HISTORY OF BASEBALL The evolution of baseball from older bat-and-ball games is difficult to trace with precision.

A French manuscript from 1344 contains an illustration of clerics playing a game, possibly la soule, with similarities to baseball. Other old French games such as thque, la balle au bton, and la balle empoisonne also appear to be related. Consensus once held that today's baseball is a North American development from the older game rounders, popular in Great Britain and Ireland. Baseball Before We Knew It: A Search for the Roots of the Game (2005), by David Block, suggests that the game originated in England; recently uncovered historical evidence supports this position. Block argues that rounders and early baseball were actually regional variants of each other, and that the game's most direct antecedents are the English games of stoolball and "tut-ball". It has long been believed that cricket also descended from such games, though evidence uncovered in early 2009 suggests that the sport may have been imported to England from Flanders. The earliest known reference to baseball is in a 1744 British publication, A Little Pretty Pocket-Book, by John Newbery. It contains a rhymed description of "base-ball" and a woodcut that shows a field set-up somewhat similar to the modern gamethough in a triangular rather than diamond configuration, and with posts instead of ground-level bases. David Block discovered that the first recorded game of "Bass-Ball" took place in 1749 in Surrey, and featured the Prince of Wales as a player. William Bray, an English lawyer, recorded a game of baseball on Easter Monday 1755 in Guildford, Surrey. This early form of the game was apparently brought to North America by English immigrants. Rounders was also brought to the continent by both British and Irish immigrants. The first known American reference to baseball appears in a 1791 Pittsfield, Massachusetts, town bylaw prohibiting the playing of the game near the town's new meeting house. By 1796, a version of the game was well-known enough to earn a mention in a German scholar's book on popular pastimes. As described by Johann Gutsmuths, "englische Base-ball" involved a contest between two teams, in which "the batter has three attempts to hit the ball while at the home plate." Only one out was required to retire a side. By the early 1830s, there were reports of a variety of uncodified bat-and-ball games recognizable as early forms of baseball being played around North America. These games were often referred to locally as "town ball", though other names such as "round-ball" and "base-ball" were also used. Among the earliest examples to receive a detailed descriptionalbeit five decades after the fact, in a letter from an attendee to Sporting Life magazinetook place in Beachville, Ontario, in 1838. There were many similarities to modern baseball, and some crucial differences: five bases (or byes); first bye just 18 feet (5.5 m) from the home bye; batter out if a hit ball was caught after the

first bounce. The once widely accepted story that Abner Doubleday invented baseball in Cooperstown, New York, in 1839 has been conclusively debunked by sports historians. In 1845, Alexander Cartwright, a member of New York City's Knickerbockers club, led the codification of the so-called Knickerbocker Rules. The practice, common to bat-and-ball games of the day, of "soaking" or "plugging" effecting a putout by hitting a runner with a thrown ballwas barred. The rules thus facilitated the use of a smaller, harder ball than had been common. Several other rules also brought the Knickerbockers' game close to the modern one, though a ball caught on the first bounce was, again, an out and only underhand pitching was allowed. While there are reports that the New York Knickerbockers played games in 1845, the contest now recognized as the first officially recorded baseball game in U.S. history took place on June 19, 1846, in Hoboken, New Jersey: the "New York Nine" defeated the Knickerbockers, 231, in four innings. With the Knickerbocker code as the basis, the rules of modern baseball continued to evolve over the next half-century. BASEBALL EQUIPMENT Bat - A rounded, solid wooden or hollow aluminum bat. Wooden bats are traditionally made from ash wood, though maple and bamboo is also sometimes used. Aluminum bats are not permitted in professional leagues, but are frequently used in amateur leagues. Composite bats are also available, essentially wooden bats with a metal rod inside. Bamboo bats are also becoming popular. Ball - A cork sphere, tightly wound with layers of yarn or string and covered with a stitched leather coat. Base - One of four corners of the infield which must be touched by a runner in order to score a run; more specifically, they are canvas bags (at first, second, and third base) and a rubber plate (at home). Glove - Leather gloves worn by players in the field. Long fingers and a webbed "pocket" between the thumb and first finger allows the fielder to catch the ball more easily. Catcher's mitt - Leather mitt are worn by catchers. It is much wider than a normal fielder's glove and the four fingers are connected. The mitt is also better-padded than the standard fielder's glove. First baseman's mitt - Leather mitt worn by first basemen. It is longer and wider than a standard fielder's glove. The four fingers are connected and the glove is rounded like a

catcher's mitt. A first baseman's mitt has a bit more padding than a standard fielder's glove Batting gloves - Gloves often worn on one or both hands by the batter. They offer additional grip and eliminate some of the shock when making contact with the ball. Batting helmet - Helmet worn by batter to protect the head and the ear facing the pitcher from the ball. Professional models have only one ear protector (left ear for right-handed batters, right ear for lefties), amateur and junior helmets usually have ear protectors on both sides, for better protection from loose balls, and to reduce costs to teams (all players can use the same style of helmet). Baseball cap - Hat worn by all players. Designed to shade the eyes from the sun, this hat design has become popular with the general public. Catcher's helmet - Protective helmet with face mask worn by the catcher. Newer styles feature a fully integrated helmet and mask, similar to a hockey goalie mask. More traditional versions were a separate mask worn over a helmet similar to a batting helmet, but with no ear protection and worn backwards. Athletic Cup - Provides groin and testicle protection for males against impact. Must be worn by male catchers and is highly recommend for all other positions. Jockstrap - An undergarmet worn by boys and men for support during sports. The jockstrap contains a pocket to hold a cup. Pelvic protector - Provides groin protection for females against impact. Uniform - Shirt and pants worn by all players, coaches and managers. Each team generally has a unique pattern of colors and designs. Traditionally, the home team's uniform is predominantly white with the team's nickname, and the visiting team's is predominantly gray with (usually, but not always) the team's city. Teams often have white, gray and colored jerseys; colored jerseys can be worn at home or on the road, depending on the team's preference. Sliding shorts - Padded support shorts sometimes worn to protect the thighs when the player slides into the bases. Some sliding shorts contain a pocket for a cup. This is so the player does not have to wear a jockstrap and sliding shorts. Sunglasses - Worn to shade the sun from the eyes. Baseball Cleats - Baseball specific shoes worn by the player for better traction. The cleats themselves are either rubber or metal. Baseball Doughnut - A weighted ring that fits over the end of a baseball bat, used for warming up during a baseball game. A doughnut can help increase bat speed.

BASEBALL RULES & REGULATIONS Each team in a baseball game starts nine players. The game is broken up into innings, during which each team plays both offense and defense. A regulation baseball game consists of nine innings (many levels of youth baseball, including high school, play only six- or seven-inning games). An inning starts with the home team on defense and the away team on offense. The offensive team attempts to score runs, while the defensive team attempts to record outs. Once three outs have been recorded, the teams switch positions. The home team then plays offense, attempting to score runs before the away team can record three outs. One inning is completed after each team makes three outs. The team that has the most total runs after nine innings are completed is the winner. If the score is tied, play continues, with each extra inning functioning as sudden death. Each team still gets a chance on both offense and defense, but if a team scores more runs after one complete inning, that team is the winner. Positions & Lineups On defense, the players occupy nine positions. There are five infield positions (pitcher, catcher, first base, second base, third base, and shortstop), and three outfield positions (left field, center field, and right field). The diagram to the left shows the typical defensive alignment on a basic baseball diamond. On offense, the nine starters form a strategically arranged lineup, which determines the order in which each player bats. Many baseball organizations allow the use of a designated hitter. This means that one player who is not among the defensive starters may bat in the place of a defensive player. In many cases, the designated hitter bats for the pitcher. The players take turns batting according to the lineup, and once every player has batted, the order starts over from the top. It is against the rules to bat out of order. Substitutions may be made at any time, but once a player has been removed from the game, he cannot return (unless specific league rules allow it). Teams often substitute their batters, base runners, and pitchers in order to give other players a chance to play or to achieve favorable matchups. These replacements are referred to as pinch-hitters, pinchrunners, and relief pitchers, respectively. Pitching & Defense In baseball, play starts when the pitcher delivers a pitch. There are two positions from which a pitcher may start his delivery: The wind-up and the

stretch. The wind-up is typically used with no runners on base, while the stretch is utilized when there are base runners, because it is a quicker way to make a pitch. The pitcher must be in contact with the pitchers rubber when he throws the ball. For every at-bat of a game, a count is kept in order to keep track of how many balls and strikes have been thrown (for example, one ball and two strikes, or 1-2). The strike zone is an area that reaches from the batters knees to his chest, and spans the width of home plate. The home plate umpire determines whether each pitch crossed through the strike zone, and so strike zones tend to be somewhat subjective. If the pitcher throws a pitch that misses the strike zone, it is called a ball. If he throws a pitch inside the strike zone, or if the batter swings and misses, or if the batter hits the ball into foul territory, it is called a strike. There are several ways to record an out on defense: Strike out: After three strikes, the batter is out. However, a batter cannot strike out on a foul ball. If he hits a foul ball with two strikes, the count remains the same. Tag out: When the ball is in play, any defensive player may tag a base runner when he is off the base to record an out. Catch: If the batter hits a pitched ball in play, and any member of the defense catches it in the air, then the batter is out. A runner on base may attempt to advance to the next base once a catch has been made by tagging up. However, the runner does so at the risk of being tagged out. Force out: If the batter hits a pitched ball in play that is not caught in the air, the defense may field the ball and touch first base (or more likely, throw it to the first baseman, who then touches first base) before the batter reaches the base to record the out. Also, if there are runners on first base, first and second base, or all three bases, the runners must advance if a batted ball touches the ground (they are forced). Therefore, the defense can tag a base in front of a runner for a force-out. It is possible for the defense to record multiple force-outs on the same play. This is called a double play. Scoring The home plate area consists of home plate, a left-hand batters box and right-hand batters box (on separate sides of home plate, and a catchers box (directly behind home plate). The offensive player stands in one of the batters boxes, while the catcher squats down behind home plate, and the umpire stands just behind the catcher. In order to score a run, a batter must safely touch all four bases (in a counter-clockwise direction) and home plate. The player doesnt need to touch all four bases during one play. Once he reaches a base, he may choose to stay there, and as long as he stays on the base he cannot be tagged out.

Therefore, in order to score a run, the offensive team typically must get multiple players on base safely in order to advance them around the diamond and touch home plate to score a run. There are several ways that a batter may reach base safely: Single: The batter hits a pitched ball into fair territory, and the defense is unable to catch it in the air. If the batter makes it to first base without being tagged with the ball or before the defense can make a force-play at first base, then the batter is safe with a single. Double: The batter hits a pitched ball into fair territory, and the defense is unable to catch it in the air. If the batter makes it to second base without being tagged with the ball or before the defense can make a force-play, then the batter is safe with a double. Triple: The batter hits a pitched ball into fair territory, and the defense is unable to catch it in the air. If the batter makes it to third base without being tagged with the ball or before the defense can make a force-play, then the batter is safe with a triple. Home run: The batter hits a pitched ball into fair territory, and the defense is unable to catch it in the air. If the batter touches all three bases and makes it to home plate without being tagged with the ball or before the defense can make a force-play, then the batter is safe with a home run. In addition, if the batter hits a pitched ball that lands beyond the designated outfield fence, it is an automatic home run. He is allowed to jog around the bases and touch home plate, and any runners who were on base are also allowed to score. Base on balls: If the pitcher throws four pitches out of the strike zone (as determined by the home plate umpire) before the batter hits the ball fair or strikes out, then the batter is awarded first base. Hit by pitch: If a pitched ball strikes the batter on any part of his body, the batter is awarded first base (unless an umpire determines that the batter intentionally moved in order to get hit). Catchers interference: If the batters bat makes contact with the catcher while he attempts to swing at a pitch, the batter is awarded first base. Defensive error: If the batter is able to safely reach base as the result of a defensive players mistake, then the play is called an error. An error has effectively the same result as a hit, but officially it is a different type of play. Dropped third strike: If a batter swings and misses at a pitched ball for the third strike, but the catcher drops the ball or it bounces away, the batter may attempt to run to first base. If the batter reaches first base before the catcher can tag him or make a force-out, then the batter is safe. Fielders choice: If the batter hits a pitched ball into play, and the defense chooses to tag or force-out another base runner instead of the batter (thereby allowing the batter to reach base safely), then it is considered a fielders choice. This is a less desirable way to reach base, because an out is recorded in the process.

TERMINOLOGIES OF BASEBALL "Bases loaded," means that there is a man on each base, waiting to score, from one team. A "home run" is when a player hits the ball out of the park. A "grand slam" is when a player hits a home run with the bases loaded. A "suicide squeeze" is where the runner from third runs to home when the ball is pitched, and the batter bunts the ball, sacrificing himself so that the runner will score. SIGNAL OF BASEBALL Baseball coaches who run an aggressive offense-- squeeze, hit and run, and double steal-- obviously have need of a sign system that will enable them to communicate with the players and adapt to changing situations and personnel quickly and efficiently. A good sign system will include all or most of the following: "Indicators" that alert the players that a "live" sign may be on its way. "Wipe-offs" that negate every live sign that has been flashed to that point. "Activators" that tell the player to proceed with the designated play (a green light). "Decoys" -- meaningless signs, at least in the context of the sequence in which they appear. Perhaps the most common way of flashing a sign is through touching a particular part of the body or uniform, e.g., an ear or the bill of the cap. The most common and effective signal systems usually stem from one of these three methods. Letter Association Coaches from youth to semi-pro ball often use a simple system in which the first letter of the object touched matches the first letter of the corresponding sign. For example, a touch of the hat will call for the "hit & run", a touch of the belt for "bunt", and a touch of the sleeve for "steal". Opinion Must be simple to avoid confusion. Obvious signs are easy to detect by opposing coaches. Number of Taps Another popular sign system emphasizes the number of touches or taps rather than the location of the touch. For example, 1 tap will call for a take, 2 taps for a bunt, 3 taps for a hit & run, and 4 taps for a steal. Opinion More difficult and results in missed signs. Taps must be seen from across the field and delivered slow enough to make each tap distinct. Kids must memorize a number to be associated with a play.

Indicator and Location The coach will flash an indicator, followed by touching a location on his uniform associated with a play. Opinion Easy, effective and can be changed during the game without much confusion. Regardless of how the coach delivers the signs, his system must be easy to comprehend and remember.