A batter will approach home plate and stand to the side of it in one of the batter’s boxes, waiting for the pitcher to throw the ball. Batters may take practice swings until the pitcher is ready to begin. During offensive play, all players act as batters, taking turns trying to hit the ball. The batter must try to predict whether the ball will be hittable. They can decide whether to swing and attempt to hit the ball, or to not swing, and allow the catcher behind them to catch it. If a legal hit is not made, the umpire will make one of three calls – a strike, a ball, or a foul ball.  A “strike” is an indication that the batter either could have swung at the ball and didn't, or swung at the ball and missed.  The batter is out on a third strike that is caught by the catcher. A “ball” happens when the pitcher pitches a ball that's too far outside the hitting area to be considered hittable by the batter and the batter did not swing at the pitch. After four balls, the batter “walks,” which is a free advancement to first base. Batters will occasionally try to crowd the plate and earn a walk rather than hit the ball. A “foul ball” is a ball that the batter hits which lands outside the foul lines or goes into foul territory before reaching first or third base.  The ball is then considered "dead," and all runners must return to their time-of-pitch base without any liability of being put out.  Usually a foul ball just counts as a strike; however, in most cases, a foul does not count as a strike if there are already two strikes against the batter.  Exceptions are if the batter foul-tips the ball into the catcher's glove or bunts it foul. While standing with your feet parallel and knees slightly bent, hold the bat upright at the base with two hands. Swiftly bring it forward in a fluid motion, and at the same time, shift your weight from your back foot to your front foot. Don’t forget to keep your eye on the ball to increase your chances of making contact. While the hit ball is moving across the field, either through the air or along the ground, the batter (who is now called the “runner”) drops the bat and runs as fast as possible towards first base. As long as the runner doesn't get an “out,” they can stop at first base, or keep going until it's no longer safe.  A runner can be tagged out if a defensive player has possession of the ball and touches the runner who is not touching a base (and has not overrun first base). The batter will automatically be called out if the hit ball is caught by a defensive player before it touches the ground or wall. This is called a flyout.  If this is not the third out of the inning, all baserunners must return to their time-of-pitch-base after a flyout.  Such runners can be thrown out by throwing the ball back to the base that must be reached. A batter can get forced out if the hit ball touches the ground, but then a defensive player gets possession of it and touches first base before the runner can get there.  Runners who are "forced" to vacate their base on a ground ball can also be forced out in this manner. In most instances, the runner won't be able to complete an entire circuit of the bases on a single play, so they must stop at a base and wait for the next batter to step up to the plate. However, at any time, the runner may attempt to “steal” the next base by running to it as soon as the pitcher has pitched to the batter. Since the pitcher is usually the best thrower on the team, stealing a base at any other time is very dangerous; the pitcher can turn and throw the ball to a baseman instead of the batter, allowing an easy tag out.  Many youth baseball leagues do not permit base stealing until after the ball has crossed home plate. Only one runner is allowed on each base at any time. When all three bases have a runner, the offensive team is said to have the “bases loaded,” meaning the next fair hit or walk will necessarily result in either a run or an out. Sometimes, the batter hits the ball so hard or so well that they are able to run around the entire diamond before getting an out, scoring a run on the first hit. This is called a “home run.” Most home runs are the result of the ball being hit past the fence at the back of the outfield, at which point it's completely out of play and all the fielding team can do is watch. A home run hit while the bases are loaded is called a “grand slam,” which will score four runs (one for each runner). While rare, grand slams can turn the tide of a difficult game or virtually guarantee victory. Home runs are fun, but not common enough to be relied upon as a means of winning the game. Instead, focus on learning how far to run after a normal hit. By knowing when to stop and wait, you can stay in play longer and raise your chances of scoring a run. ” Once three batters/runners have gotten outs, the game shifts, with the defense and offense switching places. While you’re the defense team, you will not be able to score any runs.  The game has nine periods, called innings. They’re each comprised of two parts: a “top” and a “bottom.” When the offense of one team has received three outs, the game moves either to the bottom of the current inning or the top of the next one.  A run scores for the offensive team whenever a runner safely advances to home plate.  A run will not count if: 1) the runner at home-plate was not at the time-of-pitch base during or after a flyout; 2) the runner touched home plate after the defensive team recorded a third out; or 3) the runner reached home plate during the same continuous playing action as a force out for the third out, even if home plate was reached before this out was recorded.
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One-sentence summary -- Send a batter to the plate. Watch the ball as it’s pitched. Swing the bat. Run the bases. Steal bases. Load bases. Hit a home run. Drive forward with regular plays. Avoid getting three “outs.


Present your phone to make getting her number an easy process and a no-brainer that she won’t want to refuse. As you make your request verbally, pull up the “Add New Contact” screen on your phone. Then hand it to her so she can type in her name and number.  This tactic works well in a noisy environment, like a bar or a concert. She won’t be able to mistake your visual cues and you won’t have to strain to hear the numbers as she recites them for you. People are so used to typing their contact details into other people’s phones in many different contexts, so take advantage of this reflex. Even if you’re still sitting across from each other, shoot her a cute, funny message so she has your number, too. Send something short and sweet that’ll make her smile but that doesn’t interrupt your conversation too much. This will eliminate the awkwardness of not knowing when to make the initial call or text.  Try something like, “It’s James, the suave guitar player you just met.” Be a little more forward by asking her out on the spot with your first text: “Hey, it’s Peyton, your date for next Friday (?)” She might not want to give you her number for a variety of reasons that don’t have anything to do with you personally. Make it clear that you accept her decision without any hard feelings. Use your response to ending the conversation in a friendly manner, if you’d like.  Try something like, “Oh, that’s okay. Well, it was great to chat with you anyway. Hope you have a good night!” If she already has a boyfriend or she’s not interested in dating at the moment feel free to keep things friendly. Offer to add her on your preferred social media platform in the hopes that your paths will cross again.  Don't be discouraged if your plan doesn't work. The more times you try asking for a girl's number, the more likely you'll be to get a positive response.
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One-sentence summary --
Hand her your phone immediately so she can easily enter her digits. Text her right after you get her number. React respectfully and graciously if she declines to give you her number.