Count (baseball)

Encyclopedia : C : CO : COU : Count (baseball)

In baseball, the count refers to the number of balls and strikes a batsman has in his current at bat. It is usually announced as a pair of numbers, for instance "3-0", with the first number being the number of balls and the second being the number of strikes. A 3-2 count—that is, one with the maximum number of balls and strikes in a given at bat—is referred to as a full count. A count of 1-1 or 2-2 is called even.

An important part of baseball statistics is measuring which counts are most likely to produce favorable outcomes for the pitcher or the hitter. Counts of 3-1 and 2-0 are considered hitters counts, because the pitcher is more likely to throw a ball in the strike zone, especially a fastball. Somewhat surprisingly, in general, a 3-0 count tends to yield fewer hittable pitches, depending on the situation. Counts with two strikes (except 3-2 counts) are considered pitchers counts. An 0-2 count is very favorable to a pitcher. In these counts the pitcher has the opportunity to get the batter to "chase", or swing at, a pitch out of the strike zone. Arguing balls and strikes in a Major League game can lead to a warning from the umpire, and an ejection if the team member does not cease arguing.

From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.