How to Get on Base in Baseball

Video Transcript

" As far as getting on base there are just a couple of ways to do that also. You can walk, you can get on on a hit; or you can get on on an error. Now, getting on on a hit, say you hit the ball on the ground, you run to first and you get to first base, your foot touches the bag at the same time the first baseman catches the ball or before the first baseman catches the ball you are safe. If you hit a ball in the air and nobody catches it and it lands between the lines, hits the ground before somebody catches it, you can make it to first base. That is also a way to get on base. An error you can get on base which basically means say you hit a ground ball to our second baseman over here and it’s a play that he should make pretty easily. Say it goes between his legs, that would be called an error and you would get first base as a result of that. Another way to get on first base or another way to get on base is to have what’s called a drop third strike and a drop third strike if you have two strikes on you and you swing and miss at a pitch and it’s a third strike but it hits the ground then it’s up to the catcher to keep the ball in front of him and throw it to first base before the hitter who then becomes a runner makes it down to first base. So I will explain that one more time. You swing at a ball and it hits the ground; the minute that third strike hits the ground you are safe until you are thrown out at first base so a lot of times you will see in a game a ball get by the catcher that the hitter will have swung at it will have been strike three and the ball will go all the way to the backstop and the hitter runs down to first base and he is safe. It is still technically in the score book called a strike out but it’s not an actual out in the game. It’s a little bit confusing but those are a few of the ways you can get on base."