Out (baseball)

In baseball, an out occurs when the defensive, or fielding, team effects any of a number of different events, and the umpire rules a batter or baserunner out. When a player is called out, he is said to be retired. When three outs are recorded in an inning during a team's turn at offense, it is said that "the side is retired."

The most common ways batters or runners are put out are by strikeouts, fly outs, tag outs, and force outs, however there are many somewhat rarer ways an out can occur.

• The batter is out when:
• the third strike is pitched and caught in flight;
• on any third strike, if a baserunner is on first and there are fewer than two outs;
• he bunts foul with two strikes;
• he is hit by his own fair ball, outside of the batter's box, before the ball is played by a fielder;
• he commits interference;
• he fails to bat in his proper turn and is discovered in an appeal;
• he hits a pitch with a foot entirely outside of the batter's box;
• he steps from one batter's box to the other when the pitcher is ready to pitch; or
• he is found to have used an altered bat.

• The batter-runner is out when:
• he fails to reach first base before a fielder with a live ball in his possession touches first base or tags the batter-runner (except when the batter is awarded first base, such as on a base on balls);
• a batted ball is caught in flight (fly out); or
• he hits an infield popup while the infield fly rule applies.

• Any baserunner, other than the batter-runner,......
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