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In the Name of Baseball

I think I throw the ball as hard as anyone. The ball just doesn’t get there as fast. — Eddie Bane There have been only two authentic geniuses in the world: Willie Mays and Willie Shakespeare. — Tallulah Bankhead Ninety percent of this game is half mental. — Yogi Berra I watch a lot of baseball on radio. — Gerald Ford

Bob Gibson is the luckiest pitcher I ever saw. He always pitches when the other team doesn’t score any runs. — Tim McCarver Trying to sneak a pitch past Hank Aaron is like trying to sneak the sunrise past a rooster. — Joe Adcock

I never took the game home with me. I always left it in some bar. — Bob Lemon After Jackie Robinson, the most important black in baseball history is Reggie Jackson. — Reggie Jackson All I remember about my wedding day in 1967 is that the Cubs lost a doubleheader. — George F. Will Us ballplayers do things backward. First, we play, then we retire and go to work. — Charlie Gehringer There are two theories on hitting the knuckleball. Unfortunately, neither one of them works. — Charlie Lau

I’d be willing to bet you, if I was a betting man, that I have never bet on baseball. — Pete Rose The baseball mania has run its course. It has no future as a professional endeavor. — Cincinnati Gazette editorial, 1879

You gotta be kidding

A baseball scout found a remarkable prospect – a horse who was a good fielder and who hit the ball every time he was up at bat. The scout got him a try-out with a big league team. Up at bat, the horse slammed the ball into deep left field and stood at the plate, watching it go. “Run!” the manager screamed. “Run!” “Are you kidding?” answered the horse. “If I could run, I’d be in the Kentucky Derby.”

Baseball Rules Trivia

1. Where on a batter’s body is the bottom of the strike zone? a. Just above the knee b. Mid-thigh c. Mid-shin d. Beneath the kneecap

2. What is the call when two runners end up on the same base? a. The lead runner must try to advance to the next base. b. The play is dead and the trailing run is permitted to return to the previous base. c. The lead runner is entitled to the base; the trailing runner must try to go back to the previous base. d. Both are automatically out.

3. True or false: A batter who is hit by a pitch without making an effort to get out of the way will not be awarded first base. a. True b. False

4. True or false: If in trying to make a catch in front of the outfield wall, the ball bounces off the fielder’s glove over the wall, it is a home run. a. True b. False 5. There is a runner on first when the batter hits the 7. A team has runners on first and third bases with one out when the batter hits a fly ball near the stands along the third-base line. The third baseman makes a leaping catch and falls into the stands, holding onto the ball. What happens next? a. It is live play, and the runners may proceed. The third baseman can try to throw them out. b. Batter is out, and runners do not advance bases. c. Automatically the runner on third scores, and the runner on first goes to second. d. Ball is considered a foul.

8. With the bases loaded and two outs, the batter hits a grand slam. The runner on first base misses second base as he circles the bases. What happens? a. The hitting team scores three runs and the inning is over b. The hitting team is granted 4 runs and the inning continues (because it was a Grand Slam, the player did not have to touch the base). c. The hitting team is awarded two runs (for those that scored before the player did not touch second) and the inning is over. d. The hitting team is not awarded any runs and

the inning is over. ball deep to right field and it is not caught. The ends in a forceout  Answers runner who was on first falls down. May the batter, score when an inning who is now rounding first, assist the runner ahead of D- No runs can 8) yet ruled out him around the bases? one base on the play as long as he did not score yet or was not a. Yes runners are awarded assist another runner b. No ball, he is credited with the catch but all A- A runner can 5) and controls the A4) 6. There is a runner on first and second when the batter bunts the ball 15 feet in carries the ball into dead ball territory A3) the air. Instead of catching the ball, the C- When a fielder 7) C2) pitcher drops it and starts a 1-5-4-3 triple B6) D1) play (if you don’t know what that is, you obviously don’t know much about…  Scorecard soccer). What call should the umpire make? 6-8 correct: You belong behind the plate wearing an umpire’s mask. (Time to start a. Intentional grounding rounding off that belly of yours.) b. Umpire should not make any call 3-5 correct: You are good, but prone to mistakes. You get to wear a mask…but it’s c. Infield fly rule blue on the outside and white on the inside; no umpire’s mask for you just yet. d. Double play 0-2 correct: Let’s try this: how many outs in an inning? Ooh, sorry, there are 6, not 3 (there are three in a half inning), but good try!