Page 28 - Reading Success B4

Are you interested in sports? What sport do you play? One of the most famous
sports in the world is baseball. Basically, a pitcher throws a ball to a batter. The

batter, in turn, tries to hit the baseball with a bat. The baseball is as small as a fist,
made of leather and is really hard. The bat, on the other hand, is made of wood. It

could also be made of other substances such as aluminum. Team players also
wear padded gloves. The batter, the catcher and the umpire (who stays at the

home plate) wear additional protective gear.
There are two teams playing against each other. Each team has nine players. A

team scores by advancing their players on the field through bases on the corners
of the diamond. The diamond is 90 feet square on each side, and the players

run through the bases in a counterclockwise direction. The game is not time-
limited. There are nine segments in the game, called innings. Each team has a

turn to bat and score runs in each inning. However, when a batter strikes out or
was not able to hit the ball three times, the team’s half inning ends. Barry Bonds

holds the record for the most home runs in a season: 73.
When a pitcher throws a ball, he can throw it in different ways. A fastball is

when the ball is thrown at the pitcher’s maximum speed. A curveball, when thrown
with the left hand, curves to the right; but when thrown with the right hand, curves

to the left. A knuckleball is thrown lightly, using tips of fingers or even the nails of
the fingers to hold the ball before throwing. Baseball is now considered one of the

most popular sports in the United States.

Main Idea

What is the main idea of this story?

a. some famous baseball players

b. why baseball is so popular in the U.S.
c. how baseball is played

d. some of the different types of pitches a pitcher can throw

30_Reading Success B 4