Baserunning - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Baseball

Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...

, baserunning is the act of running around the bases performed by members of the team at bat.

In general, baserunning is a tactical part of the game with the goal of eventually reaching home to score a run. In fact, the goal of batting

Batting (baseball)

In baseball, batting is the act of facing the opposing pitcher and trying to produce offense for one's team. A batter or hitter is a person whose turn it is to face the pitcher...

is generally to produce baserunners, or help move baserunners along. Runners on second or third base are considered to be in scoring position

Scoring position

In the sport of baseball, a baserunner is said to be in scoring position when he is on second or third base. The distinction between being on first base and second or third base is that a runner on first can usually only score if the batter hits an extra base hit, while a runner on second or third...

since a normal hit, even a single, will often score them. Part of the goal of a runner and a batter is to get the runner into scoring position.

Becoming a runner

For any baserunning to occur, a batter must initially become a baserunner. This happens when:

he hits safely,
he receives a base on balls
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...

,
he is hit by a pitch
Hit by pitch
In baseball, hit by pitch , or hit batsman , is a batter or his equipment being hit in some part of his body by a pitch from the pitcher.-Official rule:...

,
he hits into a fielder's choice,
the defensive team commits an error that allows him to reach base,
there is umpire interference,
there is an uncaught third strike, or
the catcher or any fielder interferes with him

The batter-runner

The term batter-runner is used in official terminology to identify an offensive player from the time he puts a fair ball into play or the third strike is not caught (thereby ceasing to be a batter) until the end of the play he initiated, whether the play results in the player being put out or becoming a runner by legally attaining first base or any subsequent base. The term is generally not applied if the batter hits a foul ball or to a player awarded first base, e.g., for a base on balls.

Ceasing to be a runner

A player ceases to be a baserunner when:

he scores a run
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...

,
he is put out
Out (baseball)
In baseball, an out occurs when the defensive, or fielding, team effects any of a number of different events, and the umpire rules a batter or baserunner out. When a player is called out, he is said to be retired...

in any way, or
a teammate is put out for the third out of the inning
Inning
Inning is a municipality in the district of Erding in Bavaria in Germany....

.

If a baserunner's teammate is put out for the third out of the inning, he is said to be left on base

Left on base

In baseball, a baserunner is said to be left on base when the half-inning ends, he has not scored, and he has not been put out. This is to include a batter-runner who has hit into a fielder's choice, causing another runner to be put out as the 3rd out...

(LOB).

Running the bases

A runner who is touching a base which he is entitled to occupy may not be tagged out. Runners may attempt to advance from base to base on any fair ball that touches the ground. When a ball is hit in the air (i.e., a fly ball) and caught by the defending team, runners must return and touch the base they occupy—called tagging up
Tag up
In baseball, to tag up is to retouch or remain on the runner's time-of-pitch base until the ball either lands in fair territory or is first touched by a fielder. A runner must, by rule, tag up only when a batted ball is caught by a fielder . After a legal tag up, even if the ball was caught in...

—after the ball is first touched by a fielder. Once they do this, they may attempt to advance at their own risk. On a ball that touches the ground in fair territory, if there is a force

Force play

In baseball, a force is a situation when a baserunner is compelled to vacate his time-of-pitch base—and thus try to advance to the next base—because the batter became a runner. A runner at first base is always forced to attempt to advance to second base when the batter becomes a runner...

, runners are required to run.

Baserunners may attempt to advance at any time while the ball is alive

Live ball (baseball)

In baseball, when the ball is alive , the game can proceed. The pitcher may pitch the ball , the batter may attempt to hit such a pitch, baserunners may attempt to advance at their own risk, and the defense may attempt to put the batter or baserunners out.-Definition:The ball becomes live when the...

, even before or while the pitcher

Pitcher

In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...

is throwing a pitch

Pitch (baseball)

In baseball, a pitch is the act of throwing a baseball toward home plate to start a play. The term comes from the Knickerbocker Rules. Originally, the ball had to be literally "pitched" underhand, as with pitching horseshoes. Overhand throwing was not allowed until 1884.The biomechanics of...

. The catcher—or pitcher, in lieu of delivering the pitch—often tries to prevent this by throwing the ball to one of the infielders in order to tag the runner. This pick-off attempt is usually unsuccessful in tagging out the runner but is effective in keeping the runner closer to the base. If the runner is tagged out while diving back to the base, it is called a pickoff
Pickoff
In baseball, a pickoff is an act by a pitcher or a catcher, throwing a live ball to a fielder so that the fielder can tag out a baserunner who is either leading off or about to begin stealing the next base....

. If the runner attempts to advance to the next base but is tagged out before reaching it safely, he is caught stealing. A successful attempt by the runner is called a stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...

. If a pitch gets away from the catcher, runners may also try to advance. This may be a wild pitch
Wild pitch
In baseball, a wild pitch is charged against a pitcher when his pitch is too high, too short, or too wide of home plate for the catcher to control with ordinary effort, thereby allowing a baserunner, perhaps even the batter-runner on strike three or ball four, to advance.A wild pitch usually...

, if the pitcher is held responsible for the ball getting away, or a passed ball
Passed ball
In baseball, a catcher is charged with a passed ball when he fails to hold or control a legally pitched ball that, with ordinary effort, should have been maintained under his control. When, as a result of this loss of control, the batter or a runner on base advances, the catcher is thereby charged...

if the catcher is deemed to be at fault. Sometimes the defending team will ignore a runner who is trying to steal a base; in this case a runner is not credited with a steal, and the base is attributed to defensive indifference.

Strategy

The standard dimensions of a baseball field, with 90 feet (27.4 m) between bases, generate many close baserunning plays. On one hand, an infielder who cleanly fields a ball hit on the ground, then throws it quickly and accurately, will usually get the ball to a base before the runner reaches it. However, any hesitation or mistake on the part of the fielder may allow the runner to reach the base safely. Teams that are familiar with their opposition may attempt to run when a certain player has the ball. For example, on a deep fly ball to center field with a man on second base, if the center fielder is known to have a weak arm, the runner on second base may attempt to tag up to get to third, even though that is a risky play.

Baserunning and hitting are often combined to produce better results. Smart, quick base running is a key element in the squeeze play

Squeeze play (baseball)

In baseball, the squeeze play is a maneuver consisting of a sacrifice bunt with a runner on third base. The batter bunts the ball, expecting to be thrown out at first base, but providing the runner on third base an opportunity to score...

. The hit and run

Hit and run (baseball)

A hit and run is a high risk/high reward offensive strategy used in baseball.When the offense has a baserunner on first base , the runner on first breaks for second as the pitch is thrown...

and similar plays involve baserunning. When the count is full and there are two outs, runners with a force behind them will always run as if they were stealing, since they cannot be caught stealing: a strike is the third out, a walk entitles him to the next base, a foul is not in play (runners return to previous bases without jeopardy), and the runner should be running on any ball hit into play. Also, good runners will often try get extra bases when a play is being made at a different base. For example, when there is a runner at second and the batter hits a shallow single and there is a play at home plate, the batter might try to get to second (though this would be scored as a single with the batter advancing to second on the throw, rather than a double).

Sometimes runners can be helpful even after they are out. The most common way to do this is during a potential double play

Double play

In baseball, a double play for a team or a fielder is the act of making two outs during the same continuous playing action. In baseball slang, making a double play is referred to as "turning two"....

. If a double play has begun, and the runner running to second knows he will be forced out, he will often try to aid the runner running to first base by performing a take-out slide

Slide (baseball)

In baseball, a slide is when a player, acting as a baserunner, drops his body to the ground once he is very close to the base he is approaching and slides along the ground to reach the base....

, to stop the player with the ball from throwing to first. Some versions of such a slide could be considered offensive interference

Interference (baseball)

In baseball, interference is an infraction where a person illegally changes the course of play from what is expected. Interference might be committed by players on the offense, players not currently in the game, catchers, umpires, or spectators; each type of interference is covered differently by...

in amateur competition, but this maneuver is traditionally tolerated in professional baseball.

Some tag plays are so close that the slide