Baseball or Softball

Strike one, strike two, strike three you’re out. These are things that are heard during a baseball or softball game. Both baseball and softball are sports that girls and boys participate in. There are skills required to play both sports but they can be learned. They also provide exercise for the individual that plays and entertainment for those who watch. Both games are extremely similar, but they also have many differences. Even though both sports appear different they are very similar in some instances in such ways that they both used balls that are spheres. There are four bases that have to be rounded to score a point, which is called a run. Baseball and softball fields are shaped like diamonds. There are positions for nine players on the field. These positions are comprised of the catcher and the pitcher, the shortstop (who plays between second and third), the first, second, and third base players, and then there are the right, left, and centerfield players. Actual games of baseball and softball are overseen by umpires who are there to make sure that all rules are followed.

They also determine if a ball is a foul ball, or if it is a strike or a ball, or if the player is safe or out. While there are many similarities between softball and baseball there are also several differences. One main example is the size of the ball used to play. The softballs are around eleven inches around, while the baseball is only nine inches around. Another major difference is the bats that are used. Baseball bats cannot be any longer than 42 inches, while a softball bat is about 34 inches. During a professional game of baseball the bats are all made of wood. Softball and baseball games have a different number of innings. Baseball games have nine innings, while softball games only last seven unless there is a need for extra innings. There is also a double first base in softball games but not in baseball games. The baseball and softball field varies in size such as the length between the pitcher’s mound and home plate. The distance between home plate and the pitcher’s mound in baseball is around 17 ft. longer than the distance between the mound and home plate in softball.

The distance between bases also varies by field. In softball the distance between bases is shorter than the baseball field. If a player wants to hit a homerun in softball the distance is less than its counterpart. There is also a difference in the pitching mound. In baseball the mound is raised. In softball the mound is merely a flat circle marked with a white chalk outline. The way in which a batter may bunt the ball in either baseball or softball is the same. Although when it comes to stealing bases in baseball the runner is allowed to steal whenever the ball is live (which is most of the time). In softball you are only allowed to steal once the pitcher releases the ball out of their hand, but the runner is not allowed to leave the base if the pitcher has the ball in the pitching circle.

Another major difference between baseball and softball is the how the ball is thrown to the batter. In softball the ball is pitched underhanded and can be fast as it is in fast-pitch softball or slow like in slow-pitch softball. In baseball the ball is usually pitched overhanded in really fast speeds. Whether you like baseball or softball I believe both games are entertaining and fun. Both games have very similar and very different rules than most people would expect with two different games. My audience for this essay would be for students in the fourth or fifth grade. Students who like to play sports but don’t really know some of the differences between baseball and softball.