Like any sport, the field on which the game is played defines baseball. Once you understand the field, you can then better understand how the game works. The baseball field is unique in sports. Unlike most team sports that play on a rectangular field (e.g. basketball, football and soccer), baseball is played on a wedge-shaped field, which resembles a quarter of a circle. The field is often referred to as a diamond.

The baseball diamond is defined by two lines, called foul lines, which meet at home plate and extend outward, perpendicular to each other. These foul lines create a boundary on each side of the field between fair territory and foul territory. Everything on the outside of the foul line, including the area behind home plate, is considered foul territory. Foul territory is designated as "out of play," which means baseballs hit there don't count as a hit. However, the ball can be caught in foul territory. Foul territory also includes:

• Team dugouts - The sheltered area on either side of the field where players stay when they aren't on the field
• Bullpen - The area where pitchers practice before entering the game
• Base coach's boxes - An area next to first and third base that coaches stand in to instruct the base runners
• On-deck circles - A small circle outside the dugout where the player next in order to bat stands to practice his swing before batting
• Seats - The seats of a typical stadium wrap around the entire field. Almost the only seats that aren't in foul territory are those beyond the outfield wall between the foul lines.

Inside the foul lines, or fair territory, is where most of a baseball game's action takes place. Fair territory is subdivided into the infield and the outfield. On most fields, the dividing line between the two is where the grass of the outfield meets the dirt of the infield. The parts of the infield include:

• Bases - The Bases are the four stations (first base, second base, third base, and home plate) that players must run to after hitting the ball into play. Each base is 90 feet (27 m) apart in a Major League Baseball game. A run is scored when a player reaches home plate.
• Base paths - The base path is the line between each base that the player must run along to reach a base. A player can be called out for running outside of the path.
• Pitcher's mound - The pitcher's mound is the raised mound of dirt in the middle of the infield on which the pitcher stands.
• Batter's box - The batter's box is marked off by two small rectangles flanking home plate. The batter must stand within the borders of the box to hit.

Now that you are familiar with the geography of a baseball field, let's look at the playrs and their positions.

A baseball game is played between two teams -- the home team and visiting team. Often, the name of the visiting team's city is displayed across the front of the players' jerseys. Each team has at least nine players, and each player occupies a designated spot on the field. Most professional teams have many more than nine players, which allows for substitutions.

During an inning, teams take turns batting. While one team is batting, the other team puts its players in specific areas of the field in order to prevent the other team from getting hits and scoring runs. Each player of the batting team takes his turn going to home plate, standing in the batter's box, and trying to hit the ball that the pitcher throws toward him. He does so by swinging the bat as the ball nears home plate.

In all, there are nine positions on the defensive side:

1. Pitcher - Stands on the pitcher's mound and throws the ball to the catcher in attempt to make the batter either swing and miss or else put the ball in play so that it can be caught by a defensive player (in which case the batter is "out")
2. Catcher - Squats behind home plate and catches the pitcher's throws; also throws to bases to throw out player's trying to steal those bases, as well as fields the area around home plate
3. First baseman - Fields the area near first base
4. Second baseman - Fields the area between first and second base
5. Third baseman - Fields the area near third base
6. Shortstop - Fields the area between second and third base
7. Left field - Fields the portion of the outfield that's on the left side of the batter when he faces the field
8. Center field - Fields the middle portion of the outfield
9. Right field - Fields the portion of the outfield that is on the right side of the batter when he faces the field

All of the fielders work together to prevent the batters and base runners of the other team from getting hits and scoring runs. An out is recorded when a fielder catches a ball, tags a base runner with a ball, or grabs the ball and steps on the base a runner is trying to reach before the runner reaches it. Outs are also recorded when a hitter strikes out . Once three outs are recorded, a half-inning is finished. In the next section, we will look at the offensive side of the game.

by Kevin Bonsor