Can you smell the fresh cut grass?

Ok, not yet, but it’s coming I promise.  Baseball fever is here - it’s already hit the warmer parts of the country and will official kick off on Sunday, March 31st with a night game between the Rangers vs. Astros.  Then April will bring the real start of spring, when all 30 teams will take the field and start their quest to still be playing in the month of October (playoffs)!

 To start the 2013 season off as a home run – below are five answers to commonly asked questions that will have your friends asking, ”how’d you know that?”

Five commonly asked baseball questions answered:
1.    How long is the baseball season? Baseball has the longest season in terms of number of games played by a single sport; there are 162 games before they even hit playoffs.   
2.    What is the purpose of the 1st & 3rd base coaches? The 1st & 3rd base coaches are on the field to give signals to the player at bat and the runner/s on base.  They are also there to provide guidance on whether a player should continue to run to the next base or stay safely on the base they are at after a ball is hit.
3.    What is stealing a base and why does a player do it? Stealing a base is when a base runner advances to another base while the pitcher is delivering a pitch. Base runners often take chances and steal bases so that they can get in better scoring position.
4.    What is DH and why do some teams have them and others don’t? DH stands for designated hitter, which is a position used in the American League.  It allows for the pitcher to focus on pitching and a different player to be in the batting line-up instead of the pitcher.  The National League does not have the designated hitter except when there is an interleague game. The league of the home field team determines if DH is used or not. So for example, if the Yankees play the Mets at Yankee stadium both teams will have DH’s because the game is being played on an American League field. 
5.    If a ball is caught in foul territory or over the home run fence, is the batter out?  Yes, the batter is out!  As long as the ball is hit in the air and the player on the field catches it, the batter is out.  That is why you see some players running to catch the ball that is in foul territory or even in the stands – because their efforts could result in an out. 

Feel ready for the 2013 season?  Check out the MLB schedule and head to your local stadium for a game or two this season.  Just remember to stay alert and watch out for foul balls, you’ll never know when you’ll have a player in your lap!

If you have any baseball related questions – feel free to ask in my comment section below.