The term "base on balls" is a baseball term used to describe a walk issued by a pitcher, meaning the pitcher threw four pitches outside the strike zone. The spelling of this term is based on standard pronunciation rules in English. The word "base" is pronounced /beɪs/ and "on" is pronounced /ɒn/. "Ball" is pronounced /bɔːl/, which is commonly pronounced with a silent "l" in American English. Hence, the spelling "base on balls" is phonetically accurate and represents the pronunciation of this term well.
Base on balls, commonly referred to as a walk in baseball, is a term that represents when a pitcher throws four pitches to a batter, all of which are declared balls by the home plate umpire. This results in the batter being awarded first base without the need to put the ball in play or attempt to swing their bat.
A base on balls occurs when a pitcher fails to throw a pitch within the strike zone, which encompasses the area between the batter's armpits and knees, and the ball does not make contact with the bat. Each pitch that is deemed outside this zone by the umpire and not swung at is called a ball. Once a pitcher accumulates four balls during an at-bat, the batter is allowed to advance to first base.
The base on balls is an important way for the offensive team to gain an advantage by acquiring free baserunners and increasing their chances of scoring runs. Additionally, it often contributes to the pitcher's pitch count, making them throw more pitches and potentially hastening their exit from the game.
In baseball statistics, a base on balls is recorded as BB and is often used as a measure of a batter's plate discipline and a pitcher's control. It is one of the fundamental events in the sport, providing strategic opportunities for both teams in the game.