If You Want To Play Baseball, Here Are Some Must Haves

By: Gregg Hall
Submitted: 2007-01-17 16:26:25
Print this article | Tell a friend | For publisher | Social Bookmarking
Rating:
 

Baseball is America's pastime. To play the game there are a few basic pieces of equipment that everyone must have on hand. For most, this equipment is common knowledge, but some may be less familiar with the terminology and rules.

Every game revolves around a baseball bat and a ball. The ball contains a cork center that is wrapped in string and then covered with a layer of leather that is then stitched up. The bat is made of metal or wood, usually maple or ash. Metal bats are not allowed in professional games, but many minor league and Little League teams allow them.

In the game of baseball, the pitcher throws a ball to the man standing at home plate. That person is called the batter, and his goal is to hit the ball. The bases or plates are set up in a diamond shape a certain distance from one another. As the ball is hit, the batter runs to each base in order from home to first, second, third, and back to home.

Everyone on the team needs a baseball mitt. This protects the players' hands from the impact of the ball. Catchers have a special mitt with additional padding and a wider span. Some players choose to put on an additional glove underneath the glove for added protection.

Batters wear batting gloves. This helps them grip the bat more tightly and offers a little insulation against the shock of the bat hitting the ball.

A batting helmet is required as head protection for any batter. Pitches can travel upwards of 90 miles per hour, so headgear is necessary. Catchers wear a helmet as well; only their helmet also has a wire cage that pulls down over the face to protect from additional injuries.

All players wear a cup. This protects them from groin injury during a game. A jockstrap holds the genitals in place inside the cup.

Pitchers and players on the field wear a baseball cap. This helps shade their eyes from the sun and also ties in to their team colors and uniform designs.

Uniforms also tie in to the team's color scheme. Teams have two uniforms, one for home games and one for away games. Belts keep the pants from falling down during the game. Usually, the team has a logo, such as their mascot, that appears somewhere on the uniform. Often the players were sliding shorts under their uniforms to protect the legs from injury when a player slides into a base.

Also important to any uniform are the spiked sneakers. These special additions to the sole of the sneakers grip the ground tightly. This can be a lifesaver when the ground is slick from prior rain showers.

There are other items that may be used in any game, but they are optional. As long as a player is dressed in uniform and the coaches have the proper equipment, there is nothing to stop a number of players from enjoying their sport.

Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Beach, Florida. Find more about this as well as a baseball equipment at http://www.baseballequipmentplus.com.

Article source: Expert Articles

Most Recent Articles in Baseball category

  • Fantasy Baseball - Taking a Full Swing - By: Chris Campbell
    Fantasy baseball, in all it's incarnations and iterations may seem a little unwieldy to the uninitiated, but it's really not that difficult to participate in, just requires a little time and persistence to get started. Many camps seem to have a myriad of rules, regulations and procedures to follow. However; it wouldn't have the following it does, if it wasn't easy enough for the average beer swilling baseball fan to engage in.
  • The Incredible Wiffle Ball Bat - By: Terry Edwards
    Is there a better backyard game than playing wiffle ball with an official wiffle ball bat? I can remember as a kid playing wiffle ball day after day during the summer in our neighborhood. What started in the 1950's has sure exploded today.
  • If You Want To Play Baseball, Here Are Some Must Haves - By: Gregg Hall
    Baseball is America's pastime. To play the game there are a few basic pieces of equipment that everyone must have on hand. For most, this equipment is common knowledge, but some may be less familiar with the terminology and rules.
  • Basics of Baseball Betting - By: RJ Bell
    While football and basketball are the most popular sports to bet on, baseball could be the easiest for beginners once you understand how to read the money line. Money line gambling is the primary wagering option for baseball bettors, which involves betting on the straight-up game outcome with no consideration for a point spread. Oddsmakers use the money line so that more money must be risked on the favorite or expected winner and less money on the underdog to balance the action on both sides.
  • How To Choose A Great Baseball Bat - By: Gregg Hall
    Perhaps the most important aspect of baseball is to have a bat that suits your needs. A bat's weight, length, and material can all have a positive or negative affect on a batter's swing. Consider every option when choosing a baseball bat for yourself.
  • Choosing the Right Catchers Mitt - By: Scott Mokoski
    The catcher kneels behind the plate, and pounds his catchers mitt then gives the pitcher the sign. The bang of the crowd, the rush of the game, the rush of victory. The agony of sensitive muscles, the torment of suspense, the torture of defeat.
  • On Cars, Baseball and the Halcyon Days of Summer - By: Ed Bagley
    The automotive world was introduced to economies of scale in 1954 as Nash and Hudson (yes, those were makes of cars exactly 52 years ago) merged to form American Motors. Both Nash and Hudson models are history now. Heck, American Motors has taken a hike since then too.
  • The Traditional American Game - By: Jonathon Hardcastle
    Like life in traditional society, but unlike football and basketball, the other two major American team sports, baseball is not governed by the clock and amazes many foreigners that it is the "national sport" in a fast-paced United States. Being a very popular team sport, apart from North America also in Latin America, the Caribbean and East Asia, baseball is a bat-and-ball game in which a pitcher throws a fist-sized hard ball past the hitting area of a batter. The batter, who belongs to the other team, then attempts to hit the ball with a smooth, cylindrical bat made of wood or metal.
  • My Daughter Came of Age in Disney - By: Aron Wallad
    The girls had worked real hard. Selling raffle tickets. Participating in hitting contests to raise money.
  • Never Look Back - Baseball History - Leroy "Satchel" Page - By: Lindsey Williams
    Never Look BackNew Year resolutions come and go -- except for me.Many years ago – none of your business how many -- I adopted a set of good intentions propounded by the legendary African-American baseball player Leroy Paige.He was best known as “Satchel” – a nickname he acquired as a young boy carrying luggage for nickels at the Mobile, Ala.