In reading things leading up to Spring Training I ran across a couple of articles about some bizarre rules in baseball. Things you never would think of much, if at all. One is a “ground rule triple”, and one other one I thought was interesting was the 23 ways you can get a man on first base. Most are obvious, but some are fairly obscure. Here’s the list:
- walk
- intentional walk
- hit by pitch
- dropped 3rd strike
- failure to deliver pitch in 20 seconds
- catcher interference
- fielder interference
- spectator interference
- fan obstruction
- fair ball hits ump
- fair ball hits runner
- fielder obstructs runner
- pinch-runner
- fielder’s choice
- force out at another base
- preceding runner put-out allows batter to reach first
- sac bunt fails to advance runner
- sacrifice fly dropped
- runner called out on appeal
- error
- four illegal pitches
- single
- game suspended with runner on first, that player is traded prior to the makeup; new player is allowed to take his place
It does technically say Twenty-three ways to get a man (any man) on first base, which would cover things like pinch runner. Some of the others are the 16 ways a balk can be made, how to get six strikeouts in an inning, and how a pitcher can get a win without ever throwing a pitch.
These were a couple of good entries. I suggest you go read them. You can reach them here and here over at the “Hardball Times” website. Good stuff.