# baseball **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 14, 1999, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball/1957 "1999-07-14T00:57:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 1999, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball/1957/1 "1999-07-14T00:57:00Z")
how many ways is there to get on base without hitting the ball? ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 1999, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball/1957/2 "1999-07-14T01:05:00Z")
Six. But two of them are really really unlikely, so spend some more time at the batting cage. 🙂 (Is this in the archives? I know it was answered in book one.) ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 1999, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball/1957/3 "1999-07-14T01:09:00Z")
what are the six ways? walk, hit by pitch, stikeout with a passed ball, ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 1999, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball/1957/4 "1999-07-14T01:12:00Z")
Yep. In the archives. And there are _six_ ways. [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1\_299.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_299.html) ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 1999, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball/1957/5 "1999-07-14T01:21:00Z")
Thank you I got it ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 1999, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball/1957/6 "1999-07-14T02:45:00Z")
And I thank you. Baseball’s such a _wierd_ game. Peace, mangeorge * * * Work like you don’t need the money… Love like you’ve never been hurt… Dance like nobody’s watching! …Unknown ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 1999, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball/1957/7 "1999-07-14T03:12:00Z")
1. base hit 2. walk 3. hit by pitch 4. In the ninth inning, with two strikes, the catcher drops the ball. You can run for the base then (I think this is how it goes) 5. balk 6. and uh . . .catcher interference? ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 1999, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball/1957/8 "1999-07-14T11:55:00Z")
theuglytruth, situation #4 in your list is a passed ball, and refers to **situation** in which the catcher drops strike three, not just the ninth inning. This is why you so often see catchers bobble a strike at the plate, then quickly reach out and tag the batter as he begins to trot away. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 1999, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball/1957/9 "1999-07-14T15:25:00Z")
> [@](#): > > theuglytruth, situation #4 in your list is a passed ball, and refers to situation in which the catcher drops strike three, not just the ninth inning. He’s just remembering the most famous instance of this. (Can you say “Mickey Owen”?) ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 1999, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball/1957/10 "1999-07-14T18:11:00Z")
It’s actually any dropped third strike, with less than two outs, if no one is on first base. If two outs, even if someone is on first base. I always tagged the batter if the ball bounced before it got to me, even if I caught it cleanly. I don’t know the rule on that situation, but I guess it’s better to be safe than sorry.