Let's look at the main reasons for the growing popularity of baseball in Europe and around the world. We'll tell you why you might like it.

What makes baseball popular?

Everyone who has ever watched an American sports movie knows about baseball. It is among the top 3 most famous and beloved sports in the United States. Seventy million fans go to baseball games in a season.

Baseball is very similar to cricket in appearance. Therefore, you can place paid and free bets on both of these sports and make your predictions.

The benefits of baseball

• Baseball as a sport is beautiful. For one thing, baseball is democratic. It can be played by athletic young people and by people who are not physically athletic. Older baseball fans can compete with young people.
• Second, baseball involves the human body's natural movements: running, jumping, throwing, and catching the ball. Combined with long periods of rest, such as waiting in a dugout (a dugout is a bench in baseball) or being in positional defense, active baseball activities improve a person's overall physical condition.
• Third, the elements of baseball leave no one indifferent in terms of aesthetics—beautiful throws, hitting the bat out of bounds, spectacular catching candles like children and adults.
• Equipment and equipment baseball players also delight the eye with their elegance. And who once tried on a sports outfit, baseball, that no way he would not want to part with him for long.
• Among other things, baseball - is a team game, which strengthens teamwork skills, teamwork.
• Baseball is very useful for health and, at the same time, does not require a person to any physically overpowering forces. Fresh air, jogging, hitting the bat, and throwing the ball increase the overall tone of the person and positively affect the body.

Popularity Story

Baseball is not just every American's favorite sport. It is a real sport that has long been a way of life and has become a national idea in America. However, this legendary game's origin is still debated today.

The British, who prove their direct involvement in the invention of baseball, rely on a small "pocket" edition published in 1744. The entertaining little book contained an illustrated article devoted to the game. Since no earlier mention of baseball can be found anywhere, English historians wished to get their hands on this sporting invention. But simple logic prevents belief in their theory. After all, if a description of the game was published, it meant that it was already quite known and, therefore, someone had already invented it. And not the fact that it was the British.

Another version, let's call it "American," suggests that baseball was invented by a Yankee named Alexander Cartwright, who is also the creator of the world's first baseball club, called "Knickerbocker.

In the first official match played in 1846 between the Knickerbocker and New York Nike, New York baseball players didn't hold back and quickly wrestled their opponents to a 23-1 score.

From that moment on, the game began to attract enormous attention, developing rapidly, and already 22 years later, the National Baseball Association had more than two dozen clubs. Baseball differs from other team sports games with quite complex rules, which the uninitiated hastily need to understand.

Rules of the game

The game involves two teams, attacking and defending alternately. The main goal of the attacking team is to score points, and he must run through all four bases in the corners of the square. Then the defending team fields the pitcher, and the other players are placed in their positions. Finally, the attacking team puts the batter who will hit the ball near the base called "home. The confrontation between these two is what all baseball is built on.

The pitcher pitches the ball toward home plate, and the batter tries to bat it away. If he succeeds, he must run toward 1st base. The pitcher does everything in his power to prevent the batter from striking out the batter - from the batter's evaluation (weight, stance, style) to the trickiest throws, including curveballs. The rules require that the ball fly exclusively in the strike zone, that is, between the height of the knees and the height of the batter's chest. The batter must also anticipate the pitcher's actions to hit the ball. A strike is scored if the batter did not hit the ball or did not try to hit at all, although the ball flew in the zone. Three collected strikes automatically turn into a strikeout, and the batter leaves the game.

If the batter manages to hit the ball, he becomes a runner and will need quick feet and a good reaction. He should run to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd base and then return to "home" - a run like that will earn the team a point. At the same time, on the grounds may be fellow bettors who have yet to reach one or another base.

The task of the defenders is to oppose movement around the bases with outs. The batter can be sent out with three strikes, or he can try to catch the batted ball on the fly, which would also put the batter out. But more often, it is called a groundout: a defender picks up the ball from the ground and throws it to a teammate on the base the batter is aiming for. The important thing here is to catch the ball before the running batter touches the floor. Outs also apply to runners who are caught between the bases.

They can also be taken out of the game by a defender with the ball in the bunt trap by touching their body. If the batter has the most potent hitter capable of knocking the ball out of the baseball field, he may well count on a "home run" - the ball goes out, and the attacking team's player quietly walks the bases, earning points for his team. The departure of three players from the attacking team indicates the end of the period - the inning (there may be nine in total), and the teams switch roles.

These rules allow the game to go on for quite some time as long as the offensive players do not leave the game quickly.

Risks

This sport is the last one on the list of high injury risks. However, the risk of serious injury is low. Of course, there is always a risk of getting hit by a hard ball or bat, but such cases are isolated.

Typical injuries are sprains of the elbow ligaments, injuries of the shoulder and hip, and sprains of the oblique abdominal muscles.