How many can you get right? Dive into baseball rules and trivia with a fun quiz

Masayuki Kakefu

On April 17, 1985, at Koshien Stadium, the legendary trio of consecutive home runs to straightaway center was hit in a game against the Yomiuri Giants. In that game, alongside No. 3 hitter Randy Bass and No. 5 hitter Akinobu Okada, it was Masayuki Kakefu—“Mr. Tigers”—who, batting cleanup, launched a superb home run. This historic string of three consecutive homers is still retold today as an iconic moment etched deeply not only in the hearts of Hanshin Tigers fans but also in the history of Japanese professional baseball.

mound

The mound (pitcher’s mound) refers to the slightly elevated dirt hill near the center of a baseball field from which the pitcher delivers the ball. A white rectangular plate called the pitcher’s plate is embedded at the center of the mound, and the pitcher must have a foot in contact with this plate when pitching. Under the Official Baseball Rules, the height of the mound is strictly set at 10 inches (25.4 centimeters) above home plate. In addition to the height, there are also strict regulations governing the slope toward home plate. For a pitcher, the mound is truly their own fortress and the most important place for seizing control of the game.

4 pieces

A baseball field has a total of four bases: first base, second base, third base, and home plate. After hitting the ball, the batter runs counterclockwise, touching first, second, and third base in that order, and when they safely reach home plate at the end, one run is added for the offensive team. While the bases on the field are made of square white canvas, home plate alone is made of a rubber slab with a distinctive shape different from the other bases, making it an interesting feature that the shapes vary according to their roles even though they are all bases.

Hiroshima Toyo Carp

Jet balloons, a hallmark of professional baseball cheering in Japan, are said to have been first introduced by fans of the Hiroshima Toyo Carp. Around 1978, Carp fans reportedly began releasing jet balloons at an away game as a substitute for paper streamers. At the time, throwing paper streamers was the mainstream form of support, but considering the cleanup effort and safety, fans shifted to balloons, which were easier to handle and more visually striking. Even today, before the Carp bat in the Lucky Seven (the bottom of the 7th inning), the entire stadium is famously filled with a beautiful sea of red jet balloons—the team’s color—and this tradition has been beloved by many fans for years. In fact, the balloons are continually being improved to fly farther and make louder sounds.

ZOZO Marine Stadium

The home stadium of the Chiba Lotte Marines is ZOZO Marine Stadium, located in Mihama Ward, Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture. The ballpark is notable for its coastal location and is famous for the strong sea winds that blow there. These distinctive winds often influence the outcome of games. The current name comes from naming rights acquired by ZOZO, Inc., and the stadium is beloved by many as a sacred ground for Marines fans known for their passionate support.

Bork

A balk is an infraction in baseball that is called when the pitcher makes an illegal pitch or motion intended to deceive a runner. When a balk is called, every runner on base is automatically awarded the next base. There are various provisions, such as stopping midway through the pitching motion, failing to come to a complete stop in the set position, or not making the proper step when throwing a pickoff. It is a very important rule in terms of pitching rhythm and strategy, and it can greatly affect the course of a game, so pitchers must always play with the utmost care. Incidentally, there has even been a case in the past where a pitcher committed five balks in a single game.

Shigenobu Ōkuma

It is said that Japan’s first ceremonial first pitch took place in 1908 (Meiji 41) at a game between an American professional baseball team and Waseda University’s baseball club. The person who took the mound and threw the ball was Shigenobu Okuma, the founder of Waseda University. Although his pitch missed the strike zone by a wide margin, the leadoff batter for Waseda, being considerate and deciding that the great man’s pitch must not be called a ball, deliberately swung and missed. This is said to be the origin of today’s warm custom in which the batter always swings and misses during the ceremonial first pitch. Incidentally, in the United States, the mainstream style at first was to throw the ball onto the mound from the VIP seats for the opening pitch.