Brain Teasers
Pitches
What is the minimum number of pitches that could be thrown in a professional baseball game?
Answer
52.The minimum number of pitches per batter is one. If each batter hit a ball in play and flies out or is thrown out then there would be 6 pitches per inning. Since someone must win in order to finish the game without extra innings, one player could hit a home run on the first pitch. If the home team is the team that hits the home run, and all of the other batters were out in one pitch, then the game would end at the middle of the 9th inning. This would be 6 pitches per inning for eight innings, plus one for the home run, plus 3 for the top of the ninth. Grand total 52 minimum pitches to win a baseball game.
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The logic is correct, but if you wanted to be really technical you could have a rain-out after the fifth inning (I think - I'm not sure what the rule is), which would count as an official game. This would reduce the minimum pitches to 31 or so.
On behalf of anyone outside America who doesn't play baseball, thanks for that one.
Here's a logic, I might submit it ... how is a world series not a world seris? When the rest of the world don't take part
Here's a logic, I might submit it ... how is a world series not a world seris? When the rest of the world don't take part
This its a kind of question that i dislike very much, since i´m not from U.S, but from Brazil, and i don´t know a thing about baseball
Apologies to the non-North American contingent. You can ask soccer/football or cricket related brainteasers!
As for the 5 inning rule, the minimum number of pitches in this case would be 28, since the home team does not need to complete the bottom of the 5th inning if they are ahead.
As for the 5 inning rule, the minimum number of pitches in this case would be 28, since the home team does not need to complete the bottom of the 5th inning if they are ahead.
The correct answer is 0 pitches, not only in the case of a forfeit but also in a 9-inning game. Batters can be called out for changing batters boxes while the pitcher is ready to pitch (rule 6.06b). A run can score if a batter walks on four balls called for the pitcher bringing his hand to his mouth while on the mound (rule 8.02a1), and then score on 3 balks or wild pickoff attempts.
very nice! I remembered the having to have one run to win without extra innings, but I forgot that the players don't finish a game if they can't lose (I added three pitches for the end of the 9th inning)
How about 1? The pitcher tells the umpire that he's going to hit the batter in the head with the first pitch. The ump says "Do that and your team forfeits"... POW!!
How about 1? The pitcher tells the umpire that he's going to hit the batter in the head with the first pitch. The ump says "Do that and your team forfeits"... POW!!
How about 1? The pitcher tells the umpire that he's going to hit the batter in the head with the first pitch. The ump says "Do that and your team forfeits"... POW!!
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