h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I would like to suggest my entry on baseball to the editors:
http://www.h2g2.com/A435601

Thx - Trillian

Several places in the entry you say "more to come". Do you intend to write more?

You leave out one important method of scoring a run, and that is a homerun -- where the ball is hit out of the field, into the stands (or in some circumstances out of the ballpark completely), but fair, that is, between the two foul poles.

The two players statistics you choose are by no means the best in history, and may not be the best currently. While Cal Ripken may hold the record for # of games played in a row (or was that Cal Sr?) I'm not sure you can call anybody with a .277 career batting avg Great, unless their greatness was in defense (Like an Ozzie Smith). Why choose these two?

You will have to remove the personal reference at the end (or the subeditors will ultimately remove it) since the word "I" is for the most part forbidden in the Edited guide.

You should try to link to the other edited Guide entries that relate. There is one on the World Series, and another on being a Chicago Cubs fan. You could also link to the entries on the related British sports of Cricket and Rounders.

This is definitely a good start


Gavroche

Thank you - the edits shall be made...

I am going to get my boyfriend to explain some more stuff to me so I can add to this entry but I did make some of your suggested changes. And I still gave some credit to my boy toy, or else he won't help me! I have to ask him more about the scoring and rules and I think I want to add more terms. Let me know what you think! All suggestions are welcome!

Thx - Trillian

I'm pleased to inform you that this entry has been recommended for the Edited Guide. You'll be notified via e-mail when it's due to appear. Thank you for writing such a great article - please keep up the good work!

- Lentilla

P.S. - If you want to add more terms, go right ahead - you have a little time before the subs get their hands on it. I'm sure the subs wouldn't mind if you wanted to fill out the definition of a triple play...

Lentilla, you may want to remind the editors about this one. It appears to have slipped through the cracks during "Rupert"

Going by his comments on the Scout's mailing list, Ashley would welcome a good baseball yarn

You mean the Swell Foop? Okay, I'll post it again... I'm due to pick out some more entries anyway.

I didn't know baseballs were made out of yarn!

The HTML makes the yarn look like a editor's nightmare. Hope I don't get it to sub

I'm pleased to inform you that your entry has been picked for the Edited Guide. Congratulations! When the entry is about to appear on the front page, you'll receive an e-mail notifying you. Thanks for writing such a great article!

- Lentilla

Editorial Note: This thread has been moved out of the Peer Review forum because this entry has now been recommended for the Edited Guide.

If they have not been along already, the Scout who recommended your entry will post here soon, to let you know what happens next. Meanwhile you can find out what will happen to your entry here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/SubEditors-Process

Congratulations!

FWIW, after having read this and being an avid baseball fan, I'd like to make the following editing suggestions:

Your descriptions under Defense for 2b and Shortstop are not quite accurate. The second baseman is positioned closer to the middle of the infield, but still between first and second base, not covering between second and third base. The shortstop does indeed cover second base if the ball it hit to the right side of the infield, but determining whether the shortstop or second baseman takes responsability for a ball hit up the middle of the field are governed by a few factors: Other runners on base (and which base/bases are occupied); the score; and how many outs are already recorded.

Defensively, the pitcher is also required to cover home plate if the catcher is required to retrieve an errant throw or leave his position at any time.

A 'bunt' is utilized by more than just the speediest players, it is very situational (as is much of baseball's strategy.) A bunt to get on base is indeed generally used only by the swiftest runners. However, if the goal is to advance existing runners to the next base and avoid the probability of a double play, a bunt can be performed by anyone. This assumes the play will go to first base to retire the batter, allowing the other runners to advance. This is known as a sacrifice bunt. There are also two other plays that use the bunt, the 'safety squeeze' and the 'suicide squeeze.' This requires a runner on third base, and the only difference between the two is whether the runner on third waits for the play to develop before attempting to make it to home and score a run (a safety squeeze) or if the runner commits himself to heading home as soon as the pitch is delivered, not worrying about how the play develops (a suicide squeeze.) You do not see either of these very often, however.

One other unique quality of baseball worth mentioning is that the defense largely controls the ball. When a team takes the field in their defensive positions, the pitcher controls the ball when it is not 'in play.'

To your statement "If a fielder or baseman catches a ball in foul territory it is still considered an out." This is only true if the ball has not first hit the ground. In other words, a 'fly' ball.

To your statement "When a batter hits the ball out of the park in between the right and left foul poles. If the ball hits either of the foul poles it is still a homerun. This results in an automatic run or score. While the batter gets the point automatically he still must run around the bases and return to home base." Additionally, if a batter manages to round all four bases even if the ball does not leave the park, it is called an "inside-the-park home run." Also, any runners already on base ahead of the batter who hits a homerun score. However, if the batter ever passes an existing runner on the basepath, he is out! Also, a ball hit over the fence must do so without first having touched the ground in fair territory...otherwise it becomes a 'ground rule double' if it bounces off the ground and then over the fence. The same is NOT true if it hits a player...the best example of this is when Jose Canseco (playing right field for the Texas Rangers) chased a ball to the fence in Cleveland, missed the ball with his glove, the ball then bounced off Canseco's (hard) head and over the wall. Home Run for Cleveland!



Thanks for your work on this subject! I wanted to write something but found a few entries already existed, so I wanted to contribute what I could! If you'd like, I'd be happy to work with you on further baseball articles...



LLLVIS

LLLvis - Your suggestions look great! The current updating system is a one-man operation, but the one man's also an avid baseball fan, and has expressed an interest in updating this entry.

I would recommend that you take the text that you've written here and post it in a new thread along with the Guide Entry number (A435601) to this address:

Jimi's Update Headquarters page is at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A496451

Good luck!

>touch the Umpire and if you have the odasity to<

Careful with the spelling of 'audacity.'

Cheers.