Baseball: Simple Question?

Question

How many ways are there for a batter to get on base in baseball?

List all of them

I am assuming OBR which means an intentional walk is the same as a walk. You are very close to correct Justus, if you can see the problem with your answer I'll give you best answer, of course yours is still the best so far so I might award you best answer anyways if I don't get a better one.

Answer 1

Under Official Baseball Rules (OBR) there are 9 ways:

1. Base Hit
2. Base on Balls
3. Hit By Pitch
4. Error
5. Uncaught third strike with 2 out or with 1st base unoccupied with less than two out and batter/runner reaches base before thebeing put out, or before the third out is made. (In that situation, the third strike is scored as either a wild pitch or a passed ball.)
6. Fielder's Choice
7. Defensive interference of the batter (usually by the catcher)
8. Batted fair ball touches an umpire or runner (a) before passing a fielder other than the pitcher or (b) having been touched by a fielder.
9. Obstruction of the batter/runner (after batter hits the ball) by defensive player(s) or fan(s) rushing the field.

Under OBR, an intentional walk requires that the umpire call four balls. Under some other sets of rules, a team may choose to have the umpire award first base to a batter without pitching to that batter. In that situation, there would be an intentional walk without having a base on balls. That would be a 10th way to reach base.

Edit: I see your edit, but I am not sure what problem you might see. Interference and obstruction are two different things. A batter can be interfered with, a runner can be obstructed. In addition, it is interference if an offensive player or a fan hampers a defensive player from making a play. But in those cases, the interference would never result in a batter reaching base.

When No. 8 occurs by touching a runner, the runner would be out, but the batter would be safe at first.

As Ryan points out downlist, Rule 10.05 (e) indeed requires that it be scored as a hit. So we have no disagreement when you count "reached on an uncaught third strike-wild pitch" and "reached on an uncaught third strike-passed ball" as distinct ways to reach base.

Answer 2

1. Base hit
2. Walk
3. Hit batsman
4. Error
5. Fielder's choice
6. Wild pitch
7. Passed ball
8. Obstruction
9. Interference

Notes:
Batted ball that strikes a runner or umpire that entitles batter-runner to first is a base hit

An intentional walk is a walk

A balk never entitles the batter to first base. Nor does an illegal pitch.

"Dropped" third strike is a misnomer and improper terminology because the catcher might not even get his glove on the pitch. There is a difference between a passed ball and a wild pitch on the third strike.

Answer 3

Nine ways to safely reach base as a batter:

1. Hit
2. Base on Balls
3. Intentional Base on Balls
4. Fielder's Choice
5. Reach on Fielder's Error
6. Batter Hit by Pitch
7. Dropped Third Strike
8. Defensive Interference
9. Obstruction: Official Rule 7.05 (b-e) If the ball comes into contact with a glove, hat, mask or other piece of equipment detached from its proper place on the person, or if the ball comes into contact with a spectator in between the left field and right field foul poles.

Answer 4

Walk (4 balls)
Hit by pitch
Struck out swinging, past ball on catcher
A normal hit (1B, 2B, 3B, HR) or bunt
Catchers interference (bat hits part of catcher, usually glove)
Fielders choice (tried for a double play, but only got the out at 2nd)
Error

That's all I can think of for now.


edit; someone above stated 'balk". A balk will not get the runner to first base.

Answer 5

I also get 7 but a bit differently - hit, walk (including intentional), error, HBP, catcher's interference, fielder's choice, dropped 3rd strike.

If you changed "batter" to "player" in your question you could also add pinch runner.

Answer 6

Seven:

Hit
Base on Balls
Error
Interference (by the catcher, usually)
Fielder's Choice/Ground Out
Hit by Pitch
Strikeout (dropped 3rd strike)

Answer 7

you can list every error in the game and count it as another choice; dropped 3rd strike is an error, catcher's interference is marked in the score sheet as an E-2;
error
HBP
a walk is a walk, both kinds-country and western
hit
fielder's interference
fielder's choice

6

Answer 8

Base Hit
Walk
Hit by pitch
Pitcher Balk (Not sure about this one?)
Dropped 3rd strike
Interference by Catcher

I think that's all - 5 or 6

Answer 9

hit, hbp, walk, reach on error, fielder's choice, catcher interference, dropped 3rd strike

7, i'm pretty sure that's all

Answer 10

9 ways:

Walk
Dropped third strike
HBP
Catcher's interference
Hit
Reach on an error
Fielder's choice
Bunt
Defaced ball by Pitcher