Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding team, called the pitcher, throws a ball that a player on the batting team, called the batter, tries to hit with a bat. The objective of the offensive team is to hit the ball into the field of play, away from the other team's players, allowing its players to run the bases, having them advance counter-clockwise around four bases to score what are called "runs". The objective of the defensive team is to prevent batters from becoming runners, and to prevent runners' advance around the bases. A run is scored when a runner legally advances around the bases in order and touches home plate.
Softball is a game similar to baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field, with only underhand pitches permitted. Softball is played competitively at club levels, the college level, and the professional level. The game was first created in 1887 in Chicago by George Hancock.
Tee-ball is a team sport based on a simplified form of baseball or softball. It is intended as an introduction for children to develop ball-game skills and have fun.
Little League Baseball and Softball is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania, United States, that organizes local youth baseball and softball leagues throughout the United States and the rest of the world.
The International Baseball Federation is the former worldwide governing body recognized by the International Olympic Committee as overseeing, deciding and executing the policy of the sport of baseball. The IBAF has since become the international baseball "Division" of the World Baseball Softball Confederation, the officially recognized world governing body for baseball. One of its principal responsibilities under the WBSC umbrella is to organize, standardize and sanction international competitions, using the WBSC name, among baseball's 124 national governing bodies through its various tournaments to determine a world champion and calculate world rankings for both men's and women's baseball. Prior to the establishment of the WBSC, which has since superseded its authority, the IBAF had been the lone entity that can assign the title of "world champion" to any baseball team delegated to represent a nation. Its offices are housed within the WBSC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland—the Olympic Capital.
Baseball is a growing, minor sport in the United Kingdom, with an estimated 22,500 people playing in 2020.
The Croydon Pirates, known between 2012 and 2019 as the South London Pirates, is a British baseball club based in South London. They have two diamonds in Roundshaw playing fields in Sutton, UK the main one being Dave Ward Field. Previously, Roundshaw and the Pirates have been hosts to the yearly London Tournament and on occasions the BBF's National Finals.
In Israel, baseball was historically not a popular sport, the IAB founded by Randy Kahn in 1985, is one of six nations to qualify in baseball for the 2020 Olympics has yet to be felt. There are approximately 1,000 players in 16 cities across the country. Volunteer coaches and donors are instrumental to the growth and development of the sport as baseball resources are very low. Israel is currently ranked 19th in the world in the sport.
The World Baseball Softball Confederation Europe, known as WBSC Europe, was established on February 10, 2018, during a Congress of the Confederation of European Baseball and the European Softball Federation in Val d’Europe, France. the establishment of WBSC Europe followed the historic merger of the Confederation of European Baseball (CEB) and the European Softball Federation (ESF). As of September 2022, WBSC Europe counts 40 members for baseball and 39 for softball.
The London Meteorites, better known as the London Mets, are a British baseball team who play in the southern section of the BBF National League.
The Great Britain national baseball team is the national men's baseball team of the United Kingdom. It is governed by the British Baseball Federation, and is also a member nation of the Confederation of European Baseball.
Manchester Baseball Club is one of the largest baseball clubs in the north of England, with two senior teams and four youth teams playing in the British Baseball Federation leagues. The club can trace its roots back as far as 1947, with the formation of the Stretford Saints. Although the Saints club folded in 1973, the name hung around, with the Trafford Saints youth team playing during the 1990s with reasonable success. Trafford merged with the senior Manchester team in 2000, creating the MBC as it is today.
Richmond Baseball & Softball Club is a baseball and softball club based in Ham in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England. It was founded in 1992 by Wayne Nash. The club had three registered teams in the British Baseball Federation's league system for the 2013 season; Richmond Knights in the BBF AAA South Division, Richmond Dragons in the BBF South AA Division and the Richmond Dukes in the BBF Single A South Division.
Wayne Christie Nash is a former British baseball coach best known for establishing two time BBF National League champions, the Richmond Flames in the United Kingdom. Wayne started the Flames in the winter of 1991/92.
The U-12 Baseball World Cup is the under-12 baseball world championship sanctioned by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) and its predecessor the International Baseball Federation (IBAF), and is the most elite and highest level of competition in its age category. The U-12 Baseball World Championship is scheduled to be held every two years and launched in 2011 in Taipei, Taiwan as the "12U Baseball World Championship".
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to baseball:
The British Softball Federation (BSF) is the national governing body of softball within the United Kingdom, organising fastpitch and slowpitch leagues and national tournaments and registering players.
World Baseball Softball Confederation is the world governing body for the sports of baseball, softball, and Baseball5. It was established in 2013 by the merger of the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) and International Softball Federation (ISF), the former world governing bodies for baseball and softball, respectively. Under WBSC's organizational structure, IBAF and ISF now serve as the Baseball Division and Softball Division of WBSC. Each division is governed by an executive committee, while the WBSC is governed by an executive board.
Softball New Zealand, formerly known as the New Zealand Softball Association, is the governing body for the sport of softball in New Zealand. Softball New Zealand consists of a number of regional associations and local clubs.
2023 is the 94th season of competitive baseball in the United Kingdom.
