Editing Base on balls (section)

{{short description|In baseball, reaching base on four balls}}
[[Image:Strike_zone_en.JPG|thumb|A depiction of the [[strike zone]]. A base on balls occurs as a result of a plate appearance during which four pitches are thrown out of the strike zone that the batter does not swing at.]]
A '''base on balls''' ('''BB'''), better known as a '''walk''',<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/glossary/standard-stats/walk|title=Walk (BB)|website=Major League Baseball}}</ref>
occurs in [[baseball]] when a batter receives four pitches during a [[plate appearance]] that the umpire calls ''[[strike zone|balls]]'', and is in turn awarded first base without the possibility of being called [[Out (baseball)|out]]. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/official_rules/definition_terms_2.jsp|title=Official Rules|website=Major League Baseball}}</ref> and further detail is given in 6.08(a).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/official_rules/batter_6.jsp|title=Official Rules|website=Major League Baseball}}</ref> Despite being known as a "walk", it is considered a [[faux pas]] for a [[professional baseball|professional]] player to actually walk to first base; the batter-runner and any advancing runners normally jog on such a play.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/classic/biography/s/rosepete000824.html|title=Hustle made Rose respected, infamous|author=Bob Carter|publisher=[[ESPN]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://articles.philly.com/2013-04-13/sports/38513466_1_pete-rose-reds-base|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130420000238/http://articles.philly.com/2013-04-13/sports/38513466_1_pete-rose-reds-base|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 20, 2013|title=Pete Rose brought hustle, first hit 50 years ago|author=Joe Kay|date=April 13, 2013|work=[[philly.com]]}}</ref>

[[Image:Rashad eldridge draws a walk.jpg|thumb|Rashad Eldridge of the [[Oklahoma Redhawks]] walks to [[first base]] after drawing a base on balls.]]

The term "base on balls" distinguishes a walk from the other manners in which a batter can be awarded first base without liability to be put out (e.g., [[hit by pitch]] (HBP), [[catcher's interference]]).<ref>{{cite book|last=Office of the Comm'r of Baseball|title=2001 Official Rules of Major League Baseball, 6.08(a)|date=August 2000|publisher=Triumph Books|isbn=1-57243-397-3|pages=[https://archive.org/details/officialrulesofm00mlbt/page/93 93 (Rule 6.08(a))]|url=https://archive.org/details/officialrulesofm00mlbt/page/93}}</ref> Though a base on balls, catcher's interference, or a batter hit by a pitched ball all result in the batter (and possibly runners on base) being awarded a base,<ref>{{cite book|last=Office of the Comm'r of Baseball|title=2001 Official Rules of Major League Baseball|year=2000|publisher=Triumph Books|isbn=1-57243-397-3|pages=[https://archive.org/details/officialrulesofm00mlbt/page/93 93–94 (Rule 6.08(a)-(c)) (describing (a) bases on balls, (b) hit-by-pitched-ball, and (c) interference)]|url=https://archive.org/details/officialrulesofm00mlbt/page/93}}</ref>  the term "walk" usually refers only to a base on balls, and not the other methods of reaching base without the bat touching the ball.  An important difference is that for a hit batter or catcher's interference, the ball is dead and no one may advance unless forced; the ball is live after a walk (see below for details).

A batter who draws a base on balls is commonly said to have been "walked" by the pitcher. When the batter is walked, runners advance one base without liability to be put out only if forced to vacate their base to allow the batter to take first base. If a batter draws a walk with the [[bases loaded]], all preceding runners are forced to advance, including the runner on third base who is forced to home plate to score a run; when a run is forced on a walk, the batter is credited with a [[run batted in]] per rule 9.04.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/official_rules/official_scorer_10.jsp|title=Official Rules|website=Major League Baseball}}</ref>

Receiving a base on balls does not count as a [[hit (baseball)|hit]] or an [[at bat]] for a batter but does count as a [[times on base|time on base]] and a plate appearance. Therefore, a base on balls does not affect a player's [[batting average (baseball)|batting average]], but it can increase his [[on-base percentage]].<ref>In [[1887 in baseball|1887]], [[Major League Baseball]] counted bases on balls as [[Hit (baseball)|hits]].  The result was skyrocketed batting averages, including some near .500, and the experiment was abandoned the following season. Current record books do not count walks in 1887 as hits.</ref>

A hit by pitch is not counted statistically as a walk, though the effect is mostly the same, with the batter receiving a free pass to first base. One exception is that on hit-by-pitch, the ball is dead, and any runners attempting to steal on the play must return to their original base unless forced to the next base anyway. When a walk occurs, the ball is still live: any runner not forced to advance may nevertheless attempt to advance at his own risk, which might occur on a [[steal (baseball)|steal]] play, [[passed ball]], or [[wild pitch]]. Also, because a ball is live when a base on balls occurs, runners on base forced to advance one base may attempt to advance beyond one base, at their own risk. The batter-runner himself may attempt to advance beyond first base, at his own risk.  Rule 6.08 addresses this matter as well.<ref>{{cite book|last=Office of the Comm'r of Baseball|title=2001 Official Rules of Major League Baseball|year=2000|publisher=Triumph Books|isbn=1-57243-397-3|pages=[https://archive.org/details/officialrulesofm00mlbt/page/93 93–94 (Rule 6.08)]|url=https://archive.org/details/officialrulesofm00mlbt/page/93}}</ref> An attempt to advance an additional base beyond the base awarded might occur when ball four is a passed ball or a wild pitch.