Baseball

Pitchers are sometimes given signals to throw a specific pitch, or even to avoid pitching to the batter at all (e.g. But what some would consider Spielberg's greatest film work was still to come, beginning in the 1980s. a hit and run or sacrifice bunt), and sometimes are explicitly instructed not to swing. An expanded version has been shown on network television and later on Laserdisc and DVD. Hitters are given signals about coordinated plays the manager is calling (e.g. Although the film did make a small profit, it is considered by some to be Spielberg's first flop, although today it is also considered a cult classic. Defensive players are positioned based on statistics about where the batter is likely to hit the ball and what specific type of pitches will be thrown. days after the attack on Pearl Harbor, with the two top stars from Saturday Night Live, Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi, along with other all-stars.

Pitchers will vary their approach with each time they see the same batter. For example, Spielberg's next film was 1941, a big-budgeted World War II comedy farce set in L.A. Pitchers develop strategies on how to pitch to the batter by studying the batter's previous plate appearances throughout the year. The success Spielberg was beginning to enjoy, as well as his eventual tendency to make films with wide mainstream and commercial appeal, also subjected him to disdain in critical circles by film reviewers. Baseball requires skill and athleticism, but also has a depth of strategy and anticipation which often goes unrecognized by those less familiar with the sport. The film remains a cult sci-fi classic among its fans. Baseball history is full of heroes and goats—men who in the heat of the moment distinguished themselves with a timely hit or catch, or an untimely strikeout or error. In 1976, Spielberg was asked by Alexander Salkind to direct Superman, but decided instead to expand on a pet project he had on his mind since his youth: a film about UFOs, which became Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977).

If the batter hits a line drive, the outfielder, as the last line of defense, makes the lone decision to try to catch it or play it on the bounce. Jaws won four Academy Awards (for editing and sound), and grossed over US$100 million at the box office, setting the domestic record for box office gross. While their respective managers and/or coaches can sometimes signal players regarding the strategies the manager wants to employ, no one can help the pitcher while he pitches or the hitter while he bats. Spielberg's debut theatrical feature film, The Sugarland Express (takes place and filmed on location in Sugar Land, Texas and is about a husband and wife attempting to escape the law), won him critical praise and enough studio backing to be chosen as the director of a summer movie that would secure him a place in the history of motion pictures: Jaws, a horror film based on the Peter Benchley novel about encounters with a killer shark. The pitcher must make good pitches or risk losing the game; the hitter has a mere fraction of a second to decide what pitch has been thrown and whether or not to swing at it. This film, about a truck mysteriously terrorizing an average citizen, has become a cult classic, having been released on video several times over the years. Baseball is fundamentally a team sport—even two or three Hall of Fame-caliber players are no guarantee of a pennant—yet it places individual players under great pressure and scrutiny. While working on this segment its star Joan Crawford collared a production executive and said, "Keep an eye on this kid, he's going places." After directing episodes of various TV shows, including some early Columbo TV movies, Spielberg directed his first well-known feature with a 1971 TV "movie-of-the-week" entitled Duel (later released to theatres overseas and eventually in the U.S.).

Although the official rules specify that when the bases are empty, the pitcher should deliver the ball within 20 seconds of receiving it (with the penalty of a ball called if he fails to do so), this rule is rarely, if ever, enforced. He was making amateur 8mm "adventure" movies with his friends as a teenager (scenes from these amateur films have been included on the DVD edition of Saving Private Ryan), and he made his first short film for theatrical release, Amblin', in 1968 at the age of twenty one. (Spielberg's own production company, Amblin Entertainment, was named after this short film.) His maiden directorial work was a segment of the pilot film to Rod Serling's Night Gallery. In response, Major League Baseball has instructed umpires to be more strict in enforcing speed-up rules and the size of the strike zone. Spielberg is known by film historians as one of the famous "movie brats" of the 1970s: along with fellow filmmakers (and personal friends) George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, John Milius, and Brian De Palma, Spielberg grew up making movies. This is due to longer commercial breaks, increased offense, more pitching changes, and a slower pace of play. He is seen as a figure who has the influence, financial resources, and acceptance of Hollywood studio authorities to make any movie he wants to make, be it a mainstream action-adventure movie (Jurassic Park) or a three-hour-long black and white drama about a controversial historical subject (Schindler's List). One hundred years ago, games typically took an hour and a half to play; today, the average major league baseball game is finished in two and a half hours for the National League, and just under three hours for the American League. As of 2004, he has been listed in Premiere and other magazines as the most "powerful" and influential figure in the motion picture industry.

In recent decades, observers have criticized professional baseball for the length of its games, with some justification as the time required to play a baseball game has increased steadily through the years. Spielberg is the most financially successful motion picture director of all time. He has helmed an astounding number of feature films that have become enormous box-office hits, and this has given him enormous influence in Hollywood. In contrast, baseball has no clock; a team cannot win without getting the last batter out, and rallies are not constrained by time. One consistent theme in his work is a childlike, even naïve sense of wonderment and faith, as attested by works like Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T., Hook and A.I.. American football, basketball, ice hockey and soccer all use a clock, and games often end by a team killing the clock rather than competing directly against the opposing team. He is noted in recent years for his willingness to tackle emotionally powerful issues, such as the horrors of the Holocaust in Schindler's List, the inhumanity of slavery in Amistad, and the hardships of war in Saving Private Ryan. Within certain guidelines, the scorer also determines which pitchers are credited with winning and losing the game, and whether a relief pitcher will be awarded a hold or save, specific situations in which a relief pitcher keeps a lead intact for his team. Steven Allan Spielberg (born on December 18, 1946 in Cincinnati, Ohio but raised in the suburbs of Haddonfield, New Jersey and Scottsdale, Arizona), is an American film director whose films range from science fiction to historical drama to horror.

For example, if a batted ball is misplayed by a fielder, the scorer may choose to charge the fielder with an error instead of crediting the batter with a hit. For his work on the Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation since 1994, he was awarded with the Great Cross of Merit with Star, the German version of the Great Officer's Cross, in September 1998 for "a very noticeable contribution to the issue of the Holocaust". The scorer is responsible for a number of judgments that go into the boxscore. According to Daily Variety, the biopic, tentatively titled Celluloid Titans, is being executive produced by Jody Brockway. Another notable role in baseball is that of the official scorer. The results of baseball games are summarized in tables called box scores. The A&E Network is expected to announce that it will produce a two-hour drama about the relationship between filmmakers George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. In the all-star game and playoffs, six umpires are used: one at each base and two in the outfield along either foul line. He first enrolled at Long Beach State in 1965.

In Major League Baseball, four umpires are used for each game, one near each base. in Film Production and Electronic Arts with an option in Film/Video Production from California State University, Long Beach. Additional umpires may be stationed near the bases, thus making it easier to see plays in the field. In 2002 Spielberg was awarded a B.A. At a minimum, one umpire will stand behind the catcher, to have a good view of the strike zone, and call each pitch a ball or a strike. [1] (http://www.metroactive.com/papers/metro/05.29.97/spielberg-9722.html). Any baseball game involves one or more umpires, who make rulings on the outcome of each play. He went to Saratoga High School and quipped that it was the "worst experience" of his life and "hell on Earth".

Baseball is unique in that the manager and coaches all wear numbered uniforms similar to those of the players. Supports the Democratic Party of United States. These coaches must help the players decide whether they should try to run to the next base; also, the coaches will signal plays to the batter and runners. The asteroid 25930 Spielberg is named in his honour. When a team is at-bat, they will position a coach or manager in each coach's box referred to as the first and third base coaches. Spielberg, an Eagle Scout, designed the requirements for the Boy Scout Cinematography merit badge. Managers are also assisted by coaches in helping players to develop their skills. Steven Spielberg won Best Director and Best Picture Oscars that year.

Each team is run by a manager, whose primary responsibility during the game is to assign players to fielding positions, determine the lineup, and decide how to substitute players. Eleven years later, in 1993, Steven Spielberg cast Richard Attenborough as the grandfather in Jurassic Park (his first performance in 13 years) and Ben Kingsley in Schindler's List. A designated hitter does not play in the field on defense and may remain in the game regardless of changes in pitchers. In 1982 Ben Kingsley won Best Actor and Richard Attenborough won Best Director for the film Gandhi, which beat Steven Spielberg's film E.T. for Best Picture. This is not considered a substitution but rather a position, albeit a purely offensive one. Spielberg had a cameo role as the Cook County assessor in the last minutes of the 1980 film The Blues Brothers. Most leagues, notably Major League Baseball's American League, allow a designated hitter, a player whose sole purpose is to hit when it would normally be the pitcher's turn. While the films that Steven Spielberg directed have won numerous awards, no actor or actress has won an Academy Award for a performance for one of his films.

Youth leagues often allow free and open substitution to encourage player participation. The Sugarland Express (1974). Many amateur leagues allow a starting player who was removed to return to the game in the same position in the batting order under a re-entry rule. Jaws (1975). This pinch hitter is typically then replaced by a relief pitcher when the team returns to the field on defense, but more complicated substitutions are possible, most notably the double switch. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977). Because pitching is a specialized skill, most pitchers are relatively poor hitters; it is common to substitute for a pitcher when he is due to bat. 1941 (1979).

During the "stretch," fans often sing the chorus of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game.". The Color Purple (1985). There is a short break between each half-inning during which the new defensive team takes the field and the pitcher warms up. Traditionally, the break between the top half and the bottom half of the seventh inning is known as the seventh-inning stretch. Empire of the Sun (1987). Rarely, a game can also be won or lost by forfeit. Always (1989). Some youth or amateur leagues will end a game early if one team is ahead by ten or more runs, a practice known as the "mercy rule" or "slaughter rule". Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989).

In Japanese baseball, if the score remains tied after nine innings, up to three extra innings may be played before the game is called a tie. Hook (1991). Previously, curfews and the absence of adequate lighting caused more ties and shortened games. Jurassic Park (1993). Inclement weather may also shorten games, but at least five innings must be played for the game to be considered official; four-and-a-half innings are enough if the home team is ahead. Schindler's List (1993) (Academy Award, Best Director, Best Picture). A tie game does not count as an official game in the standings unless it is finished later or replayed; however, individual player statistics from tie games are counted. Amistad (1997).

In Major League Baseball, games end with tie scores only because conditions have made it impossible to continue play. The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997). In Major League Baseball the longest game played was a 26-inning affair between the Brooklyn Robins and Boston Braves on May 1, 1920. The game ended in a 1-1 tie called on account of darkness. Saving Private Ryan (1998) (Academy Award, Best Director). In theory, a baseball game could go on forever; in practice, however, they eventually end. A.I.: Artificial Intelligence (2001). Thus, the home team always has a chance to respond if the visiting team scores in the top half of the inning; this gives the home team a small tactical advantage. Minority Report (2002).

As many innings as necessary are played until one team has the lead at the end of an inning. Catch Me If You Can (2002). If both teams have scored the same number of runs at the end of a regular-length game, a tie is avoided by the addition of extra innings. The Terminal (2004). If the home team is trailing or tied in the last inning and they score to take the lead, the game ends as soon as the winning run touches home plate; however, if the last batter hits a home run to win the game, he and any runners on base are all permitted to score. War of the Worlds (2005). If the home team is ahead after eight-and-a-half innings have been played, it is declared the winner, and the last half-inning is not played.

A standard game lasts nine innings, although some leagues (such as minor leagues and high school baseball) use seven-inning games. The team with the most runs at the end of the game wins. An inning consists of each team having one turn in the field and one turn to hit, with the visiting team batting before the home team. In general, baserunning is a tactical part of the game requiring good judgment by runners (and their coaches) to assess the risk in attempting to advance. In tag plays, a good slide can affect the outcome of the play; even routine ground ball outs are recorded by a margin of less than a second.

The standard dimensions of a baseball field, with 90 feet (27.4 m) between bases, generate many close baserunning plays. If the runner attempts to steal the next base but is tagged out before reaching it safely, he is caught stealing. The pitcher, in lieu of delivering the pitch, may try to prevent this by throwing the ball to one of the infielders in order to tag the runner; if successful, it is called a pick-off. Baserunners may attempt to advance, or steal a base, while the pitcher is throwing a pitch.

Once they do this, they may attempt to advance at their own risk. When a ball is hit in the air, a fly ball, and caught by the defending team, runners must return and touch the base they occupied at the time of the pitch—called tagging up—after the ball is caught. Runners may attempt to advance from base to base on any fair ball that touches the ground. A runner who is touching a base which he is entitled to occupy is "safe"—he may not be tagged out.

Runners on second or third base are considered to be in scoring position since ordinary hits, even singles, will often score them. Once a batter gets a hit, a base on balls, or otherwise reaches base, he is said to be "on" that base until he attempts to advance to the next base, until he is put out, or until the half-inning ends. The goal of each batter is to become a baserunner himself (usually by a safe hit or a base on balls), or to help move other baserunners along. Main article: Baserunning.

If the pitcher, either intentionally or unintentionally, hits the batter, the umpire will declare a hit by pitch and the batter is awarded first base. A batter always drops his bat when running to first base—the bat otherwise would slow him down and also be a danger to fielders. If the batter puts the ball in play in fair territory, he becomes a baserunner, and must get to first base safely. This is called a base on balls or walk.

On the third strike the batter is declared out, a strikeout; on the fourth ball the batter is entitled to advance to first base without risk of being put out. If the batter has two strikes already, the batter is now out, charged with a strikeout. In the event that a batter makes contact with the ball, but the ball continues directly into the catchers mitt without striking the ground a foul tip is called and the batter is charged with a strike. If a pitch is batted foul and a member of the defensive team is able to catch it, before the ball strikes the ground, the batter is declared out.

Thus, a foul ball with two strikes leaves the count unchanged, though a ball that is bunted foul with two strikes always counts as a third strike. If the batter swings and makes contact with the ball, but does not put it in play in fair territory—a foul ball—he is charged with a strike, except when there are already two strikes. The number of balls and strikes thrown to the current batter is known as the count. If the ball passes through the zone, it is ruled a strike; otherwise, it is declared to be a ball.

If the batter does not swing, the home plate umpire judges whether or not the ball passed through the strike zone. On any pitch, if the batter swings at the ball and misses, he is charged with a strike. In addition to swinging at the ball, a batter who wishes to put the ball in play may hold his bat over home plate and attempt to tap a pitch very lightly; this is called a bunt. The pitches arrive fast, so the decision must be made in less than a second. This decision is largely based on whether or not the ball is in the strike zone, a region defined by the area directly above home plate and between the batter's knees and underarms.

With each pitch, the batter must decide whether or not to swing the bat at the ball in an attempt to hit it. Each plate appearance consists of a series of pitches, in which the pitcher throws the ball towards home plate while a batter is standing in the batter's box. Main article: Batting (baseball). After the opposing team bats in its own order and three more outs are recorded, the first team's batting order will continue again from where it left off.

Once the batter and any existing runners have all stopped at a base or been put out, the ball is returned to the pitcher, and the next batter comes to the plate. A batted ball which is not hit into the air, and which touches the ground within the infield before it can be caught, is called a ground ball. A batted ball is called a fly ball if it was hit in the air in a way causing the fielder to catch it on its descent, or a line drive if it is hit in the air, but almost level to the ground. Depending on the way the ball comes off the bat, the play has different names.

If a player has hit all four types of base hits in a single game, he is said to have "hit for the cycle." Once a runner is held to a base, he may attempt to advance at any time, but is not required to do so unless the batter or another runner displaces him. A hit that allows the batter to touch all bases in order on the same play is a home run, whether or not the ball is hit over the fence. A successful hit where the batter reaches only first base is a single; if he reaches second base, a double; or third base, a triple. Each player's turn at the plate is a plate appearance. When the batter hits a fair ball, he must run to first base, and may continue or stop at any base unless he is put out.

A runner may only circle the bases once per plate appearance and thus can score no more than a single run. They must leave the playing area until their spot in the order comes up again. Each team sets its batting lineup at the beginning of the game and may not change the order. Once a runner reaches home plate, they score a run and are no longer a base runner. The team at bat sends its nine players up to home plate as batters in an order called a lineup.

The ultimate goal of the team at bat is to score runs. Pitchers with a sidearm delivery are often some of the best in the game. Some pitchers choose to throw the 'submarine style,' which is a very efficient sidearm way of pitching. The act of throwing a baseball overhand at high speed is unnatural to the body and somewhat damaging to human muscles—pitchers are very susceptible to injuries and soreness, so baseball teams always have several pitchers.

Nevertheless, the average major-league pitcher can throw the ball up to ninety miles per hour (145 km/h), and a few pitchers have even exceeded 100 miles per hour (161 km/h). The pitcher must keep one foot in contact with the top or side of the pitcher's rubber—a 24" x 6" (~ 61 cm x 15 cm) plate located atop the pitcher's mound—during the entire pitch, so he cannot take more than one step forward in delivering the ball. Common pitches include a fastball, which is the ball thrown at a maximum velocity, a curveball, which is made to curve by rotation imparted by the pitcher, and a change up, which is a slower version of a fastball. Most pitchers attempt to master two or more pitches.

The pitcher's main weapon is the variation of his pitches, the three variables being accuracy, velocity, and movement. The record for the most pitcher used in a single nine-inning game for both teams is held between Houston and San Francisco with 16 pitchers. Pitchers are substituted for one another like any other player (see below), and the rules do not limit the number of pitchers that can be used in a game. Multiple pitchers are often needed in a single game, including the starting pitcher and members of the bullpen (an area where pitchers warm up before they play).

With new advances in medical research and thus a better understanding of how the human body functions and tires out, however, pitchers tend to throw only one game every five days. In previous eras, pitchers would often throw up to four complete games (all nine innings) in a week. A full game usually involves over one hundred pitches thrown by each team, and most pitchers begin to tire before they reach this point. Effective pitching is vitally important to a baseball team, as pitching is the key for the defensive team to retiring batters and runners to hold the other team at bat.

Main article: Pitching. Players often shift their positioning in response to specific batters or game situations, and they may exchange positions with one another at any time. The locations of the fielders are not specified by the rules. Also, the center fielder is considered the outfield leader, and left- and right-fielders should cede to his direction when fielding fly balls.

The center fielder has more territory to cover than the corner outfielders, so this player must be quick and agile with a strong arm to throw balls in to the infield; as with the shortstop, teams tend to emphasize defense at this position. The right fielder generally has the strongest arm of all the outfielders due to the need to make throws on runners attempting to take third base. The three outfielders are called the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder, the positions being named from the catcher's perspective. Quick reaction time is also important for third basemen, as they tend to see more sharply hit balls than the other infielders.

This position is the most demanding defensively, so a good shortstop need not necessarily be a good batter. The third baseman's primary requirement is a strong throwing arm, in order to make the long throw across the infield to the first baseman. The shortstop fills the critical gap between second and third bases—where right-handed batters generally hit ground balls—and also covers second or third base and the near part of left field. The second baseman covers the area to the right of second base and provides backup for the first baseman. The first baseman also fields balls hit near first base, but because the position is less demanding than the others, the team's strongest hitter is often also their first baseman.

The first baseman's job consists largely of making force plays at first base on ground balls hit to the other infielders. Originally, the second baseman played very close to second base; this positioning shifted when teams found it necessary to have four infielders, rather than four outfielders. The second baseman and the shortstop position themselves in the gaps on either side of second base, toward first and third base, respectively. The first and third basemen play near their respective bases.

The four infielders are the first baseman, second baseman, shortstop, and third baseman. Catchers are also responsible for defense in the area near home plate. The catcher's main role is to receive the pitch if the batter does not hit it. Together with the pitcher and coaches, the catcher plots game strategy by suggesting different pitches and by shifting the starting positions of the other fielders. Pitchers also play defense by fielding batted balls, covering bases (for a potential tag out or force out on an approaching runner), or backing up throws.

The pitcher's main role is to pitch the ball toward home plate with the goal of getting the batter out. The remaining seven fielders may be positioned anywhere in fair territory, but the standard defensive alignment places four infielders at the edge of the infield and three outfielders in the outfield. This pair is often called the battery. The fielding team has a pitcher, who stands on the mound, and a catcher, who squats behind home plate.

The team in the field is the defensive team; they attempt to prevent the team at bat from scoring. See also: Baseball positions | Baseball positioning. A home run hit with all bases occupied is called a grand slam. In an enclosed field, a fair ball hit over the fence on the fly is normally an automatic home run, which entitles the batter and all runners to touch all the bases and score.

A baserunner who successfully touches home plate after touching all previous bases in order scores a run. The batter attempts to hit the ball into fair territory—between the foul lines—in such a way that the defending players cannot get them or the baserunners out. In general, the pitcher attempts to prevent this by pitching the ball in such a way that the batter cannot hit it cleanly. To that end, the goal of each batter is to enable baserunners to score or become a baserunner himself. The goal of the team at bat is to score runs; a player may do so only by batting, then becoming a base runner, touching all the bases in order (via one or more plays), and finally touching home plate.

Thus, a complete inning consists of each opposing side having a turn on offense. After the fielding team has put out three batters, that half of the inning is over and the team in the field and the team at bat switch places. There are many ways to get batters and baserunners out; some of the most common are catching a batted ball in the air, tag outs, force outs, and strikeouts. A player who is out must leave the field and wait for his next turn at bat.

Each half-inning, the goal of the defending team is to get three members of the other team out. Each pitch begins a new play, which might consist of nothing more than the pitch itself. The catcher's role becomes more crucial depending on how the game is going, and how the pitcher responds to a given situation. If the pitcher disagrees with the call, he will "shake off" the catcher by shaking his head no; he accepts the sign by nodding.

The catcher's job is to catch any ball that the batter misses or does not swing at, and, most importantly, to "call" the game by a series of hand signals to the pitcher what pitch to throw and where. The batter stands in one of the batter's boxes and tries to hit the ball with a bat. The pitcher throws—pitches—the ball towards home plate, where the catcher for the fielding team waits to receive it. The basic contest is always between the pitcher for the fielding team, and a batter.

At the start of the game, all nine players of the home team play the field, while players on the visiting team come to bat one at a time. In the case of a tie, additional innings are played until one team comes out ahead. The winner is the team with the most runs after nine innings. The teams switch every time the defending team gets three players of the batting team out.

In baseball, the defense always has the ball -- a fact that differentiates it from most other team sports. The game is played in nine innings in which each team gets one turn to bat and try to score runs while the other pitches and defends in the field. The other two sides of the diamond form the start of the foul lines, which extend straight, and form the boundary in the outfield as well. The field is divided into two main sections: the infield contains the four bases, and beyond two adjacent sides of the diamond there is an outfield.

Home base is a pentagonal rubber slab known as home plate. Numbered counter-clockwise, first, second and third bases are cushions (sometimes informally referred to as bags) shaped as 15-inch (38 cm) squares which are raised a short distance above the ground; together with home plate, the fourth "base," they form a square with sides of 90 feet (27.4 meters) called the diamond. There are four bases. There are usually four umpires in major league games; up to six (and as few as one) may officiate depending on the league and the importance of the game.

Baseball is played between two teams of nine players each on a baseball field, usually under the authority of one or more officials, called umpires. Although the three most popular team sports in North America are ball games (baseball, basketball and American football), baseball's popularity grew so great that the word "ballgame" in the United States almost always refers to a game of baseball, and "ballpark" to a baseball field. Among American television viewers, however, baseball has been surpassed in popularity (in terms of television ratings) by American football and auto racing. In the United States, baseball has often been called the national pastime; the total attendance for Major League games is roughly equal to that of all other American professional team sports combined.

In Japan, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Panama, South Korea, Taiwan and some other countries/areas, it is one of the most popular sports by any measurement. Baseball is popular in the Americas and East Asia. Scoring is accomplished by the batter running and touching a series of four markers on the ground called bases. Baseball is sometimes called hardball to differentiate it from the closely related sport of softball and other similar games. The ball itself is also called a baseball.

Baseball is a team sport, in which a fist-sized ball is thrown by a defensive player called a pitcher and hit by an offensive player called a batter with a round, smooth stick called a bat.