Baseball

A whiff in baseball is a swing and miss. See what whiff rates mean for pitchers and hitters, which pitches get the most whiffs and how whiff rate compares to SwStr% and CSW.

How MLB assigns umpires: about 76 umpires in crews of four are scheduled by series, rotate positions daily and earn postseason spots through evaluations. See the full process step by step.

Benny “The Jet” Rodriguez is the star of The Sandlot (1993), played by Mike Vitar. See how Benny got his nickname, his Dodgers ending and who played every Sandlot character.

Why baseball players eat sunflower seeds: they keep the mouth busy, calm nerves and replaced chewing tobacco after league bans. See 10 reasons plus how seeds compare to other dugout snacks.

The best tee ball games for kids: 15 practice games that teach fielding, throwing, hitting and baserunning, with equipment for each and a sample one hour practice plan.

It is called a shortstop because the position began as a short fielder who stopped balls between the infield and outfield. See all nine baseball positions, their numbers and name origins.

MLB magic number explained: 163 minus the leader’s wins minus the rival’s losses. See an example race count down day by day to zero, plus magic number vs. elimination number.

Semi pro baseball is competitive adult baseball below the pro level, usually unpaid. See where it fits among every level of adult baseball, from MLB and the minors to men’s leagues.

The visiting team bats first in baseball and the home team bats last. See who bats first in every setting, from Little League to the World Series, and how the batting order works.

The longest home run measured by Statcast went 505 feet, by Nomar Mazara in 2019. See the longest MLB home runs since 2015 and what makes a baseball travel that far.