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You mentioned the guy receiving the ball. I just wanted to say that the catchers, as they're called, tend to be the brains on the field. They help guide the pitchers in choosing what to throw and use hand signals to position the fielders. A lot of catchers go on to become managers after their playing days are over.

The Star player can literally be anyone on the field that’s one of the cool things about baseball

"Baseball Rules Explained by a Pro Player" by Dan Blewett. It's 23 mins long but he's good at explaining the routine play.

I suppose the video you reacted to is meant to be as short as possible, but I'm surprised it doesn't at least briefly mention ball/strikes, the ways that outs are recorded, or the basic rules of running the bases. Those are the other real foundational things that make watching a game or highlights make a lot more sense (to beginners)

You guys should watch "How to identify baseball pitches" by Sports Explained. It gives a great run down on all the different types of pitches pitchers throw to try and get batters out. Plus it shows the insane movement that pitchers can put on the baseball

It's counterintuitive, but the most exciting game you can watch is what's called a "no-hitter", in which one team's pitcher keeps the opposing team from successfully hitting. You would think it's quite boring but actually the game gets more and more tense as the innings go by, because what's at stake at that point is the no-hitter itself, so each pitch to each batter can end the no-hitter status. Every pitch to every player at every at-bat for the opposing team can potentially break that no-hit streak.

Regarding extra innings: In theory there's no limit. There was a game that went 22 innings in 2008; eight games have gone even longer than that (though none since 1984). But in practice anything beyond 11 or 12 is quite rare. Video review does exist but it's not automatic like in soccer; a manager has to specifically request a review in most circumstances. If a team makes an unsuccessful challenge, they cannot request any further reviews. The video left out some of the basics of how a player gets out or gets on base. I'll try to fill that in: - On a fair ball not caught, the batter must attempt to advance at least to first base. Other runners on base may be forced to advance to make room, since two runners cannot share a base. A runner who is forced to advance (including the batter) may be put out by a fielder holding the ball and touching the base the runner is advancing to (a "force out"). A runner who is not forced, or who is attempting to advance beyond their forced base, may only be put out by a fielder tagging them with the ball (or glove holding the ball) directly (a "tag out"). - Getting an out does not necessarily end the play; if there were runners on base, multiple outs can be made. "Double plays" are fairly common, mostly on ground balls up the middle with a runner on first (that runner is forced out at second base, then the ball is thrown to first to get a force out on the batter); triple plays are much rarer. - On a ball that is caught, whether in fair or foul territory, the batter is out (depending on the trajectory of the ball, you might hear "fly out", "pop out", "line out", or "foul out" for this, but they all mean a catch). All runners must return to their original base and may be put out in the same manner as a force out at that base if they do not get back first. After doing so, those runners may then attempt to advance. There is one small exception: a "foul tip" that is barely hit and goes directly to the catcher (the sort of thing that would be a typical "caught behind" in cricket) is treated the same as a swing and miss. - If a batter does not hit the ball on a given pitch, it is either a "ball" (roughly the equivalent of a wide in cricket, but it cannot be called if the batter swings at the pitch) or a "strike". A batter who gets three strikes is out (a "strikeout"). A batter who gets four balls gets a "walk" and goes to first base for free; other runners also advance if forced. A batter who is hit by a pitch also goes to first base automatically. - On a foul ball that is not caught, the ball is dead and no runner may advance. This counts as a strike against the batter, except that it cannot be the third strike; if there are already two strikes, the "count" of balls and strikes remains unchanged. - A fair ball that goes over the fence on the fly is a "home run"; the batter and all runners are entitled to go around the bases all the way and score. A fair ball that bounces over the fence is a "ground rule double"; the batter and all runners are entitled to advance two bases. - "Stealing bases" by running during a pitch, or if the pitch gets away from the catcher, is allowed any time the ball is live. Of course, the fielders can try to tag you out if you do.

I played baseball all through High School and grew up knowing the rules and strategies. Never realized how difficult it would be to learn for scratch lol. Good job making an effort learning!

I played baseball ages 4-18 but I stopped once I graduated from high school. I’m now 25 and when I try to play again, even I forget the some of the rules sometimes to be honest lol but it’s certainly a game that is a bit harder to appreciate and understand if you didn’t spend at least a few years playing. This video gives a good basic explanation of the game, but I could go on for hours further explaining the game in ways the video didn’t. I would say watching baseball is the most fun during the playoffs, especially during the World Series. The atmosphere is incredible. During the regular season (which is veeery long at 162 games) I enjoy going to a few games in person as a nice, relaxing experience but I certainly don’t watch most of my favorite team’s games. Even if, as Brits, you never fully embrace baseball, I would say it’s worth going to at least a few baseball games to see some of the best stadiums such as Wrigley Field (Chicago Cubs) or Fenway Park (Boston Red Sox).

For a couple of fellas with no prior knowledge of the sport, you two guys did a pretty good job picking up on some of the nuances that weren't explained. Cool vid!

Growing up in a tiny town of 300 people, we kids used to play with four or five guys per team. Right field (including the right side of the infield) was out of play. We had only one or two infielders, one or two outfielders, and the fielded ball was thrown to the pitcher to get the batter out before he reached first base. The batting team always provided the catcher. We played baseball nearly every day in the summer months at 10:00 a.m., including days we had evening games on our team. Great days, indeed.

Pitchers usually aren't the star players for one simple reason: they can only pitch roughly once every 5 days due to arm fatigue. So even if they are the best, they still provide less value than a position player of comparable skill. This isn't always the case though, there have been times where a team's star player was one of their starting pitchers. Every team has a rotation of pitchers that they go through each season so that the same guy isn't pitching every day

Fun fact: there was a band from London called The Outfield because they were big baseball fans.

The pitchers aren’t always the star but they do have the most pressure on them. The catcher is also doing a lot more than receiving the throw. They’re also telling the pitcher what to throw and they give instructions to infielders. There’s a lot of communication between the catcher and the pitcher. Together they’re called “the battery.”

Baseball is one those rabbit hole sports: Balks, run downs, when you have to tag and when you don't, inside the park HR, ground ruled double, etc. And there's the unwritten ones. 😄

Couple notes: 1) Games can theoretically go on forever. By innings, the longest in MLB is 26 innings and that was in 1920. In the modern era, they had a game 25 innings in 1984. There have been some rules introduced in recent years (I won't mention right now) that reduce the chances of long games like that happening anymore. 2) Pitchers ARE star players similar to the Quarterback in football, but players that are good hitters are also stars. There is no salary cap in baseball so lots of players get paid lots of money.

I should add, I’ve only been to one MLB game, and I took my British boss to it. I used to work for a U.K.-based company, and my boss was in Northampton. We’d meet on a US trip once a year or so, and he loved any kind of sports. That was fun, we caught an MLB game and also an NBA basketball game on those trips.

A pitch clock was just added to baseball this year to move the game along. They're working out the kinks in spring training. But it has cut the game times from over three hours down to two hours and forty minutes.

The team is split into two cultures who don't always mingle: the pitchers (often tall lanky or possibly unathletic) and the position players (varying speed and strength who bat and play the field). A great team will often have 2-3 very high paid starting pitchers (upwards of $30M+ a year) in their rotation of 5 cycling every 5 games who pitch as long as they can pitch well to start the game and a bullpen of maybe a dozen relief specialists who will often pitch every day in specific late innings 6th, 7th, 8th (setup man), 9th (closer)... the latter who makes the most of the relievers for his rare moxy to be able to finish games with confidence ($10-15M a year)... Some pitchers only have 2 pitches in their arsenal that change speeds, while others have 5 or 6 that spin all sorts of directions... The batting group is as mixed as possible: stereotypically catchers are thick, stocky, and the toughest guy on the team, shortstops often the smallest quickest fielder, first basemen the tall lumbering sluggers who don't need to move much, outfielders usually need great range and/or a strong arm but as with ALL the position players, excellent hitting can excuse poor defensive ability or vice versa for a spot on the team. A true 5-tool superstar (power, batting average, running, fielding, throwing) can earn the most in the game currently upwards of $40M+ per season. A single superstar has no shot of leading a poor team on his own as he might in other sports, but 3-5 awesome pitchers and 3-4 great hitters have a shot.

There's a relatively new rule in MLB regarding extra inning games. Now, both teams begin each extra inning with a runner already on 2nd base, in order to increase the chances of scoring. In fact this coming season (2023) that rule has officially become permanent.

ESPN Did a study on every Sport, and in that study they say that nothing is harder in sports than hitting a major league pitching. Good Starting pitching is key to being a solid club. Remember in baseball if you can hit 1/4 at bats you are Pro Level. If you hit 1/3 you are a hall of famer. So top end pitchers are essential for a club. Downside is that you generally will only make about 100 pitches a game as a starter then relief pitchers will come in. Then you won't pitch for another 3 to 5 Games as a starter.

Love that they showed Nick Punto when they talked about the dugout being where “bench players also sit during the game” 🤣🤣

There was a 33 inning minor league game that happened in 1981. The longest MLB game was played in 1920-it lasted 26 innings and was called due to darkness. (Stadiums didn’t have lights for night games at that time)

The longest game by innings in Major League Baseball was a 1-1 tie in the National League between the Boston Braves and the Brooklyn Robins in 26 innings, at Braves Field in Boston on May 1, 1920. It had become too dark to see the ball (fields did not have lights yet and the sun was setting), and the game was considered a draw. Played rapidly by modern standards, those 26 innings were completed in 3 hours and 50 minutes. As was the custom, the first pitch was thrown at 3:00 p.m.; home plate umpire Barry McCormick called the game as lights began appearing in the windows of buildings across the Charles River, just before 7:00 p.m.

I've been playing and watching baseball for 60 years, and I still learn something new every game

As you can imagine, the fastest runners usually play the outfield. Infielders have an important job to which is to keep the runners from scoring. You are correct that the Pitcher is a very important part of the team. There are several Pitchers such that each one plays only once a week. Games are played about 5-6 days of the week during the season. A professional Pitcher should have 3 different pitches that they have mastered. Such as Fast Ball, Curve Ball, and Slider which are the most common types of pitches used. There is also Knuckle Ball, and Change Up and a few others.

I can’t wait for the baseball season to start because you know the summer is around the corner!! Listening to the game while getting a tan at the Jersey Shore… 🥰 I watched a little of your Super Bowl Watch the next day but I was still hungover & too depressed watching my Eagles fall short!! But we’re used that in Philly with all of our sports teams! Hopefully the Sixers can get us over the Championship hurdle (Phillies, Eagles & major league soccer team Union all got to & lost their championship) You guys will really enjoy watching “Baseball Doesn’t Exist” and “Jomboy”!

Respect to you Brits for giving baseball a chance. Most folks here say it’s boring but it’s actually so interesting and fun if you know the sport

5:08 Wow is right. There are compilation videos here of amazing throw outs. There are legendary outfielders that have cannons for throwing arms. Sort of the equivalent of long pass plays in football.

The HARDEST and most intricate, multi-skilled position on the team is the Catcher. He has to catch those screaming, curving, dropping balls from the pitcher, plus he's the only one facing the diamond & the field, so he must ensure the infield & outfield players are positioned correctly, having knowledge of the batters AND has to be able to jump up out of his squat and throw a rocket all the way to 2nd base in case a runner tries to steal.

I witnessed a 0-0 9 inning professional game at Koshien Stadium near Osaka Japan in 1992. MLB all stars vs Japan All stars. Roger Clemens started. The game ended on a double play fly out to left when Craig Biggio threw the runner out at home on a sac fly attempt. The game ended with no extra innings as it was an exhibition game.

Did I miss something here? They did not explain other ways of getting on base besides getting a hit. You can get on base thru a walk, that is a pitcher has thrown four balls out of the strike zone or by being hit by a pitch. (You can also get on base by error when in the official scorekeeper's opinion, the fielder has misplayed the ball.) You have three strikes to hit a ball, but if you hit a foul ball after getting your second strike, you're not out. That is why there can be 10 and 12 pitch at bats, because the batter keeps fouling off the ball. When you're on base many times you are unsure if the batted ball is going to fall for a hit, so you wait. If the ball is caught you must "tag up" that is retreat to the base, touch it and then advance.

Just found this channel. Good stuff guys. Baseballs my first love. Looking forward to your journey

There are some pretty obscure rules that do occur such as when a hitter hits a balls and it hits the fair/foul pole that it is a home run. There is also the infield fly rule(which most casual fans have no understanding of,) the balk rule, and interference rules. Then you have the fair/foul thing where the ball has to land fair past 1st or 3rd base and then can go into foul territory is still a fair ball. Then you have it where it can be foul on the infield and roll back fair and then it's a fair ball. I had one of my teammates on my All-Star team hit a ball and it landed on home plate. He thought it was foul and picked it up to hand it to the catcher and got called out as it was a fair ball. I played for 8 years, watched for 30+ years, and managed this past year. So many rules that take so long to learn.

Good video. Too short, because I love the rules of the games and there is so much more to learn.

Once you guys get up to speed on the rules, I strongly recommend watching Gibson vs. Eckersley Game 1 of the 1988 World Series. One of the greatest moments in any American sport.

I don't know if you have or not, but you should DEFINITELY check out some MLB bloopers. Anyone who knows will agree with me, but watching a ball bounce off of Jose Canseco's head for a home run is STILL one of the funniest things ever even 30 years later!

I once went to a baseball game that lasted 18 innings I got there at 10 in the morning and left at 830 at night it was a fun experience, but I wasn't that disappointed when my team lost.

To answer the guys question: longest game was like 34 innings. It took three days, and happened to be non-sequential. They played the first day, then the day after, then went away due to schedule and resumed the game about two months later.

I was went to a 19 inning game, which is more than 2 consecutive games in one. It started at 7:10 pm and it ended at 2:00am. They had to play another game the next day at 1pm. That means on the field stretching warming up in 9 hours after the game. This is why they get paid so much, when they play 162 games a season

Good day. I’d say a good next step would be checking out some of the tactical base running breakdowns. Once a runner reaches base they are not stuck there until the next play. They can steal any base of their choosing as long as they make it without being tagged for an out. Most commonly fast runners on first base will steal second. More uncommonly a really fast runner may steal third. And some mad lads will try the “suicide squeeze” to steal home plate. Although extremely rare it has been done.

Number one on the list is a 1920 matchup between the Boston Braves and the Brooklyn Robins. The longest game in MLB history was a 26 inning marathon between the Brooklyn Robins and Boston Braves in 1920.

A quick note, anyone who fields also bats. Like Basketball, the offense also plays defense, and the defense plays offense. There IS a position called "designated hitter" but there is only one per lineup, and they bat in place of the pitcher, as such it is only relevant when batting obviously. So catchers, infielders, outfielders, all gotta bat. Pitchers also do have to bat at times in specific lineup circumstances etc, but for the most part they don't. Everyone else does though.

The longest game so far has been 26 innings which took 8 hours and six minutes to play. That was back in 1920. In baseball, there is not really a 'star' player. All players are important due to their responsibility of stopping the baseball and getting outs. That was a VERY brief dose of rules. There is a book of rules that's available, if you're interested.

We have a lot of sayings from baseball, "Bottom of the 9th" meaning last minute "Thrown a Curveball" meaning unexpected

With regards to your question about how long a game can go, this year during the playoffs Seattle and Houston played 17 innings before either team scored (ending after the 18th) and during the 6 hours and 22 minutes the commentators had time to speculate on the rules. If a game reaches a certain point in the night it will be rescheduled to be concluded later if necessary, as far as I know though this has not ever happened since that rule was implemented. (If necessary because a team could be eliminated in the playoffs before the rescheduled game is concluded)

I’m really glad I found you guys. Honestly, that video had a lot of very very toddler, basic correct information but it also had a lot of misleading stuff. Baseball is intricate, but once you get it, everything makes sense. Keep with it, I love y’all’s videos.

Looking forward to watching you guys learn the beautiful game of baseball. Keep them coming!

Pitchers do have a big impact in the games they play, as they alone control almost half of the run-scoring/allowing, but the problem is that its so physically demanding that they need multiple days off to fully recover. Its for that reason that there's usually 5 or so "starting pitchers" who take turns starting games while the others recover. Any outs that the starting pitcher can't get are covered by the "relief pitchers" who similarly rotate in and out based off of health, though they'll often pitch more games/more closely based off the fact they throw less pitches on average per appearance.

The Hardest position to play in All Sports is Quarterback in the NFL, But the hardest thing to do in All Sports is hit a Major League Baseball, when the ball is coming at about 100 mph and changing directions the whole time it leaves the Pitchers hand until it get to the batter ( about 1/2 second) Then the Pitchers change speed of their Pitches so you are looking for a 100 mph Fastball, and a change up comes in at 88 mph, or a slider at 90 mph.

Baseball is such a cultural foundation in the US it is interesting to see it through someone unfamiliar with it. Despite its evolution over the years it remains much the same game throughout. 90’ between bases is still the ideal distance. As runners get faster infielder’s arms get stronger and runners are most often out on close plays. As pitch speeds increase, batters reactions follow. It’s a sport of failure - you can fail as a hitter 7 times out of 10 and be a superstar. It reflects the season in which it is played. It’s a slow, pastoral game with no clock. Soccer may be the beautiful game but baseball is the perfect game.

I think you should look at a video showing the difference between "force outs", "tag outs", "fly outs", and "strike outs" (basically the different ways the defensive players can get offensive players out). Also you can get multiple runners out in one play. If you get 2 runners out, is called a double play. On the rare occasions that all three outs are achieved in one play, it is a triple play.

Pitchers are not the "stars," usually. Pitching 80+ pitches in a game really wears out your arm, but baseball games are played 6 times a week on average during the season. So a team usually rotates between 5 starting pitchers to give their arms time to recover. Starting pitchers also don't finish the game very often, and are usually substituted before the game is over by a "relief pitcher." Teams have multiple relief pitchers on the roster so they'll always have someone available with a fresh arm. Teams might have an "ace" pitcher who is pretty popular with fans, and draw a bigger crowd when its their turn in the rotation, but generally people connect more with batters who play every game.

Regarding pitchers, one thing that wasn't covered that is interesting is the starting rotation and relief pitchers. Basically, baseball teams play almost every day. But pitching is too tiring for one pitcher to handle it. In fact, typically about half of the members of a baseball team are pitchers.

The longest game inning-wise in MLB history went 26 innings. It happened in 1920 at the end of what is known as The Dead Ball Era. The balls were not as lively back then which meant that the game was played in a different way. Power hitters like today did not exist back then. The game was played one base at a time with stealing, bunting, and hit and run tactics. Pitchers can be star players, but starting pitchers only play every 5th day. There are two types of pitchers: starting pitchers and relief pitchers. Modern baseball teams have a 5-man starting rotation and in a typical season, barring injuries, a starting pitcher will start anywhere between 28-33 games. The 5-man rotation usually means every 5 days, not every 5th game. Teams usually play a 3 or 4 game series against an opponent, take a day off for travel, and the play a series against the next opponent. A pitcher who is scheduled to pitch on a travel day may or may not pitch the next game, depending on the team manager's preference. Relief pitchers enter the game for a wide variety of reasons. In the modern game it is very rare for a starting pitcher to pitch for the entire game. Relief pitchers have become specialists. There are long relievers, short relievers, and closers whose specialty is to shut down the opponent in their last at-bat. The highest paid players are normally the every day players and they can be varied in the positions they play. The great thing about baseball is that you do not need to be a behemoth to be a star player.

When the nine players are at bat, they bat in a predetermined rotation (determined by the team's manager before the game) called the batting order or the line-up. If the batters don't all have an "at bat" during an inning, they start with the next batter in the line-up in the next inning. Often, the best hitter on the team is placed fourth in the batting order. He is said to be batting "clean-up", because if the first three batters have gotten on base, the fourth batter has a chance to "clean up" by hitting a "grand slam" home run, letting all four runners score and clearing the bases.

Love that you guys are doing baseball! I’m repeating myself, but “Ninh explains the Unwritten Rules of Baseball” is a must, and “MLB’s Quick Question, Different Pitch Types”. “MLB Mic’d up Fights” is hilarious, but you should watch these the unwritten rules video for some frame of reference first. Honestly, manager’s fighting with the umpires is one of the funniest thing in all sports!

You keep playing extra innings until one team comes out ahead after the full inning is over. In the earlier years the game could be called over by the umpires for various reasons. The longest game (by innings) in MLB history was Brooklyn vs Boston on May 1 1920 which ran 26 innings before the umpire called the game on account of darkness. The next longest was 25 innings (8 hours and 6 minutes of game time), Chicago vs Milwaukee on May 8th and 9th 1984, Play was suspended after 17 innings at 1 am, and the game resumed the next day and Chicago won with a home run in the bottom of the 25th inning.

As in most sports, baseball has a lot of nuances. Since there's no game clock the pace of play is more "laid back" than most other sports, which some people consider boring. One of the key aspects that I like is the duel between pitcher and batter, which can be likened to a mini Chess match. How the "count" on the batter (i.e. number of "strikes" and "balls" at any time) often dictates an advantage to either the pitcher or the batter. The ability of either player to use that advantage during the at-bat is a demonstration to the fan of that player's level of skill. Having played baseball through high school, I consider the ability to consistently reach base in baseball as the most difficult skill in sports.

Good intro that is clear. An excellent starting pitcher can command a high salary as he can keep the score down and pitch many innings in a single game. Big hitters who produce a lot of runs or guys who hit with high averages are also highly paid.

On the football one i told you about my brother... now I KNOW BASEBALL. I was a baseball player🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣the thing i think most find difficult about baseball is the time. Many people(if you don't live it and love it) get bored and say it doesn't make sense. My wife (21 years) actually lured me in with Mariners season tickets (my late father in law was a huge baseball fan) and I fell in Love because we were at a Mariners game every weekend on the firstbase line!!!!!!!!🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

The majority of strategy in baseball are in choosing the correct pitcher, pitch, hitter, and fielder in any given situation at any given time. It’s a game of matchups and mismatches. this is shown in things like the batting order, where the guys at the top of the lineup typically have higher on base percentages then the rest of the team, the stronger hitters in the middle of the lineup to knock in guys on base, and the worse hitters behind them to round out the order. When you’re selecting a pitcher to start a game or be a reliever, you look at teams opposing batting orders and who that pitcher will face again, and see if they matchup well against that team (pitchers match up well against batters that are the same handedness as them, since batters almost always are worse against pitchers who pitch the same side as them, so like a righty pitcher does better against a righty batter, and lefty pitcher does better against a lefty batter, while batters do better against opposing hand pitchers). The art of different pitches also plays a huge part of this, and there are plenty of incredible videos of some of the nastiest pitches and pitchers in baseball. Me personally, I’m very in depth with baseball statistics, advanced stats, and sabermetrics, which is the new age of statistical analysis in baseball and how a player’s percentages in certain categories can determine their future performance, and reveal if they are lucky or unlucky. However that world is very complicated and complex, and you certainly need to be fairly familiar with baseball in general and much more basic stats that you’d find on things like espn or baseball reference. It’s a great game that’s both incredibly simple once you get the hang of it, and infinitely complex when you dive into its strategies and numbers. Hope y’all continue learning about it, Go ‘Stros!!

A bit about positioning in baseball. You have probably 10 pitchers on your roster so you’ll use different combinations depending on the team. A catcher will always be right handed throwing. The only reason I can think for this is that if you can throw hard left handed, they try to get you to pitch as a kid. 1st base is often but not always left handed. The direction he will be generally catching or throwing makes lefties better off slightly. 1st and 3rd can be big and slow guys. Usually second and shortstop are smaller and faster. Shortstop is captain of the infield and generally will call surrounding players off to catch a pop up. Outfield is same with center field. He is generally the faster one covering more ground and has the right to call off the other fielder. This will let the other outfielder know to back up the play in case the ball gets past him if he dives for a catch. As of now , pitchers no longer bat. Catchers are more often better at defense than hitting. All of this is unique to each individual player though. Not a requirement, just what you’d expect to see

I've often explained cricket as "like baseball, except when you hit the ball you only have to run if you think you can make it."

There is VAR in baseball but relatively new. Baseball is known for relying on statistics but holding onto tradition . That being said there has been a number of important changes that have been made in the past couple of years including some for the upcoming season.

Putting Nick Punto on screen when they are talking about "reserve players" has me rolling on the ground.

I think you guys have done a great job learning the game. Go ahead and watch a game, the commentary from the play by play guys in the will fill you in on anything you don't understand as well as give you insight into the thinking and strategy. You are ready boys, PLAY BALL!

I always hated extra innings games when I was in the ballpark, because the concession stands stopped selling beer during the 7th.

In the MLB, you have starting pitchers and relief pitchers that come in as replacements. Even the best starting pitcher is on a rotation with 4 other starters. So while a great starting pitcher can be the star player on a team, they can only effectively help in 1/5 of the 162 games. In playoffs/World Series, some teams will drop to a 4 pitcher rotation to try to allow their star pitcher to start 3 of the 7 (potential) games.

Some pitchers get loads of money, but more than a few fielders get huge paydays because of what they do while they are hitting.

Now you two explain cricket to me because everytime I try to watch and understand I turn into some sort of London cockney type geezer with my eyes dartin about like a shrew

Something else to keep in mind, if you watch a “best moments” video, is that if the home team goes to bat in the 9th inning (or later) and they’re tied or losing, if the home team takes the lead, they automatically win. It’s called a walk-off. Walk-off Home Runs are some of the most exciting plays in all sports, in my opinion.

longest game in MLB was 26 innings. it never did end cuz the stadium had no lights and it got to dark to play. this happen in 1920.

for such a simple game it can sure gets complicated, sort of like life! I just found you guys and subscribed right off...thanks for being interested, is quite the rabbit hole but Such fun!

A lot of intricacies and subtleties to baseball. I barely understand it and it’s the one sport I actually played in an organized league as a kid. One curious thing is they play SO MANY games - 162 in the 6-month regular season. So they play practically every day, and you have lots of games played in the middle of weekday afternoons with low attendance because everyone’s at work. One effect of this that you have a lot of pitchers. Pitching is traumatic on the arm and shoulders, so starters need nearly a week of rest between games. And so you don’t have ONE main pitcher the way a football team has only one starting quarterback, you have 5 starting pitchers who rotate through the week. And then another 9 or so “relief pitchers” who take over in later innings. It’s uncommon for the starting pitcher to stay in and pitch a “complete game” - usually by inning 5 or 6 they’ve thrown too many balls and are tired or getting sloppy. Managing pitching is like rocket science, must be some good videos about that.

5:41 "Is it the pitcher that's the star player?" Sometimes. But sometimes it's a position player like a shortstop who fields very well, or a player who hits very well. Teams often build their roster around certain attributes. The New York Mets have always stressed pitching. The New York Yankees prefer hitters. Teams build their home ballfields to take advantage of this, too. Yankee Stadium has a relatively short distance to the right field wall because 100 years ago, they had Babe Ruth, a left-handed home run hitter. The outfield dimensions of every ball field are different, and teams take advantage of the fact that there's no rules concerning it.

To get started with baseball players, I'll toss out the pitcher Bob Gibson. He was so good that he caused a rule change regarding the height of the pitching mound.

It’s one of those games that as you watch it you’ll pick up what’s going on. More baseball guys there are some videos about the different pitches and strategies used

FYI: That video is incorrect in the definition of "the diamond." The Diamond is just the infield -- the three bases (1st, 2nd, 3rd) and home plate. It does NOT include the outfield as that announcer suggested. And if you're curious, the bases are made of a kind of padded, soft rubber on the outside and sit a few inches (3"-5") above the ground, but are driven and anchored into the dirt to keep them from moving around. Home plate, on the other hand, is an actual rubber plate that is basically level with the ground (but also driven into the dirt so it doesn't move). You can actually slide across home plate, whereas with the bases, you slide "into" them and basically stop, or use the base to prop yourself back up. Also, bases are square, and home plate has five sides, but is shaped like an irregular pentagon.

Usually a baseball game gets advertised as a battle of one pitcher versus the other...Each team has 5 starters and 5 or 6 relief pitchers. A number 1 starter is commonly called the team's 'ace'...a number 5 starter may well be a rookie who has shown promise and has earned a spot on the team's roster...but hasn't got the credentials of a number 1 or 2 starter. He's trying to work his way up the rotation ladder by keeping his ERA low, (Earned Run Average)..Number 1 starters (very low ERA's) are the high dollar pitchers...But star players aren't always pitchers..so don't be surprised when you see a game being advertised as a battle between home run leaders...like Judge vs. Ohani as an example..

As an American casual baseball fan that was a lot of fun to watch. GB is in the World Baseball Classic this year. It'd be fun to see you watch that. Cheers!

6:00 The pitcher has the ability to just dominate games, much in the same way the a NFL QB can just control and dominate a game, his hands are on the ball every single play. The difference is the pitchers usually only play every 4th or 5th day due to the strain of throwing 100+ mph, or if they pitch 4 or 5 days a week, they will do so for only 1 or 2 innings. (A Major League Baseball season is a marathon...162 games+ playoffs in just over 6 months). The other 8 players while having less of an ability to "control" the game, will have more chances to have an impact. They will play in most of the games, and will make the most impact while batting. edit: This playing time dynamic makes big star players a evenly mixed between Pitchers and Hitters.

You should definitely do a video explaining and showing the different kinds of pitches A video on double or triple plays would be fun too

You asked if it could keep going. The longest MLB game was 26 innings. To answer your question about pitchers, It's more balanced than football. They're definitely the chief person on defense. However, they don't usually bat, so aren't on offense. Further, the same person doesn't pitch every day, usually pitching once every 5-6 days and still doesn't pitch the whole game (usually). Excellent fielders (which usually play daily) that are also very good offensive batters are just as well paid if not more than the pitchers.

MLB recently added a "ghost runner" rule that's controversial but undeniably has sped up the game. If a game goes into extra innings due to a tie, from the 10th inning forward the batting team starts with a runner on second base at the start of their half of the inning. Having a runner for free on second dramatically increases the chance of a team to score a run and that means you're much more likely to end the game sooner. There is a replay review permitted, yes. It isn't for every call (example: balls and strike calls are final.) Each team gets one challenge per game. If they challenge a play and the umpires rule in their favor, they retain their challenge and can use it again. Additional challenges are awarded to each time if the game goes into extra innings.

Also hitting a baseball is probably the hardest skill in sports to master. Look it up. Balls come at 90 to 100 miles an hour, with movement. Pitchers also change speeds to throw off a batters timing

Pitchers are probably the most important player in an individual game, but a team has multiple starting pitchers so each one only plays about 20% of games each season. Historically the league’s best hitters are the most high profile players. A really good pitcher is can still be the highest paid player it just depends year to year.

Star players can be any player on the field in baseball. Pitchers aren't usually the highest paid players, because they typically only play once every 5 games and need the interim time to rest their arm. There are a select few pitchers at any given time that are the elite that are so good or on such a great streak at that time that they can almost take over a game and single handedly negate the other teams offense. You should check out Secret Base's 2014 Deep Rewind video on Madison Bumgarner's playoff run leading up to the final game of the World Series. The MLB Playoffs at that time could last for up to 20 games for a single team from start to finish. That year Bumgarner's team, the San Francisco Giants, played 17 games in the playoffs and he pitched in 7 of those games, which is asking a lot of a pitcher. In that 7 game streak he completely dominated the 4 different teams he faced and carried his team, while allowing only one run scored in 21 innings in the World Series.

About VAR on close plays: MLB has indeed added replay review in recent years, just like soccer

I picked up Cricket from a Sri Lankan friend... i explain it this way. Cricket has a lot of bowlers and few strikers. Baseball has few bowlers and many strikers. A player who stays in the whole game will typically bat 3 times. No partnerships because its one at a time, and the previous striker is either on base making their way around toward home plate, or there was a wicket (out). 3 wickets (outs) and then the other team bats for 3 outs. It can go quickly or quite a while. Thats one inning. Mlb is 9 innings unless it's a tie, then they play more innings until they end an inning with one team ahead. Pitchers and catchers are super important skill positions, but the best overall athlete is usually the shortstop. Good batters are obviously highly paid as well.

This demonstrates just how complicated baseball rules are! I am sure it is the hardest of team sports to learn…or am I wrong? Having grown up with baseball I realize how hard and long it takes to explain…and this only covers the MAJOR LEAGUE VERSION… there are slightly amended rules in some recreational baseball leagues but basically they are the same…

So, when it comes to a star player, that entirely depends on a players skill at their respective position. The best pitcher is called the Ace, however they may not be the best or star player for a team. A team can have a star 1st baseman, or a star catcher. And their abilities determine their spot on the hitting lineup or in the field. But a good team will have a star pitcher or Ace that holds down the pitching rotation and gives his team a better chance at winning than the other pitchers while star fielders or hitters will be put in positions or the lineup that maximizes their abilities to benefit the team. So a quick guy might be put in the 1st spot in the lineup and then the guy who hits the best is put behind him, then the guy with the most power is put behind him, and then the guy who is tough to get out is put behind him, so a team uses their players abilities to challenge their defense.

The great part of baseball is you can literally watch it 40 yrs and see something you've never seen in the game on any given night. So don't overwhelm yourselves, it's a lot. 😊

Pitchers are definitely like the QB in football...it's a 162 game season, but a 7 game playoff series...if you have 1 or dominate pitchers it can completely determine the winner of a playoff series. They're called "aces"

pitchers often get paid significantly less because of how hard they throw. Because they all throw 90-100 mph, they only throw once every 5 days, or if they're not a starter, then 3/5 days. They also are prone to injuries which require long rehab times. Their careers also can be a lot shorter than field players because of the risk of injury and because age affects them more than other players. While star fielders can get 300 million dollar contracts, star pitchers get 100 million dollar contracts. Star fielders get 7-10 years, at most 15. Star pitchers get 3-6, at most 8.

Twenty-six innings is the longest major league game. Happened back in 1920.

Just in time for when Great Britain plays in the World Baseball Classic in March.

Favorite sport by far and it’s not even close.

You two should check out a video of some of the craziest pitches or pitchers in MLB history.