America’s national sport, played mainly by men, which developed in the 19th century from the British games rounders and cricket . It is a popular sport to play and watch, with many families going to watch baseball games on a Sunday afternoon. Baseball has become an important part of US culture with many baseball terms becoming part of the language and it is the subject of songs, novels and films. Baseball shirts and caps have also become fashionable in many countries.
Baseball is played with long wooden bats and a small, hard ball, by two teams of nine players each. The infield has three bases (= bags filled with sand) and a home plate arranged in a diamond . The pitcher , who throws the ball to the batter , stands in the centre of the diamond. Each game lasts nine innings and in each inning the visiting team is first to bat (= hit the ball) while the home team plays defense. Players bat in turn but when a team has three outs it must let the other side bat. If a batter hits the ball and it is not caught in the air for an out, he runs to first base . If the ball is thrown to first base before he gets there, he is out and if not, he then tries to run to second base , third base and back to home for a run while other players bat. The team that scores the most runs is the winner.
Major League Baseball is organized into the American League and the National League and the season lasts from April to October. At the end of the season, the four best teams in each league play to decide which two teams will go forward to the World Series . The New York Yankees have won the World Series most times. Other well-known teams include the Boston Red Sox, the Cleveland Indians, the Detroit Tigers, the Chicago Cubs, the St Louis Cardinals, the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Dodgers.