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Mornington PiratesBaseball Club · Est. 1975
  1. M38 B @ Mornington GoldVSBL Masters 38+ South · Round 1Win4–3
  2. S4 vs BerwickVSBL State 4 East · Round 31:30 PMHome
  3. S3 vs BerwickVSBL State 3 East · Round 34:00 PMHome
  4. M38 B vs MoorabbinVSBL Masters 38+ South · Round 36:15 PMHome
  5. M38 G vs BerwickVSBL Masters 38+ South · Round 36:15 PMHome
All fixtures

New to baseball?

How baseball works

The game in five minutes, for new players and parents.

The big idea

Hit, run, score

Two teams of nine take turns. One bats and tries to score runs; the other fields and tries to get three outs. Then they swap.

  • The batting team

    Players bat one at a time, in order. The batter tries to hit the pitch and get on base safely.

  • The fielding team

    The pitcher throws to the batter, and nine fielders try to get the batting team out.

  • Scoring

    A run scores when a player makes it all the way around the four bases: first, second, third and home.

Three outs end the batting team’s turn. Both teams batting once makes an inning. A full game is nine innings, but local games are often shorter, with seven innings or a time limit depending on the grade. The team with the most runs at the end wins.

The diamond

Nine players, nine jobs

The bases sit 27.4 metres (90 feet) apart in a square called the diamond. Tap a position to see what that player does.

A baseball field from above, with the nine fielding positions marked

  • 1PitcherPosition 1 · “P”

    Stands on the mound in the middle of the infield and throws every pitch to the batter. Seniors pitch from 18.44 metres (60 feet 6 inches); juniors pitch from closer in.

  • 2CatcherPosition 2 · “C”

    Crouches behind home plate in protective gear, catches every pitch the batter doesn’t hit and signals which pitch to throw. Guards home plate when a runner tries to score.

  • 3First basePosition 3 · “1B”

    Most outs happen here: infielders field the ball and throw it to first before the batter gets there. A good first baseman can stretch and scoop a bad throw.

  • 4Second basePosition 4 · “2B”

    Covers the gap between first and second. Works with the shortstop to turn double plays: two outs from one ball.

  • 5Third basePosition 5 · “3B”

    Known as “the hot corner”, because right-handed batters hit the ball hard and fast down this line. Needs quick reflexes and a strong throw across to first.

  • 6ShortstopPosition 6 · “SS”

    Between second and third base, and usually the busiest fielder. Needs range, soft hands and the strongest throwing arm in the infield.

  • 7Left fieldPosition 7 · “LF”

    Catches fly balls and fields hits to the left side of the outfield, then throws the ball back in quickly so runners can’t take extra bases.

  • 8Centre fieldPosition 8 · “CF”

    The captain of the outfield. Covers the most ground, so centre fielders are often the fastest players on the team, and they call for any ball they can reach.

  • 9Right fieldPosition 9 · “RF”

    Fields hits to the right side of the outfield. Needs a strong arm for the long throw to third base.

Why the numbers? Scorers write plays with position numbers. A “6–4–3 double play” means the shortstop (6) fielded it, threw to second base (4), who threw on to first (3): two outs.

At the plate

Balls and strikes

The strike zone is an imaginary box over home plate, from the hollow under the batter’s knees up to about halfway between their belt and shoulders.

Every pitch is either a ball or a strike:

  • Strike: the pitch goes through the strike zone and the batter doesn’t swing, or the batter swings and misses, or the batter hits it foul (outside the foul lines).
  • Ball: the pitch misses the strike zone and the batter doesn’t swing.

Three strikes and the batter is out: a strikeout.Four balls and the batter walks to first base. A foul ball can’t be strike three, so with two strikes the batter can keep fouling pitches off.

A batter hit by a pitch also goes to first base.

Reading the count

The scoreboard shows balls, then strikes. A “2–1 count” means two balls and one strike. Batters get more aggressive when they’re ahead in the count, and pitchers when they are.

Running & scoring

Around the bases

Once the ball is hit into fair territory, the batter becomes a runner and heads for first base.

  • Single

    The batter reaches first base safely.

  • Double

    All the way to second base on one hit.

  • Triple

    To third base. Rarer, and usually takes speed.

  • Home run

    Over the fence (or all the way around): the batter and every runner score.

Runners must touch every base in order. Only one runner can be on a base at a time, so when the batter runs to first, a runner already there is forced to move up. Runners can also steal: run to the next base while the pitcher is throwing.

A runner who touches home plate scores a run, as long as it happens before the third out.

Defence

Four ways to get out

  • Strikeout

    Three strikes on the batter.

  • Fly out

    A fielder catches the hit before it touches the ground, even in foul territory.

  • Force out

    The fielder with the ball touches the base a forced runner is heading to, before they get there. Most ground balls end with a throw to first.

  • Tag out

    A fielder touches a runner with the ball while the runner is off a base.

Glossary

Baseball words you’ll hear

Sit in the stands at CB Wilson Reserve and you’ll hear these within an inning.

Inning
One turn at batting for each team. The visitors bat in the “top” of the inning, the home team in the “bottom”. A full game is nine innings, but local games are often shorter: fewer innings or a time limit, depending on the grade.
Count
Balls and strikes for the current batter, always said balls first. “Three and two” (3–2) is a “full count”: one more ball is a walk, one more strike is a strikeout.
Strikeout (K)
Three strikes and the batter is out. Scorers write a K; a backwards K means the batter didn’t swing at strike three.
Walk
Four balls, and the batter goes to first base without hitting the ball.
RBI
“Run batted in”: a run that scores because of what the batter did, such as a hit.
Force out
When a runner has to move up because the batter is running to first, a fielder only needs to touch the next base with the ball before the runner gets there.
Tag out
When a runner isn’t forced, a fielder has to touch the runner with the ball (or the glove holding it) while they’re off a base.
Tag up
On a ball caught in the air, runners must touch their base after the catch before they try to advance. That’s how a sacrifice fly scores a run.
Double play
Two outs from one play, usually a ground ball turned into outs at second and first.
Bullpen and dugout
The dugout is the team’s bench beside the field. The bullpen is where pitchers warm up before coming into the game.
Full count, bases loaded, two out
The most exciting moment in baseball: runners on every base, three balls, two strikes and two outs. Everything happens on the next pitch.

Juniors play modified rules

Junior games are shorter and adapted to each age group, so younger players get plenty of turns and touches of the ball. Coaches explain the rules for each team. See Juniors and New to baseball? for more.

Ready for the real thing?

Come down to training and have a go. No experience needed, and we’ll lend you a glove.

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