>>Thanks to all those who have answered. I can't say I've digested it all yet as there are so many technical terms and a few of you have given answers. SO this is my answer to yez all:
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>>A walk - I assume is he's allowed to go to 1st base without fear or hindrance.
>>A run - I'm not sure how many bases the batter needs to have gone to score on. I assume 1st base is not a run, but at least he's on the way.
>>A ball - if a batter gets 4 balls he's allowed a walk
>>A strike - I underestand that a strike zone ball that he doesn't attempt, or ANY ball he does attempt (and misses, or doesn't go out of the "touch lines") is a stee-RIKE.
>>Touching base - I noticed that if a runner doesn't touch base before the base guard fielder catches the ball then he's out. However I've seen times when the fielder HAS caught the ball before but the runner's managed to slide in before being tagged. Now I think on those occasions the ball had touched earth before being caught.
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>This is the difference between a 'force' out and a 'tag' out. If you have to advance to the base (ie, first base on a hit) then all the defense has to do is get the ball to first base before you cross it. Any other time, like stealing second, the defense must 'tag' the runner. That is, catch the ball and touch the runner anywhere on his body BEFORE any part of his body touches the base.
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>>Home run - This to me is equiv. to a cricket 4 runs (where the ball crosses the boundary) or 6 runs (where the ball crosses the boundary without touching the ground). On those occasions (in cricket) the batter doesn't need to make the runs. However in bb I notice the batter still makes the run, albeit casually.
>>- does he actually NEED to do the run or does he just do it as a formality?
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>Yes, and he MUST touch all 4 bases going around. There have been occasions when a runner has missed touching a base and the team in the field gets the ball and touchs that base and the runner is called out.

Which is really just an extension of the 'force out'. Since the runner has no other option than to go to that base, all a player needs to do is to get there with the ball before the runner.

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>>- how many runs does he get for a homer?
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>>I've seen enough US cartoons in my life to know of the histrionics of the umpire calling strikes :-)
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>>Nuff to be getting on with right now as my brain hurts :-)
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