How to Steal a Base Stealing a base looks like a burst of speed, but the best base stealers know it begins long before the runner breaks. It starts with reading the game state, measuring the pitcher, understanding the catcher, and creating a lead that is aggressive without being reckless. It is a small tactical […]

What Does ERA Mean in Baseball? ERA stands for Earned Run Average, and it is one of the oldest ways baseball measures a pitcher’s effectiveness. The idea sounds simple enough: how many earned runs does a pitcher allow, on average, over nine innings. If a pitcher has a 3.00 ERA, the headline interpretation is that […]

The Curveball Is More Than a Fancy Breaking Pitch A curveball gets talked about as if it is a magic trick. Fans see a hitter frozen, the pitch falls under the bat, and the whole thing looks like sleight of hand. In practice, a good curveball is built from repeatable details. The pitcher needs a […]

What Does RBI Mean in Baseball? RBI in baseball stands for runs batted in. The stat credits a hitter when his action at the plate leads directly to a run scoring, within the scoring rules. It is one of the oldest and most familiar offensive numbers in the sport because it connects a plate appearance […]