Learn About Baseball

Do you want to be able to talk about baseball with your friends? Do you want to better understand what you are watching on TV? This article explains how to learn about baseball.

Steps

1. Learn the basics and the rules. Look them up online or ask about them from a good friend. There are published versions of the Official Major League Baseball Rulebook, but they are often difficult to read straight through.
2. Learn about the players. Different players have different positive and negative areas in their skills. Players like Ryan Howard or Adam Dunn Hit a Baseball for Both Contact and Power lots of Hit a Home Run on MVP Baseball 2005, but also strike out a lot. Players like Juan Pierre or Jose Reyes steal a lot of bases and can hit well, but hit few home runs.
3. Get some baseball cards. If you live in a country where baseball is widely popular, you should find these at card shops or even sometimes at convenience stores. If you don't live in a baseball-loving country, you can buy these online very easily.
4. Pick a favorite team. Although this is not necessary, it can improve your enjoyment of the sport. You could pick a Major League Baseball team, a minor league team, or a team from another league in another country.
5. Try to see a game. Even if it's an amateur league game, it helps you understand the game better.

Tips

• Study key baseball terms. Baseball is relatively simple to learn, but there are too many key terms to list here.
• It's helpful if you try to play on a team so you can see what it's like to play. You should try to get a mitt and a ball and play baseball with a few friends, (9 makes a team, if everyone always plays).
• Some baseball cards can be valuable. (Look out for the big names, especially older cards and rookie cards.)
• Some of the all time greats:
  • Nolan Ryan (5714 Career Strikeouts, all time strikeout leader)
  • Ty Cobb (Played 23 seasons, over 4100 career hits)
  • Babe Ruth (Arguably the greatest player to ever live; so greatly influenced baseball that the style of the game changed)
  • Ted Williams (Hit 521 Home Runs and is last player to bat over .400)
  • Roger Clemens (Over 3,000 strikeouts and over 300 wins, although he did it during the "steroid era")
  • Rogers Hornsby (Hit over .400 in several seasons)
  • Cy Young (Most career wins all time-511)
  • Barry Bonds (all time career home runs leader with 762, with the same disclaimer as Roger Clemens)
  • Dennis Eckersley (Hall of Fame relief pitcher)
  • Pete Rose (All time career hits leader)
  • Joe DiMaggio (Over 400 HR, once had a hit in 56 consecutive games)
  • Ozzie Smith (Won thirteen career Golden Glove Awards)
• Current Major League Baseball stars include:
  • Alex Rodriguez, 3B for the Yankees
  • David Ortiz, DH for the Red Sox
  • Johan Santana, SP for the Mets
  • Chase Utley , 2B for the Phillies
  • David Wright, 3B for the Mets
  • CC Sabathia, SP for the Yankees
  • Albert Pujols, 1B for the Cardinals
  • Roy Halladay, SP for the Phillies
  • Jose Reyes, SS for the Mets
  • Mariano Rivera, CL for the Yankees
  • Roy Oswalt, SP for the Phillies
  • Brandon Webb, SP for the Diamondbacks
  • Jimmy Rollins, SS for the Phillies
  • Jake Peavy, SP for the White Sox
  • Prince Fielder, 1B for the Brewers
  • Ichiro Suzuki, OF for the Mariners
  • Derek Jeter, SS for the Yankees
  • Mark Teixeira, 1B for the Yankees
  • Cliff Lee, SP for the Phillies
  • Dustin Pedroia, 2B for the Red Sox
  • Jacoby Ellsbury, OF for the Red Sox
  • Scott Kazmir, SP for the Angels
  • Kevin Youkilis, 1B for the Red Sox
  • Jason Bay, LF for the Mets
  • Matt Holliday, LF for the Cardinals
  • Jonathan Papelbon, CL for the Red Sox
  • Josh Beckett, SP for the Red Sox
  • Jason Heyward, RF for the Braves
  • Joey Votto, 1B for the Reds

Things You'll Need

• Money to buy cards
• Money for baseball games ($50-$100 or more)
• Cable TV with access to ESPN and Fox Sports

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• Play Shortstop in Baseball
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• Calculate WHIP (Walks and Hits Per Innings Pitched)
• Be A Catcher In Baseball
• Block a Baseball
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• Start a Baseball Card Collection
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References

• Major League Baseball official site
• Wikipedia - Simplified baseball rules

See also

• Block a Baseball
• Bowl the Doosra
• Break in a New Baseball Glove
• Throw a Baseball
• Throw a Curveball
• Play Baseball
• Make Your School's Baseball Team
• Tape a Baseball Bat
• Become a Baseball Scout
• Oil a Baseball Glove

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What links here

• Wash a Baseball Cap by Hand
• Play Baseball
• Be A Catcher In Baseball
• Become a Baseball Scout
• Enjoy a Baseball Game when You Don't Like Baseball
• Hit a Home Run
• Get an Autograph at a Baseball Game
• Pitch a Baseball
• Throw a 12 6 Curveball
• Throw a Forkball

Read more ...