, a runner is placed on second base to start off the top/bottom of inning for each team.

4.) AND, Catcher interference.... Basically the catcher reached out for the ball and was in the way of you hitting the ball.

Answer 3

there is a rule where if they strikeout but the ball goes to the backstop they can run and if they are safe the pitcher gets a strikeout but the batter is safe... there is also error, catcher interference. and fielder choice

Answer 4

1. base hit

2. walk

3. hit by pitch

4. reach on error

5. fielder's choice

6. dropped 3rd strike (call it a pass ball or a wild pitch, regardless of how you score it for the defense, the offensive player is recorded as a strikeout for their own stats, therefore all strikeouts that result in reaching 1st base are the same on the offensive player's stats).

7. catcher's interference

8. obstruction by a defensive player

9. interference by another runner (example, a runner touches a batted ground ball before it reaches a defender, the runner is out and the batter gets 1st base)

10. pinch runner (a player can reach first by being substituted in as a pinch runner, but a batter must reach by one of the 9 ways listed above)

Answer 5

Seven

1. Base Hit

2. Walk

3. Error

4. Fielder's Choice

5. Dropped third stike - beat throw

6. Hit By Pitch

7. Catcher Interference

Answer 6

Dropped/uncaught 3rd strike, error, fielder's choice.

Answer 7

So far nobody has nailed the answer yet. The ways are:

(1) Base hit

(2) Base on balls

(3) Hit by pitch

(4) Error

(5) Fielder's choice

(6) Wild pitch (uncaught third strike; I don't even know why I need t explain this one)

(7) Passed ball (uncaught third strike; I don't even know why I need t explain this one)

(8) Interference

(9) Obstruction

There is a tenth way, depending on your interpretation of "reach": pinch-runner. But let's be realistic, it's not in the spirit of the question and it does not fit the definition of "reach."

You absolutely cannot lump wild pitch and passed ball together as "dropped third strike." It will be scored as a passed ball or a wild pitch -- two different animals. And not all advancements by the batter-runner to first on a strikeout will be because the catcher dropped the ball. He might not ever have touched the ball.

Also, a runner being hit by a batted that entitles the batter-runner to first base is not a separate way, as it is a base hit.

Answer 8

There's 8 (or 9 depending on how you look at it)

1. Single (edit: includes batted balls that hit other runners)

2. Walk or Intentional Walk

3. Hit By Pitch

4. Third strike not caught (only when there's 2 outs or nobody on 1st)

5. Error

6. Fielder's Choice

7. Catcher Interference

8. Obstruction  (ex: ground ball to first, pitcher goes to cover and gets in the way of the batter without having the ball)

9. Since you didn't say "batter" a player can be a pinch runner.

edit: Ryan R-you can definitely lump a strikeout with a passed ball or a wild pitch together.  They're scored separately for the defense but for the offense it's still a strikeout.  Otherwise you can expand Error, 9 times (one for each position, E1, E2...).  

If you really want to get technical you can add Sacrifice Fly w/error and Sacrifice Bunt w/error because those are also scored differently for the offense.