Help:Baseball

While Blaseball is different from baseball, a basic knowledge of the rules of the latter will help in understanding the former.

The Field

The field consists of a diamond, with a plate at each point, with the home plate at the bottom, the second base plate opposite it at the top, and the first and third bases to the right and left, respectively. The two lines that meet at the home plate extend past the diamond, and are called the foul lines - any ball going over those lines is considered a foul. Bordering the top of the diamond and extending outwards for a few metres (but not past the foul lines, and not into the diamond itself) is the infield. Outside of the infield, stretching all the way to the edge of the field, is the outfield. In the centre of the diamond is the pitcher's mound. The Blaseball site only shows the first, second, and third bases, as the only person on the fourth/Home plate is the current batter, and the fielders' positions are simulated/unimportant.

This is a baseball field. Represented on it are the baseball diamond, the infield, and the outfield. Several features of the baseball field have been labelled. Not labelled: the infield (the brown space in the middle), the outfield (the top green part of the diagram), drawn boxes by first base, third base, and the home plate.

Team Composition

Each team consists of a roster, made up of two categories of player: the lineup and the rotation. The lineup is all the batters, while the rotation is all the pitchers. When a team is batting, their lineup goes in order from the first to last then back to first over the course of a game. When they're pitching, the same player pitches for the whole game. In their next game, however, it is the next player in the rotation that pitches that whole game, and so on. Once every pitcher has pitched an entire game, pitcher selection returns to the first pitcher in the rotation. This is not the case with the lineup: every game starts with the first player in the lineup, and progresses.

Structure of Play

Each game of baseball consists of up to nine innings - there may be less for certain reasons. In Blaseball, each game consists of nine or more innings - if a game is tied at the end of the 9th inning, play continues until an inning ends with an untied score. Each inning consists of the two teams taking turns batting, with the Away team batting first in the inning (termed "top of the inning"), and the Home team batting second (termed "bottom of the inning"). As an example, the phrase "bottom of the seventh" means that it is the seventh inning, and the Home team is batting. When one team is batting, the other team is pitching and fielding. Fielders are scattered around in the outfield, as well as there being one per base, another termed the shortstop between second and third base, and a catcher behind the batter. There will also be an umpire, who is from neither team, behind the catcher, as well as up to three other umpires tasked with watching the bases.

Play

When a batter is up, a ball is pitched to them by the opposing team's pitcher. If the ball passes over the home plate and within the "strike zone" (approximately: above the batter's knees, and below their belt) and the batter doesn't swing at it, or the ball is swung at and missed (regardless of where the ball is), or the ball is swung at and hit but is considered a foul, then that is considered a strike. If a batter gets three strikes, they're out. It is important to note that the third strike cannot be from a foul, no matter how many fouls are made. If the ball is hit, but caught by a fielder, then the batter is out, regardless of how many strikes they have. If, however, the pitch did not count as a strike, then it's termed a pitched ball, or "ball" for short. After four balls, the batter gets to advance to first base automatically, which is termed a walk. The current batter has a measurement called the count, which consists of balls to strikes - this is represented by the text "X-Y" after each ball or strike. So, if the batter currently has three balls and two strikes, then the count will be 3-2.

If the batter hits the ball, or gets onto first via a walk, they can start running bases, starting with first, and proceeding around the diamond. If they make it to first base and stop, that's termed a single, and similarly for the second and third bases. If a baserunner manages to get all the way around the diamond, it's termed a home run. Regardless of whether the batter is out, on a base, or ran all the way home, the next batter in the lineup steps up to the plate. A plate cannot be occupied by more than one baserunner at a time - so if one person runs, everyone must run. If a team accumulates three outs in an inning, then the teams swap positions. When both teams are out, then the next inning begins. Blaseball terms this event as an inning being an outing. Play continues in this way until up to nine innings have been completed (in baseball) or an inning is completed without the scores being tied (in Blaseball).

Winning

The winning team is the team that scores the most runs in the game.

Miscellaneous Terms

Bases loaded: There is a runner on each base, and a hit or walk will score at least one run.
Double play: Two runners have been caught out during one play. In baseball, this consists of one person getting the ball and using it to get someone out, then passing it to someone else to get another person out. Triple plays are also possible, and quadruple plays are theoretically possible as well.
Fielder's choice: When the fielders have multiple runners to tag out, and can only get one out, the one they don't pick is said to have advanced on Fielder's Choice. Alternatively, if they choose not to tag someone out, despite having the chance, then it's also termed Fielder's Choice.
Fly ball: A ball that is hit high into the air. If it is caught before hitting the ground, the batter is out.
Grand slam: While bases are loaded, the ball is struck, and every runner gets home, including the batter (who just got a home run).
Ground out: An out that occurs when a ball hits the ground, is grabbed by a fielder, and used to get the batter out.
Out: As mentioned, if a batter gets three strikes, or the ball is caught. Additionally, if the ball is passed to a fielder who is on a base, and they catch it while someone is running to that base and tag that runner, the runner is out.
Sacrifice: When a batter bunts (i.e. lightly taps the ball) into play, almost always sacrificing themselves in order to let another player run to another base (see Fielder's Choice for circumstances where they are not tagged out).
Steal: When a baserunner advances to the next base before the batter has started running bases. Baserunners can steal home, which counts as a run.
Strike, looking: A strike where the batter never attempted to swing the bat at the incoming ball.
Tag up: After a fly ball is caught, a runner on base must touch, or "tag", their current base before they can advance to the next one.

Blaseball-Specific Modifications

There are a number of effects that occur in Blaseball that do not happen in baseball. For the most part, these are caused by the Weather, Modifications on either the team or the player, Ballparks, a Decree from a previous season, or some new effect introduced during the current season.