Wheel Play

The wheel play is a baseball strategy designed to defend against a sacrifice bunt (or tap hit) in a close game in situations in which the offense has a runner on second (or sometimes runners on first and second) and there are no outs (or occasionally with one out). This circumstance can make it imperative for the defense to get the lead runner out because the offense can score without a hit if there is a man at third base with less than two outs. The play's name derives from the wheel-like rotation of the infielders.

The wheel play is a unique bunt defense in that the play is designed to get the lead runner out at third. Most bunt defense strategies give the priority to making sure the team gets one out at first. The play begins with the shortstop breaking to cover third base. As the pitch is thrown, the third and first basemen rush toward home plate to be able to field the bunted ball as quickly as possible while the second basemen runs to cover first base. Additionally, the pitcher moves to back up the fielder on the side his pitching momentum carries him towards.

Ideally for the defense, if the ball is bunted, it goes directly to one of the charging fielders only a few feet past home plate. If it is bunted right at a fielder, the play is to throw to the shortstop (covering third base) for the tag or force out if permitted by the existence of a trail runner.

The offense may try to defeat the wheel play in one of several ways.

If the offense suspects the defense will put on the wheel play, and if sees the shortstop break for third too early or too late, it may send the runner(s) on a straight steal. If the shortstop leaves early, the runner on second will take a "walking lead" off the second base bag, and can be most or all of the way to third when the catcher takes the pitch. If the shortstop leaves too late, the man on second runs with the expectation that the shortstop cannot acquire position to take the throw on the steal.The key for the defense is for the pitcher to use the inside pickoff move once or a few times to keep the runner at 2nd from straying toward third too early and perhaps picking him off. Either way, the effort by the catcher to throw to a moving target in the shortstop opens the possibility of an error permitting additional advance on the bases. Additionally, a man on first takes second without contest, as it will be uncovered. But if the shortstop has the play timed right, the runner from second will be caught stealing, generally with ease.

Alternately, the offense can send the runners towards the next base while instructing the hitter to use a "butcher boy" swing—show a bunting stance as the pitcher begins his delivery, but twist back and swing in full as the pitch arrives. The objective is to put a batted ball into the vacated middle of the field and produce a multiple base advance by the runners. However, because the hitter is moving so much, and since hitters called upon to bunt are often amongst the weakest hitters on the team, it is unusual for the "butcher boy" swing to yield the requisite batted ball, and more common for it to result in a swinging or fouled strike. That event subsequently limits a hitter's options as the at-bat proceeds, especially if he now has two strikes, which often nullifies a bunting strategy.

Defenses generally do not rely on the wheel play in bunt situations where the bunter is deemed a good enough hitter to be able to execute the "butcher boy" swing. Instead, the third baseman and shortstop will hold their positions, and the defense will rely on the pitcher to field the ball, and concede an advance to third if the bunt is well executed.

Outline

SPORTS WORLD

Baseball

Baseball is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of nine players each who take turns batting and fielding. The batting team attempts to score runs by hitting a ball that is thrown by the pitcher with a bat swung by the batter, then running counter-clockwise around a series of four bases: first, second, third, and home plate.

Rules and gameplay: A game is played between two teams, each comprising nine players, that take turns playing offense (batting and baserunning) and defense (pitching and fielding).

Baseball field: A baseball field, also called a ball field or a baseball diamond, is the field upon which the game of baseball is played.

Equipment: A rounded, solid wooden or hollow aluminum bat. Wooden bats are traditionally made from ash wood, though maple and bamboo is also sometimes used.

Player rosters: Roster, or squad, sizes differ between different leagues and different levels of organized play. Major League Baseball teams maintain 25-player active rosters.

Non players: In the game of baseball, the official scorer is a person appointed by the league to record the events on the field, and to send the official scoring record of the game back to the league offices.

Distinctive elements: Baseball has certain attributes that set it apart from the other popular team sports in the countries where it has a following, including American and Canadian football, basketball, ice hockey, and soccer.

Defensive Play: Baseball is unlike most other competitive sports in that the defense is given control of the ball.

Offensive Play: Batting is the act of facing the opposing pitcher and trying to produce offense for one's team. A batter or hitter is a person whose turn it is to face the pitcher.

Batting order (1-9): The batting order or batting lineup is the sequence in which the members of the offense take their turns in batting against the pitcher.

Strategy and tactics: Many of the pre-game and in-game strategic decisions in baseball revolve around a fundamental fact: in general, right-handed batters tend to be more successful against left-handed pitchers and, to an even greater degree, left-handed batters tend to be more successful against right-handed pitchers.
Baseball Positions

SPORTS WORLD

Baseball Positions

At the beginning of each half-inning, the nine players on the fielding team arrange themselves around the field. One of them, the pitcher, stands on the pitcher's mound.

Defensive Players

Pitcher (P): The pitcher is the player who throws the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk.

Catcher (C): When a batter takes his/her turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the (home) umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher.

First Baseman (1B): First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team.

Second Baseman (2B): The second baseman often possesses quick hands and feet, needs the ability to get rid of the ball quickly, and must be able to make the pivot on a double play.

Third Baseman (3B): The third baseman requires good reflexes in reacting to batted balls, as he or she is often the closest infielder (roughly 90–120 feet) to the batter.

Shortstop (SS): The position is mostly filled by defensive specialists, so shortstops are generally relatively poor batters who bat later in the batting order, with some exceptions.

Left Fielder (LF): Outfielders must cover large distances - speed, instincts, and quickness in reacting to the ball are key. They must be able to catch fly balls above their head and on the run.

Center Fielder (CF): A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball fielding position between left field and right field.

Right Fielder (RF): Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound.

Offensive Players

Batter: A batter or hitter is a person whose turn it is to face the pitcher. The three main goals of batters are to become a baserunner, drive runners home, or advance runners along the bases for others to drive home.

Runner: In general, base running is a tactical part of the game with the goal of eventually reaching home to score a run.

Designated Hitter: The rule allows teams to have one player, known as the designated hitter (abbreviated DH), to bat in place of the pitcher.

Pinch Hitter: Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead (not in active play); the manager may use any player who has not yet entered the game as a substitute.

Pinch Runner: The pinch runner may be faster or otherwise more skilled at base-running than the player for whom the pinch runner has been substituted.

Lead Off: A lead or lead off is the short distance that a player stands away from their current base.

Lead Off Hitter: Leadoff hitters must possess certain traits to be successful: they must reach base at a proficient on-base percentage rate and be able to steal bases.

Cleanup Hitter: Cleanup hitters often have the most power on the team and are typically the team's best power hitter; their job is to "clean up the bases", hence the name.

SPORTS

Baseball

Baseball is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of nine players each who take turns batting and fielding. The batting team attempts to score runs by hitting a ball that is thrown by the pitcher with a bat swung by the batter, then running counter-clockwise around a series of four bases: first, second, third, and home plate.