A great overview for novices and a precise reference guide for devoted fans!

Admit it: Even if you’re a die-hard fan of our national pastime, sometimes an umpire's call can be baffling. And for newer fans, Major League Baseball's nuanced rules—developed and revised over many decades—can be downright perplexing.

Now updated throughout with the latest changes, including specifications about the universal designated hitter and limits on defensive shifts, the Baseball Field Guide lays out every rule in plain English. You’ll learn to answer all these questions and more:

• Do you know the twenty-two ways a pitcher can be charged with a balk?
• Can you list all seven ways a batter can safely get to first base?
• Obstruction or interference—who’s at fault when things get rough?
• What are the rules that apply before and after a game?
• What happens when spectators are the ones who misbehave?
• How well do you understand the infamous Infield Fly Rule (and why does it exist)?

This is the clearest explanation anywhere of the rules of baseball. Designed for quick and intuitive searches, this entertaining reference will help you understand every aspect of the game and add to your enjoyment of the sport.

Dan Formosa, PhD, spent his grammar school years in Hoboken, NJ, the site of baseball’s first recorded game. A consultant to a wide range of companies and organizations, he has received numerous design awards. He also helped create the Masters in Branding Program at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Dan travels the world frequently in his work. He spends the rest of his time in Piermont, NY, and in New York City—virtually within throwing distance of Hoboken’s old Elysian Fields. He grew up playing stoopball and is a diehard Yankees fan.

Paul Hamburger, originally from New York City, is a recent transplant to sunny Los Angeles, where he works as a creative director. Growing up in the streets of Brooklyn, Paul was an accomplished player of stoopball. As a Mets fan, he is bitter and resentful toward the relative success of other local baseball organizations. He lives in the past, nostalgic for the glory days of the mid-eighties.

Contents

Introduction: How to Use This Book

1. Basic Rules of Baseball

Baseball Basics
Baseball: Basic Rules
An Example of a Half-Inning

2. Teams and Leagues

Teams and Leagues: Basics
The Regular Season
The All-Star Game
Postseason Championships
Minor League vs. Major League Rules

3. Before the Game Starts

Thirty Minutes Before
Preparing the Baseballs
Forfeits
Five Minutes Before
Starting the Game

4. Equipment

The Ball
The Bat
Gloves and Mitts
The Uniforms
Helmets
Shoes

5. Field Specifications

The Field
The Batter’s Box
The Pitcher’s Mound
The Bases
Major League Fields

6. Pitching

Pitching Positions
The Pitching Sequence
The Balk
The Strike Zone
Strikes and Balls
Wild Pitches and Throws by the Pitcher
Miscellaneous Pitching Rules
Ball Tampering
Pitcher Substitutions (Relief Pitchers)
Visits to the Pitcher’s Mound
Ambidextrous Pitchers

7. Batting

Basics for the Batter
Strikes and the Strike Zone
Illegal Bats
Calling “Time”
The Batter’s Box
Getting on Base
Hit by a Pitch
The Batting Order
Offensive Interference by the Batter
Defensive Interference Against the Batter
Making an Out
The Designated Hitter

8. Running

Basics for the Runner
Twelve Ways a Runner Can Be Put Out
Force Plays
Base-Running Mistakes
Tagging Up
Scoring with Two Outs
Running Outside the Baseline
Touched by a Batted Ball

9. Fielding

Basics for the Fielder
Awarded Bases Due to a Fielder
If a Fielder Enters the Stands or Dugout
The Infield Fly Rule
Fielder’s Choice
Outs
Automatic Outs: Credits for Fielders

10. Interference, Obstruction, and Collisions

Interference and Obstruction
Who Has Right-of-Way
Interference by a Runner, and Others
Interference on a Double Play
Obstructing a Runner
Collisions at Home Plate

11. Umpires

Basics for Umpires
Instructions to the Umpires
The Umpire-in-Chief and the Field Umpires
Tools of the Trade
Suspended and Called (Terminated) Games
Forfeits
Appeals and Protested Games
Calling Balls and Strikes
The Umpire and the Pitcher
Judgment Calls by an Umpire
If an Umpire Gets in the Way
Umpire’s Call of Obstruction
Ejections and Removals

12. The Manager and Coaches

Basics for Managers and Coaches
Manager’s and Coaches’ Job Descriptions
Before the Game
Requesting a Time Out, and Substitutes
Attempting to Reenter the Game
The Manager and the Pitcher
Protested Games

13. Misbehavior

Steroids and Other Drugs
Misbehavior and Interference
Misbehaving in the Dugout and Sidelines
If the Pitcher Misbehaves
If a Batter Misbehaves
If a Runner Misbehaves
If a Fielder Misbehaves
Misbehavior by Managers and Coaches
Ejections

14. Spectators

Basics for Spectators
Spectator Interference
Team Members and Spectators
Spectators on the Field

15. Suspended and Terminated Games

Weather: Who’s in Charge?
Regulation Games
Suspended and Terminated Games
Suspended Games: Causes and Next Steps
Rain Checks
Darkness
Field Conditions
Weather—Batting and Pitching

16. The Official Scorer

Basics for the Scorer
The Official Scorer’s Report
Starting Players, Substitutions, and Improper Batters
Box Scores
Called (Terminated) Games
Forfeits
Wild Pitches and Passed Balls
Bases on Balls (Walks)
Strikeouts
Earned Runs
Shutouts
The Winning and Losing Pitchers
Saves for Relief Pitchers
The Winning Pitcher in the All-Star Game
Base Hits
Runs Batted In (RBI)
Sacrifices
Stolen Bases
Putouts and Assists
Fielding Errors
Consecutive Streaks
Reporting the Scoring Results
Individual Championships
The Official Statistician
Statistics

Glossary
Index