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WOTD 751

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As soon as October rolls around, you can bet that the Major Baseball playoffs are in full swing - totally ! Let's head out to the old ballpark to learn about...ballparks!

Ballparks are the homes of for many people. Whether it's a or a local little ballpark, many children form their first friendships during games with their neighborhood pals.

Many small towns around the United States feature minor ballparks that are home to teams full of up-and-coming players hoping to one day play in the big leagues. These small ballparks hold a place in their communities , as they bring folks together to and their local team.

Of course, there's nothing quite like watching a Major Baseball game at a big ballpark. From the crowds and food to the big screens and excitement of the game, there's just something magical about a day at the ballpark.

By the time the seventh-inning stretch rolls around and you hear the opening notes of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," you jump to your feet and sing along to the of its famous :
Take me out to the ball game, Take me out with the crowd; Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack, I don't care if I never get back. Let me root, root, root for the home team, If they don't win, it's a shame. For it's one, two, three strikes, you're out, At the old ball game.
Today's big ballparks offer much more than just peanuts and Cracker Jack. In addition to hot dogs, popcorn and sodas, many modern ballparks offer all sorts of food choices, including pizza, nachos, sandwiches, and even gourmet meals at restaurants.

As the size of big ballparks has over the years, fans that sit farther away from the playing field can still catch all of the action on big screen televisions located around the ballpark. These televisions show instant replays and display all sorts of interesting statistics throughout the game.

Although ballparks have changed with the times over the years, many people treasure their of the old-time ballparks. Designers of modern ballparks have tried hard to make new stadiums look and feel like the ballparks from the old days, while still featuring all of the modern conveniences people enjoy today.

If you get the chance to attend a Major Baseball game, do it! Here are a few unique ballparks with features you might want to check out:

Boston's Fenway Park (home of the Boston Red Sox) features the 37-foot-tall "Green Monster" - a wall in left field that robs many batters of what would be a home run in many other ballparks.

Kauffman (home of the Kansas City Royals) features a 322-foot fountain and waterfall called the Water Spectacular. It also boasts the largest video board of any big ballpark.

Chase Field (home of the Arizona Diamondbacks) has air conditioning and a pool in the outfield that can be rented by spectators-both of which are popular features in the hot Phoenix climate!

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As soon as October rolls around, you can bet that the Major Baseball playoffs are in full swing - totally ! Let's head out to the old ballpark to learn about...ballparks! Ballparks are the homes of for many people. Whether it's a or a local little ballpark, many children form their first friendships during games with their neighborhood pals.

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WOTD 1759

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It's the bottom of the ninth . There are two outs. The bases are loaded. You stand on the , staring down your 's best hitter. Your team has a one-run lead. You wind up and throw your best fastball. He swings. He misses! Strike one.

You take a deep breath and get ready for the second . The catcher signals for another fastball and you . Another swing. Another miss! Strike two. You can almost taste now.

The catcher signals for a different : a curveball. You the baseball tightly and then whip it toward home plate. It flies toward the batter and then, at the last second, it dips down to duck the swinging bat. Strike three. You win!

If you're a fan of baseball, then you may have daydreamed a scene like that a time or two. Who wouldn't want to win a game by striking out the other team's best batter with a curveball?

Unlike a fastball, which travels straight to the plate as quickly as possible, a curveball drops and curves as it flies toward the batter. Since batters only have a split-second to swing at the ball, they often miss curveballs because they can't see them dip and move until it's too late.

How do pitchers throw curveballs? Do they hex the ball? Is it magic? Nope! It's pure science. In fact, all baseball pitches are interesting to study when it comes to learning about the physical laws of our world.

Many physical forces are at work in baseball. Gravity, , , acceleration, and momentum are all involved in America's favorite pastime. When it comes to a curveball, though, the spin put on the ball by the pitcher brings a couple of other scientific principles into play: Bernoulli's principle and the Magnus Effect.

To throw a curveball, a pitcher grips the ball tightly with the middle and index fingers together across the seams of the ball. The middle finger is critical, as the pitcher needs to make sure that the seams provide resistance against the middle finger during the throw. This resistance helps the pitcher to put topspin on the ball as it's released with a tight rotation.

When the ball is thrown, a pitcher hooks his wrist rather than simply flicking the wrist downward as he would when throwing a fastball. As the pitcher hooks his wrist over the ball and to the side, he creates a tight spin that will result in the ball curving and diving as it reaches the plate.

As a curveball flies through the air, the spin creates an of air pressure on either side of the ball. According to Bernoulli's principle, this of air pressure creates lift. When applied to a spinning object, the Magnus Effect holds that the force of lift generated will cause the spinning ball to move in the direction of lower pressure.

For a right-handed pitcher, a curveball spins clockwise as it heads toward home plate, pushing through the air, and slowing by the force of caused by the resistance of the air. Because of the ball's spin, air will pass more quickly on one side than the other. In other words, the air will move with the spin of the ball on one side and against the spin of the ball on the other side.

The side of the ball where the air passes faster will experience less air pressure. The result is that the ball will curve in the direction of lower air pressure. This will happen in the last quarter of the ball's trip to home plate, which explains why curveballs are so hard to hit.

Can you throw a curveball? Would you like to learn? Start by practicing in a yard or park with a friend or family member. It may be tough at first, but with practice, you could be pitching in the major leagues in no time!

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Today's Wonder of the Day might have you shouting, "Batter up!"

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WOTD 549

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If you follow professional baseball, you've probably noticed that the best hitters and the best pitchers are usually not the same players. Pitchers tend to focus on pitching and usually don't lead the in hits or home runs. The best hitters are usually players that play any position except pitcher.

Would you believe that one of baseball's all-time greats was both a fantastic pitcher and a world-class hitter? It's true! Who are we talking about? "Babe" Ruth, of course!

George Herman "Babe" Ruth, Jr., was born on February 6, 1895. His famous baseball career lasted from 1914-1935. He got his start in the big leagues as a southpaw pitcher with the Boston Red Sox. In 1919, though, he was traded to the New York Yankees, where he switched to right and soon became one of the best hitters the has ever seen.

While with the Yankees, "Babe" won seven pennants (American Championships) and four World Series. His outstanding play earned him many different nicknames. In addition to "Babe" Ruth (more on that name in a bit), you'll also hear him referred to as "the Great Bambino," "the of ," and "the of ."

A year after his retirement in 1935, "Babe" Ruth became one of the first five players elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Over time, his accomplishments have only become more . Today, he's seen as one of the greatest sports of all time - in any .

His effect on baseball was tremendous . The popularity of baseball exploded in the 1920s, due in large part to "Babe" Ruth's play and outgoing personality . Many baseball experts consider him to be the greatest baseball player ever.

He set famous records for home runs that stood for many years. For example, his single-season record of 60 home runs (in 1927) stood until it was broken by Roger Maris in 1961. His record for most home runs in a career (714) stood until it was broken in 1974 by Hank Aaron.

So how did George Herman Ruth become "Babe" Ruth? There are several theories about how the came about, but the most likely story involves a famous baseball named Jack Dunn. Because "Babe" Ruth got started in baseball when he was only 19, another player was thought to have said, "Here's one of Dunnie's babes," when Ruth showed up for spring training.

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Today's Wonder of the Day features a "Babe" who could swing with the best of them!

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What Is the Most Successful Sports Team? 

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What Is the Most Successful Sports Team? 

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WOTD 1530

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Do you love sports? If you're like many kids, you probably enjoy playing a number of different sports throughout the year. Soccer in the fall is followed by basketball in the winter and baseball in the spring. Or perhaps your favorites are football, volleyball, softball, bowling, or golf!

Whatever sport you play, you always have heroes to look up to. Young soccer players, for example, might admire the skills of Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi. Future hoops stars might want to shoot like Stephen Curry or dunk like LeBron James.

While only a very small, group of players ever make it to the big leagues, many youngsters play their favorite sports throughout high school, and some even choose to be student-athletes when they go to college. If you love to play sports, there's nothing quite like the feeling when your sets its sights on and ultimately achieves a : a championship .

Of course, after your playing days are over, you can continue to enjoy your favorite sports as a of professional teams. Some people, for example, like to follow all the sports teams in their favorite town. If you live in Chicago, you could root for the Bears, Cubs, White Sox, Bulls, Blackhawks, or Fire.

If there's one thing that sports fans love to do almost as much as watching their favorite play live in their home stadium or arena, it's arguing about which professional sports is the . While we all have our favorite sports teams, there can only be one "" , right? So what is the most successful sports ?

It will come as no surprise to any sports that there is no of disagreement about the most successful sports . Part of the problem is that there are so many ways to define . Is the most successful sports the one that has won the most games in its history? Or is it the that has won the most world championships? Some people even want to narrow the definition to a single at a particular time in history.

Instead of settling upon a specific definition of , let's look instead at some of the most successful teams in sporting history, regardless of how you define . For example, some experts have calculated the winning percentage of sports teams over the course of their histories.

There are several sports teams that have amassed overall winning percentages of over 55% of their games. Some of these famous teams include the Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears, New York Yankees, Green Bay Packers, Boston Celtics, and San Antonio Spurs. One , though has won over 60% of its games: the Los Angeles Lakers.

Do those winning percentages impress you? Or does perfection sound even better? Some might argue that the 1972 Miami Dolphins are the most successful sports , since they're the only National Football (NFL) ever to the Super Bowl after finishing the season unbeaten.

For many sports fans, that season-capping world championship victory is what it's all about. By that standard, each sport would arguably have its own most successful ever. Football fans can look to the Green Bay Packers, who have won nine NFL titles and four Super Bowls. Basketball fans can celebrate the Boston Celtics, who have won 17 titles. And New York Yankees fans won't let you forget that their has won an incredible 27 World Series titles.

So who would you say is the most successful sports ? It all depends upon how you define . Some sports fans might argue that the greatest sports in any sport ever might by the New Zealand All Blacks. The most successful ever, the All Blacks boast an overall winning percentage of 76% against all opponents!

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What Is the Most Successful Sports Team?

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Do you love sports? If you're like many kids, you probably enjoy playing a number of different sports throughout the year. Soccer in the fall is followed by basketball in the winter and baseball in the spring. Or perhaps your favorites are football, volleyball, softball, bowling, or golf!

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What do baseball parks and campfires have in ? They're both places you're likely to run into one of America's favorite foods: the hot dog!

If you've ever been to a league baseball game, then you might have had the chance to one of the concession stand delicacies known as a frankfurter. If you've ever cooked dinner over a campfire, then you might have roasted a hot dog on a stick.

Of course, hot dogs are eaten at many other times and in many other places all over the country. Do you ever have hot dogs at school for lunch? What about at home for dinner? An ages-old favorite for many kids is hot dogs and and cheese!

Experts estimate that Americans eat over 20 billion hot dogs every year. Wow! That's about 60 hot dogs for every American each year. Do you eat that many hot dogs?

Hot dogs have been around for a long time. Originally called frankfurters, their origin can be traced back to 1852 in Frankfurt, Germany. From the start, hot dogs were basically small sausages.

Today, some hot dogs are made entirely of one type of meat, such as beef, pork, chicken, or turkey. There are even vegetarian hot dogs that contain no meat at all. Many hot dogs, however, are more like traditional sausages, because they are made from a recipe containing a mixture of a variety of ingredients.

Although there are as many special hot dog recipes out there as there are people and companies who make hot dogs (thousands of them!), most hot dogs of a similar set of ingredients. These include meat, meat fat, filler (such as flour or bread crumbs), egg whites, and spices. Some popular hot dog spices include salt, pepper, onion, and garlic.

Mass-produced hot dogs to be sold in stores will also often contain preservatives, artificial colorings, and . Hot dog makers all these ingredients together in large food processors or meat grinders. They then use the processed mixture to fill sausage casings often made of or .

Before being packaged, hot dogs are pre-cooked, usually by boiling them for about 15 minutes. After they're pre-cooked, the hot dogs can be packaged and refrigerated or frozen.

Once sold, the hot dogs must be cooked again by boiling, microwaving, steaming, frying, grilling, roasting, or just about any way you can imagine cooking meat! Serve them up on a bun, and you're ready for a delicious and filling meal!

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What do baseball parks and campfires have in ? They're both places you're likely to run into one of America's favorite foods: the hot dog! If you've ever been to a league baseball game, then you might have had the chance to one of the concession stand delicacies known as a frankfurter.

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WOTD 1240

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Are you a of baseball? If so, you know that the major leagues are filled with talented players from all walks of life. Teams include people of different races and nationalities. Sadly, though, that was not always the case. Years ago, athletes of different races had to play in separate leagues.

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WOTD 289

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Today's Wonder of the Day was inspired by Alec. Alec Wonders, " how do you throw a fastball " Thanks for WONDERing with us, Alec!

If you've ever played baseball, you know that fastball pitchers can bring the heat. Some pitchers will try to out a batter by throwing pitches outside the .

Others may try to trick batters by throwing pitches that move around. Fastball pitchers, however, just throw the ball as hard and fast as possible, hoping to put it by the batter before he can .

Fastballs are the most common type of pitch in baseball. Over time, several different types of fastball pitches have been .

If you grip the baseball with your fingers across the wide part of the so that both your and middle fingers are touching two seams, you throw a straight pitch called a "four- fastball." This pitch moves very little and is often used when a pitcher really needs to throw a .

A two- fastball or "sinker" is thrown by gripping the baseball across the narrow part of the so that both your and middle fingers are along a . Sinkers are harder to throw, but the movement they cause can make them harder to hit.

A cut fastball or "cutter" is thrown by using the same grip as a four- fastball. Instead of the usual grip, though, a pitcher holds the baseball off-center. This pitch deceives batters when it moves slightly as it reaches the plate.

Some batters believe in a mythical pitch known as a "rising fastball" in which the ball hops as crosses the plate and misses the bat. We assure you, though, rising fastballs fall into the same category as unicorns and the Loch Ness Monster.

But gravity does rule the day, and fastballs do indeed fall - not rise - from the time they leave the pitcher's hand until they hit the catcher's .

Why do so many batters believe fastballs can actually rise? Scientists believe it's an .

So exactly how fast is a fastball? There's no set speed required to equal a fastball. It's simply a type of pitch that results from a pitcher throwing the baseball as hard and as fast as possible.

For years, the best baseball pitchers in the major leagues strived to reach the 100 miles per hour (mph) mark for a fastball. Nolan Ryan held the world record for a time with a 100.9 mph fastball thrown in 1974. Today, it's quite common for major league pitchers routinely to throw fastballs in the 95+ mph range.

In September 2010, a fastball thrown by the Cincinnati Reds' Aroldis Chapman was measured at 105.1 mph. Unofficially, Bob Feller claimed that a fastball of his was once measured at 107.9 mph way back in 1946.

Pitchers do seem to be pitching faster as time goes on. In the last 10 years, at least 20 different pitchers have thrown fastballs that have been measured at over 101 mph!

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Today's Wonder of the Day was inspired by Alec. Alec Wonders, " how do you throw a fastball " Thanks for WONDERing with us, Alec! If you've ever played baseball, you know that fastball pitchers can bring the heat. Some pitchers will try to out a batter by throwing pitches outside the .

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WOTD 1256

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On warm summer days, there's nothing quite like spending the day at your favorite ballpark. Whether you're playing baseball or softball or watching your favorite team do battle against its , great memories are sure to be made!

If you've ever played baseball or softball, you know that one of the true joys of stepping up to the plate is making solid contact with the ball. A base hit - or even a double or a - can be thrilling. In fact, there's only one thing that tops those. What are we talking about? A home run, of course!

Whether you call it a homer, a , or a over the outfield fence, the ultimate batting achievement is to take a big swing, hear the satisfying crack of the bat as it hits the ball, and watch the ball through the air until it clears the playing field and lands in the stands.

Home runs are definitely one of the most exciting parts of a major league baseball game. Fans jump and shout for when a player knocks one out of the park. It's quite a sight to see a professional baseball player hit a fastball hundreds of feet in the air. In fact, it's so exciting that one of the highlights of the major league baseball season is the Home Run that occurs every year right before the All-Star Game.

Baseball fans love statistics, and plenty of statistics are kept for home runs. One of the most cherished records in all of major league baseball is the most career home runs. Held by many years by baseball legend Babe Ruth, the career home run record was broken in 1974 by Hank Aaron. Aaron retired with a total of 755 career home runs.

Aaron's record would stand for over 30 years. In 2007, Barry Bonds broke Aaron's record and eventually retired with 762 career home runs. How long will Bonds' record stand? No one knows!

Another record that baseball fans are often curious about is the longest home run ever hit. Unfortunately - and surprisingly, given baseball's fascination with statistics - there's no easy, clear-cut answer to the question of who hit the longest home run!

"How can that be?" is a question that may immediately come to mind. With all the statistics and records kept in baseball, plus the technology available today, how can we not know who hit the longest home run?

The main reason why statistics aren't kept on home run distances is that it's simply too hard to measure accurately the distance a ball travels. If you're in a wide-open field, you can hit a ball as far as possible and then measure the distance from where you hit the ball to where it landed.

In major league stadiums, however, a home run ball rarely ever completes an to the ground. If you think about the home runs you've witnessed, you'll understand the problem. When a home run ball clears the outfield fence, it usually hits a wall, a pole, a roof, a scoreboard, a seat, or even a fan's glove.

Modern stadiums have software that can estimate how far a home run ball travels before it hits one of these objects. Such an estimate is an approximate distance, but it's not exact and can't predict how far the ball would've traveled . Plus, today's technology wasn't around for the thousands upon thousands of home runs that have been hit since baseball began.

All that being said, there are some historic blasts that many baseball experts can agree would definitely be in the running for the longest home run ever. When researching longest home runs, you'll likely run across claims that legends like Mickey Mantle and Babe Ruth hit home runs well over 600 feet.

When you consider that many baseball stadiums have centerfield fences around 400 feet from home plate, such blasts would be truly spectacular. Unfortunately, those distances were measured from where the ball stopped rolling after bouncing several times - not where it first landed.

When considering only landing distance, however, there are a few home runs that arguably measured well over 500 feet. For example, Reggie Jackson's famous home run at Tiger Stadium during the 1971 All-Star Game is thought to have traveled approximately 532 feet. Its distance would have been even greater had it not hit a light tower!

Others believed to have hit home runs in excess of 500 feet include Ted Williams, Mark McGwire, and Cecil Fielder. Of course, legends such as Mantle and Ruth (and others!) would probably be in that club, too, had today's technology been available back when they played!

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On warm summer days, there's nothing quite like spending the day at your favorite ballpark. Whether you're playing baseball or softball or watching your favorite team do battle against its , great memories are sure to be made!

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WOTD 155

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Every , professional baseball teams invade small towns in Florida and Arizona to practice and play exhibition games prior to the start of the regular Major League Baseball season. We call this annual of baseball teams " ."

is almost as old as baseball itself. Some believe the first took place in 1870, when the Cincinnati Red Stockings and the Chicago White Stockings hosted camps in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Other historians believe the Washington Capitals started in 1888, when they held a in Jacksonville, Florida. Today, is a well-established that fans across the nation look forward to each year.

All Major League Baseball teams hold in either Florida or Arizona in the . The Arizona teams play in the League, while Florida teams play in the Grapefruit League.

usually lasts about two months, starting in mid-February and lasting until just before opening day of the regular season, which is traditionally the first week of April. Teams normally wear their practice uniforms during , saving their regular uniforms for the real season.

The purpose of is to allow new players to try out for spots on the team, while existing team members practice in order to get back in top shape for the coming season. In fact, camps got started as true camps designed to get players into shape.

Decades ago, most baseball players could not live all year on their baseball salaries, so they had to work other jobs that didn't always keep them in shape.

Pitchers and catchers usually show up for a week or more before other players because pitchers need a longer period to get their throwing arms in shape.

gives managers a chance to current players against up-and-coming younger players. The sessions and exhibition games also give teammates a chance to get to know each other better, building team .

Baseball fans around the country look forward to each year. Many fans travel to Arizona or Florida each to watch their favorite teams play and enjoy the warm weather.

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Every , professional baseball teams invade small towns in Florida and Arizona to practice and play exhibition games prior to the start of the regular Major League Baseball season. We call this annual of baseball teams " ." is almost as old as baseball itself.

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WOTD 2073

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Today's Wonder of the Day was inspired by Grant from Belton, TX. Grant Wonders, " How much string is in a baseball? " Thanks for WONDERing with us, Grant!

Are you ? What things come to mind when you think of celebrating America? The Statue of Liberty? The Fourth of July? Apple pie? Maybe you think of one of our favorites: a good old-fashioned game of baseball.

When it comes to American sports, baseball remains one of the most American pastimes. Playing and and batting a baseball around are part of the memories of many kids.

If you've ever played with a baseball, you know that it's quite a bit different from other types of balls. For starters, it's not pumped full of air. It's quite hard and yet, when it's hit by a bat, it will and across the ground. What exactly is inside a baseball?

If you cut a baseball in half, you would immediately notice that it's of several layers. We'll start with the of the baseball and work our way out as we learn exactly what a baseball is made of.

The of a baseball - known as the "pill" - consists of a small ball of encased in two thin layers of . It weighs about half an ounce and is slightly less than three inches wide.

Special machines then wind various layers of yarn around the "pill" under high . Layer one contains 121 yards of four-ply, blue-gray wool yarn. The second layer contains 45 yards of three-ply, white wool yarn. The next layer consists of 53 yards of three-ply, blue-gray wool yarn. The final layer features 150 yards of -cotton blend white yarn.

Once the "pill" is tightly wrapped with these layers of yarn, the entire thing is coated with cement before it gets covered with two pieces of white . The covers of baseballs are hand-stitched using 88 inches of red cotton thread to create exactly 216 raised stitches.

Baseballs are tested before they're ready to be used in a game. For example, they must meet specific size requirements. Baseballs must weigh at least five ounces but not more than 5.25 ounces. They must also be at least nine inches but no more than 9.25 inches in circumference .

Baseballs must also meet standards of "liveliness." In scientific terms, a baseball's liveliness is known as the coefficient of restitution, which is the ratio of its relative speed after being hit to its relative speed before being hit.

To test liveliness, baseballs are shot from an air cannon at 85 feet per second at a wall made of northern white ash, which is what many baseball bats are made of. To be sufficiently lively, baseballs must back at between 0.514-0.578 of their original speed.

Today, about 80% of baseballs used worldwide are made in China. However, official baseballs for Major League Baseball are made by Rawlings in Costa Rica under an exclusive contract. Each year, Major League Baseball teams use nearly one million baseballs over the course of a season.

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Today's Wonder of the Day was inspired by Grant from Belton, TX. Grant Wonders, " How much string is in a baseball? " Thanks for WONDERing with us, Grant! Are you ? What things come to mind when you think of celebrating America? The Statue of Liberty? The Fourth of July?

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WOTD 25

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For most of baseball history, wooden bats ruled the day. It wasn't until the 1970s that metal bats were introduced and became . Today, baseball players can choose from a wide of baseball bats - both wooden and metal.

Wooden bats come in a of types of wood, including hickory (strong, but heavy), white ash (arguably still the most wood of ), and maple (increasing in popularity since Barry Bonds hit 73 home runs in 2001 with maple bats). Metal bats, first made with , now feature a of space-age and unique features. A top-quality metal bat can cost more than $300 today!

But which bat is best? Although you will find big fans of each type of bat, metal bats have become the bat of for most baseball players.

Why? Probably the most important reason is that scientific studies have shown that metal bats allow players to hit the ball faster and farther.

Metal bats also to less than wooden bats, making them easier to hold and . Also, metal bats do not break as as wooden bats.

So why do metal bats outperform their wooden counterparts ? Their lighter weight allows players to them faster, and players will tell you that a faster results in a faster batted ball. Scientists also attribute metal bats' superiority to something known as the " trampoline effect."

Although the behind the " trampoline effect" are quite complex, suffice it to say that the barrel of a metal bat acts somewhat like a , transferring more energy to the ball on than similar wooden bats. The more energy that the bat transfers to the ball, the faster and farther the ball travels.

So if metal bats are best, why do professional baseball players use wooden bats? Good question! Major League Baseball requires that all professional players use wooden bats due to safety and competitive concerns.

If metal bats were allowed in the big leagues, pitchers and infield players would be at greater risk of injury due to faster batted ball speeds. These same safety concerns have led many high school and college leagues to allow only wooden bats. Metal bats would also likely lead to a greater number of home runs, so forcing professional players to use wooden bats is intended to increase competition among teams.
Fun facts about the World Series:
Because the World Series takes place in October, sportswriters often refer to it as the Fall Classic.

The first night game in World Series history was played on October 13, 1971.

The New York Yankees have won 27 World Series championships, the most of any Major League franchise.

The Chicago Cubs currently have the longest streak of the most years between World Series wins. The Cubs won the World Series in 1908 and again in 2016, making it a 108-year championship drought.

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For most of baseball history, wooden bats ruled the day. It wasn't until the 1970s that metal bats were introduced and became . Today, baseball players can choose from a wide of baseball bats - both wooden and metal.

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What's the Difference Between Baseball and Softball?

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What's the Difference Between Baseball and Softball?

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WOTD 1247

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Ahhh... summer! In addition to trips to the beach and picnics, there's another time-honored tradition that many Americans enjoy: a trip to the ballpark! With a hot dog in one hand and a on the other, many children look forward to watching players around a ball and hopefully hit it over the !

Of course, many children enjoy playing ball more than watching a game. From tee ball to little , millions of children love to grab a bat and swing for the fences. There's nothing quite like running the bases on a hot summer day and sliding into home plate to score the winning run.

Not all players play the same type of ball, though. Some players call themselves baseball players, while others play a game they call softball. The balls look a lot and the games seem very similar. Is there really a difference ?

You bet there is! Just ask any softball or baseball player. Softball and baseball, while similar in many ways, have some significant differences.

Some people believe that softball is merely a version of baseball for girls, but they would be wrong! Invented in 1887 by George Hancock as a called "indoor baseball," softball began as a game after baseball. Over time, though, it has into a all its own that's enjoyed by both women and men.

If you watch both a baseball and a softball game, one of the first differences you'll notice is the techniques used by the pitchers. Baseball pitchers stand on an elevated pitching mound 60.5 feet away from home plate and throw with an overhand motion. Softball pitchers, on the other hand, throw underhanded from a flat pitching circle only 35-43 feet away from home plate.

You'll also notice that baseballs and softballs are quite different in size and color. Baseballs are quite a bit smaller and much denser. While baseballs have a circumference of nine inches, softballs have a circumference of 12 inches. Baseballs are almost always white, whereas softballs are often yellow. Younger softball players may play with a smaller, white 10-inch softball, though.

You may also notice differences in the bats baseball and softball players use. For younger players, baseball and softball bats are basically the same. For older players, though, softball bats tend to be made of metals or materials, while baseball players often use wooden bats. Softball bats sometimes also have a unique "bottle" shape.

The size of baseball and softball fields also differs. On a baseball field, the bases are 90 feet apart. On a softball field, however, the bases are only 60 feet apart. Because of the shorter distance between bases, softball players are not allowed to leave a until the ball is pitched, whereas baseball players are allowed to "lead off" a bit, often in an attempt to a .

In addition to the smaller infield, softball outfields are usually smaller than baseball outfields. Where a baseball field might have a home run in center field as far away as 400 feet, the center field on a softball field must be no more than 220 feet away.

Softball games are also shorter in length. While baseball players play nine innings, softball games usually last just seven innings. If a baseball game ends in a tie, players play extra innings to break the tie. Softball games also go into extra innings if tied, but with one important difference : in extra innings, teams start the with a runner on second , which often helps to break ties more quickly.

Although softball may have started out as "indoor baseball," the has to be a unique and significantly different today. Whether you play baseball or softball, though, you're sure to have tons of fun on the ball field!

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What's the Difference Between Baseball and Softball?

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Ahhh... summer! In addition to trips to the beach and picnics, there's another time-honored tradition that many Americans enjoy: a trip to the ballpark! With a hot dog in one hand and a on the other, many children look forward to watching players around a ball and hopefully hit it over the !