Editing Strikeout (section)

{{Short description|In baseball, a batter called out due to three strikes}}

{{about|the baseball term|striking out a court case|Motion to dismiss|the typographical mode indicating crossed-out text|Strikethrough}}{{Redirect2|Backwards K|ꓘ|Fraser consonant|Fraser script|"ʞ"|Back-released click}}{{about|2=the South Korean baseball league, also known as "K-Baseball"|3=KBO League}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2015}}

[[File:Swinging strikeout.jpg|right|thumb|250px|[[Cincinnati Reds]] outfielder [[Adam Dunn]] strikes out swinging.]]In [[baseball]] or [[softball]], a '''strikeout''' (or '''strike-out''') occurs when a batter accumulates three [[Strike (baseball)|strike]]s during a time [[at bat]]. It means the batter is [[Out (baseball)|out]], unless the [[dropped third strike|third strike is not caught]] by the catcher and the batter reaches first base safely as a result. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both [[pitcher]]s and [[Batting (baseball)|batters]], and is usually denoted by the letter '''K''', or sometimes by the initialism '''SO'''. A "strikeout looking"—in which the batter does not swing and the third strike is called by the umpire—may be denoted by an inverted K (i.e. '''ꓘ''').<ref>{{cite web| last = Major League Baseball| author-link = Major League Baseball| url = http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/baseball_basics/abbreviations.jsp | year = 2001–2009 | title = Baseball Basics: Abbreviations | access-date = September 2, 2009}}</ref>

Although a strikeout suggests that the pitcher dominated the batter, the free-swinging style that generates [[home run]]s also leaves batters susceptible to striking out. Some of the most prolific home run hitters of all time (such as [[Adam Dunn]], [[Mickey Mantle]], [[Reggie Jackson]], [[Alex Rodriguez]], and [[Jim Thome]]) were notorious for striking out often. Notably, Jackson and Thome respectively hold the major league records for most and second most times struck out in a career.