Basic Baseball Strategy Trivia Quiz

Answer: No outs, a runner on first base, and the weakest hitter on the team at the plate

Bunting - holding the bat out and allowing the pitch to bounce as opposed to swinging - is a standard strategy to advance runners on base, usually (but not always) resulting in the batter being thrown out at first base. In other words, bunting usually sacrifices an out to move closer to scoring a run.

Therefore, it is more common to see a poor batter - who is unlikely to contribute by getting a hit - sacrifice in this way than a good hitter, though good hitters do bunt sometimes, too.

Answer: When they are safe at second or third base

Many baseball strategies - such as bunting and stealing bases - are built on moving runners into scoring position, since most good baseball players can run home from second base after a good hit. On a team that hits a lot of home runs, this might not be as important, since runners will score from first automatically after a homer, but almost all teams place at least some value on getting a runner over to second base.

Answer: Leave the pitcher in

Starting pitchers are trained to "pace themselves" somewhat, and even good starters sometimes have trouble in the early innings. Unless the team has fallen behind on the scoreboard, most managers and coaches will allow their top starter (the "ace") to continue in this situation, since they are usually not tired after facing only two batters.

Answer: Replace the pitcher with the team's best relief pitcher

The best relief pitchers in baseball - the "closers" - train for exactly this type of situation. By the ninth inning, the starting pitcher (if still in the game, which is uncommon in major league baseball) will be getting tired, and it is time for the closer to come in fresh and save the day.

In years past, it was considered a point of pride for starters to finish the game. As managers and coaches have recognized how this stresses players' arms, this has become less common, and the vast majority of baseball games (at the college and professional levels, anyway) are finished by relievers.

Answer: Third

Most casual fans tend to think of the best hitter on the team batting fourth - or "cleanup" as it is commonly called. However, if you watch a lot of baseball, you will see that the best hitter on the team usually (though not always) bats third, largely to guarantee that they get to bat in the first inning. Perhaps the prime example was Babe Ruth, whose uniform number "3" was assigned based on his place in the batting order.

Another example of the "three-hitter's" importance comes in the book "Three Days in August", which features co-author Tony LaRussa agonizing over whom to bat third in the order when the great Albert Pujols is out with an injury.

Answer: First

The first batter in the lineup - the "leadoff" hitter - specializes in getting on base and scoring runs. The best example of a leadoff hitter was Rickey Henderson, who finished his career with major league records for walks, runs scored, and stolen bases.

There is a school of thought that the best hitter on the team - who usually bats third - should bat first instead because they would then get to bat more than anyone else. This rarely happens in real games, though.

Answer: The other team's best hitter is at the plate, no one is on base, and the next hitter up is not particularly good

Usually the intentional walk is used to avoid big hits by good hitters. Intentional walks are uncommon with a runner on first base (since the walk would move the runner into scoring position) and with good hitters coming up. One example is the legendary 1961 New York Yankee team, whose right fielder, Roger Maris, broke the major league record for home runs in a season, but was never intentionally walked because Hall-of-Famer Mickey Mantle batted right behind him.

Answer: True

Many managers and coaches use these tendencies in a strategy called "platooning" - trying to get left-handed hitters in against right-handed pitchers and vice versa. Likewise, when their team in on defense, a right-handed pitcher might replace a lefty to face a particularly good right-handed batter, even if the lefty is generally a better pitcher.

Answer: Pitcher

At the amateur level, the best all-around athletes are often both the best pitchers and the best hitters. Because of the intense training it takes to be a good pitcher, however, it is extremely rare for a major league pitcher to be able to hit anywhere nearly as well as the other players on the team.

In many leagues, the rules allow for a better hitter to bat in place of the pitcher. Though this rule has grown in popularity since its introduction in the early 1970s, it is still controversial among many fans who enjoy seeing pitchers cultivate their hitting skills - or who enjoy seeing managers and coaches use strategy (like pinch hitting or having the pitcher bunt) to compensate for poor-hitting hurlers.

Answer: Hit and run

The hit and run is a popular play with fast runners and batters who rarely strike out. It gives the runners a good jump to make it to the next base - or home - on a hit. It also helps the hitter, as fielders will move to cover the bases and create gaps in how the defense is positioned. The hit and run is not without its disadvantages, however; baserunners must tag up if the batter hits a fly ball, and some hitters (such as Hall-of-Famer Joe Morgan) find movement on the bases distracting.

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