Playing and living the game of baseball since I was the age of four, the rules of the game come naturally to me. So when I hear people discussing how confusing/boring/weird baseball is, I don’t get how someone does not understand how the game is played. I mean, once you get passed all the unwritten rules, the crazy superstitions, and the weird and non-socially-acceptable actions/behaviors of the players; baseball comes down to three simple sections to understand: outs, hits, and positions.
OUTS:
Simple, three strikes and you are out.
If a ball is hit in the air and a fielder catches the ball before the ball hits the ground, the batter is out.
If a batter hits the ball onto the ground and a fielder throws the ball to first base before the batter gets to first base, he is out.
The previous rule applies to a runner as well if there is not an open base behind him.
If there is a runner on second or third with no other runner on base, the runner must be tagged with the ball to be called out.
HITS:
Four balls, the batter is given a free base
If a batter puts the ball in play and no fielder catches it, he is safe.
If the batter reaches the base before the throw does, the batter is safe.
If a runner evades a tag or returns to his base (if there is not another runner occupying it), the runner is safe.
POSITIONS:
The pitcher is the one who stands in the middle and throws to home plate every pitch.
The catcher catches every pitch.
The first baseman controls the first base area and receives throws from the other fielders.
Second base area is controlled by the second baseman, who is to the right of the base, and the shortstop, who is to the left of second base.
The third baseman controls third base area.
The outfield is broken into three positions: the left-fielder, the center-fielder, and the right-fielder.
Baseball is a simple game, don’t make it harder than it should be.