document_title: Sarah Lancashire

question_text: what was sarah lancaster name in coronation street

text: Sarah Lancashire

text: Life and career (20th century)[edit]

text: Early life and career beginnings (1964–1990)[edit]

text: Sarah-Jane Abigail Lancashire[1] was born on 10 October 1964 in Oldham, Lancashire.[2]

text: Her father, Geoffrey Lancashire (1933–2004), was a television scriptwriter noted for his work on the soap opera Coronation Street and situation comedies such as The Cuckoo Waltz.[3][4] Her mother, Hilda, worked as Geoffrey's personal assistant.[3] She has three brothers, one her elder, one younger and a twin.[5] Lancashire was educated at Oldham Hulme Grammar School between 1976-81.[6]

text: At the age of 17, she started to suffer from clinical depression.[7]

text: Lancashire has stated she was never driven by the ideas of fame and status.[3] Her background had inspired an initial interest in working behind the scenes in television. She did not give serious thought to the performing arts until the age of 18.[8] After winning a place at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Lancashire realised that she enjoyed acting.[8] She graduated in 1986, describing her time as a student there as "tremendous" but "seriously hard work and quite intimidating".[8][9]

text: After rejection from several repertory theatre companies, Lancashire was given her first acting role by Howard Lloyd-Lewis, artistic director of the Manchester Library Theatre Company, which provided her with an Equity Card.[10] Lancashire performed two plays with the company, Pacific Overtures and The Beauty Game, which she states formed "the start of my career as an actor".[11] She found her first professional acting experience "terrifying" as a result of the live audiences, recalling that, "because I wore a bathing costume in some of the scenes, I got heckled!"[10] She also realised that taking risks or underperforming could have had consequences for her acting career.[10] Her role as Denise in The Beauty Game earned her a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the Manchester Evening News Theatre Awards.[12]

text: At the age of 22, Lancashire married her first serious boyfriend, Gary Hargreaves, a music lecturer 11 years her senior, whom she had met four years earlier.[5]

text: Recalling the circumstances of her marriage in 2001, Lancashire stated she only married because she fell pregnant and possessed both a traditional mindset and a fear of the stigma of having a child out of wedlock.[13] Thomas, her first child with Hargreaves, was born in 1987; a second son, Matthew, was born in 1989.[14][15] During her early career, Lancashire found herself with large breaks between theatre appearances. To support herself financially, she worked as a drama teacher for five years at Salford University alongside her acting work.[8][14]

text: Discussing Lancashire's time as a visiting lecturer in Acting and Characterisation, Professor Ron Cook, Head of the University's School of Media, Music and Performance, noted that Lancashire made a "significant impact" in the formative stages of the drama department at the University and had also directed student productions.[16]

text: In 1987, Lancashire made a brief appearance in Coronation Street as Wendy Farmer, a prospective lodger of series regular Jack Duckworth (Bill Tarmey).[17] In the late 1980s, she also appeared in an episode of the children's anthology series Dramarama,[17] and a single episode of the ITV sitcom Watching.[18]

text: In 1990, Lancashire received her "big break" — the role of Linda in a production of Willy Russell's Blood Brothers at the Albery Theatre.[8] Although she thoroughly enjoyed performing in London's West End, she found it difficult to reconcile the experience with raising two young children in Manchester.[19]

text: Breakthrough and popular success (1991–2000)[edit]

text: Two weeks after finishing her run in Blood Brothers, Lancashire auditioned for the role of new Coronation Street character Raquel Wolstenhulme, a colleague of supermarket employee Curly Watts (Kevin Kennedy).[8][20]

text: Lancashire joined on a three-month contract, continuing to teach at Salford University for another year.[14][21] Raquel first appeared on 25 January 1991 and departed on 10 May; having moved to London to try to launch a modelling career.[22][23] Lancashire had initially been reserved about Raquel's characterisation, noting that her "acidic side" could have rendered her the "street bitch" had it been embellished. She took care to highlight Raquel's potential, playing against what had been written to make her more comic, evoking audience sympathy.[14] Between 26 September and 19 October 1991, Lancashire played the title role in an adaption of Educating Rita at the Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch.[24] Following Raquel's reintroduction on 30 December 1991,[25] Lancashire committed herself to Coronation Street full-time.[21] She would remain in the series until 1996, earning a reported annual salary of £90,000.[26][27]

text: Two years into the role, she experienced a 14-month nervous breakdown but did not confide in anyone besides her close family or take any time off work, which in retrospect she deemed "the worst thing [she] could have done.[28] During the worst part of her experience Lancashire described herself as "hysterical at the thought of getting out of bed".[29] Her mother Hilda forced her to seek medical assistance for her condition, which Lancashire states "gave me my life back",[29] her twenties having been "a write-off".[30]

text: Lancashire felt her first marriage had also contributed to her unhappiness; in 2001, she stated that though her marriage lasted ten years, it "was 10 years longer than it should have done".[5][13] In 1995 she separated from Hargeaves; the pair would ultimately later divorce.[13] She described leaving her marriage as a "cleansing experience" and a "renaissance"; one that enabled her to rediscover her sense of identity.[13]

text: Other steps that Lancashire took to combat her depression included remaining single for five years, attending therapy sessions, and taking prescriptions of the anti-depressant drug Paroxetine.[13]

text: In December 1995 Lancashire starred in the spin-off straight-to-video film Coronation Street – The Cruise, a 75-minute special detailing Raquel and Curly's honeymoon. The special was advertised as being exclusive to video, and 750,000 copies were sold, to the value of £10 million.[31] Lancashire departed Coronation Street in 1996 due to her heavy work schedule and desire to pursue other projects.[26][27] She had also tired of the fame the role brought her, shying away from personal appearances and interviews with television magazines.[32] Her final scenes attracted 20 million viewers.[26] Lancashire's performance in the role saw her nominated in the Most Popular Actress category at the 2nd National Television Awards in October 1996.[33]

text: Lancashire's next role was district nurse Ruth Goddard in the ITV drama series Where the Heart Is, which began airing in 1997.[34] Also in 1997 she filmed a situation comedy for the BBC, Bloomin' Marvellous, in which she played Liz, one half of an argumentative married couple trying for a baby.[35]

text: However, due to poor viewing figures and a damning critical response the sitcom was not renewed.[36] Regarding the negative reception to the series, her co-star Clive Mantle saracastically remarked "I've seen murderers and rapists get a better press than we did".[37] Lancashire continued to star as Ruth Goddard in Where the Heart Is for its second and third series in 1998 and 1999. In 1998 she was nominated for her second National Television Award for Most Popular Actress.[38] In February 1999 she made a guest appearance in the British dark comedy anthology series Murder Most Horrid alongside comedian Dawn French. The pair played two yachtswoman whose journey ends with fatal repercussions.[39] In April it was announced that Lancashire would be quitting Where the Heart Is, despite an offered pay rise. At the time, Where the Heart is was the third most popular drama on British Television, regularly attracting 12 million viewers. Lancashire's decision was reportedly influenced by the series filming away from home, and a fear that remaining in the series long term would harm her career.[40] In January 2000 she expanded on her decision, stating that Ruth "was too chocolate-boxy, no longer a challenge".[15]

text: On 2 January 2000, Lancashire returned to Coronation Street for a single episode in which Raquel asks Curly for a divorce. Lancashire felt it was an apt time to return, as she was now a more confident actress and wanted to portray Raquel again before she aged significantly.[15] The series' producer at the time, Jane Macnaught, deemed Raquel one of Coronation Street's most popular ever characters and her return an opportunity for her "millions of fans" to learn what had become of her.[26] Lancashire and Kennedy were the sole actors in the episode, the first to feature just two characters.[41] From late January, Lancashire appeared as factory employee Yvonne Kolakowski, a widow with a dysfunctional personal life, in the BBC One drama series Clocking Off. Lancashire used her own experiences as a single mother in her characterisation.[15] In March, she played actress Coral Atkins in the television film Seeing Red.[42]

text: Lancashire found shooting the drama, which detailed Atkins' decision to quit her acting career in order to set up a care home for abused children, "mentally draining".[5] Lancashire then spent eight weeks filming the BBC One legal sitcom Chambers in which she played "ambitious" and "bigoted" barrister Ruth Quirke.[5][43] The series was aired from June 2000.[43] Lancashire's final role in 2000 was in the two-part drama thriller My Fragile Heart.[44] Lancashire's output in 2000 earned her several awards. She was voted best actress at the TV Quick Awards in September 2000 for her roles in Clocking Off and Seeing Red, and in October was voted Most Popular Actress at the 6th National Television Awards for Seeing Red.[45][46] In March 2001 she was named Drama Performer of the Year by the Television and Radio Industries Club, with mention of her work in Clocking Off and Seeing Red.[47]

text: Life and career (21st century)[edit]

text: "Golden Handcuffs" contract[edit]

text: Following Lancashire's success in connecting with a television audience, ITV sought to secure her exclusively to their network in a two-year golden handcuffs deal, which was finalised in July 2000.[48] Lancashire became the first actress to be given such a contract with ITV.[49] The deal, worth £1.3 million, made Lancashire the highest paid actress in British Television.[50][51] Discussing the exclusive signing ITV controller of drama Nick Elliott identified Lancashire as being someone with "a great range [who] creates a tremendous empathy with an audience".[52] He also admitted that heavy interest in Lancashire from the BBC had been a factor in giving her the contract, and blocking her from working with other networks.[52] Her last role on BBC One during this period was comedy drama Gentleman's Relish, an adaptation of the Miles Gibson novel Kingdom Swann.[48][49] The television film, which aired on New Year's Day 2001, was Lancashire's first in the costume drama genre; she played a housekeeper harbouring romantic feelings for her employer (Billy Connolly).[53][54]

text: Her first role under her new contract with ITV was the six-part drama The Glass opposite John Thaw.[48][49] The series, which aired between May and June 2001 saw Lancashire star as a saleswoman for a double-glazing company who ends up caught in a love triangle with her boss and his nephew.[48][55][56] Retrospectively, the series was judged not to be a success; it averaged 5.8 million viewers, less than rival show on BBC One, Messiah.[57] In August 2001, Lancashire married television executive Peter Salmon, in a low-key ceremony held at Langar Hall, Nottinghamshire.[50] Salmon had proposed to Lancashire in New York during a holiday at Easter time 2001.[13] The two began a romantic relationship in the summer of 2000,[13] though they had first met several years earlier whilst she was portraying Raquel on Coronation Street and he was employed by Granada Studios, which produces the soap opera.[50] In October Lancashire starred in an adaptation of the Michelle Magorian novel Back Home as Peggy Dickinson, a woman adjusting to life in post-war Britain after having been separated from her family during the war.[58]

text: In March 2002 Lancashire received an Honorary Master of Arts degree from Salford University.[59][60] In April, She starred in two-part psychological thriller The Cry, which she described as her "most naked role yet".[61] She played a social worker grieving her second still-born child who is determined to protect a baby she perceives to be at risk of abuse.[61] Lancashire drew on her own experiences of clinical depression in her depiction of her character's mentality.[62] Her performance saw her awarded with a Golden Nymph award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series at the Monte-Carlo Television Festival.[8][63] In April it was reported that Lancashire had been lined up play the lead role in comedy drama Life Begins, which creator Mike Bullen had written with Lancashire in mind.[64] However, by June, Lancashire had exited the drama, unwilling to commit to a potentially long running series.[65] Later that month BBC News and newspaper The Guardian reported that Lancashire had exited her exclusive deal with ITV, which would not be renewed after it expired in the Autumn. The decision was reportedly influenced by Lancashire's desire to reduce her workload and to have the freedom to take on other roles.[66][67] In September 2002 she appeared in a two-part crime drama pilot, Rose and Maloney, as legal investigator Rose Linden.[68] On 22 December she appeared in the television movie Birthday Girl as Rachel Jones, who plans a party to celebrate being in remission from a serious illness, only to discover that the disease has returned.[69]

text: Lancashire's final role under her ITV contract was Gertrude Morel in an adaptation of D.H. Lawrence's 1913 novel Sons and Lovers, airing in January 2003. The portrayal –her first of a mother with adult children– followed Gertrude's transformation from a young bride into a fifty-something woman ravaged by her life experiences of poverty and domestic abuse.[70] Lancashire re-read the novel several times prior to filming, and identified with the themes of filial and marital relationships she had been unable to appreciate as a GCSE student.[70] The miniseries gave her a sense of conviction in her career path, stating ahead of the broadcast in 2002: "whatever the reason I do what I do, I felt I had come to a point where I could stop searching after this".[21] Reviewing the serial Paul Hoggart of The Times wrote that Lancashire "steals the show" with a "performance of immense subtlety and quiet strength, proof, if we still needed it, that she has matured into a terrific actress."[71] Conversely Andrew Billen, writing in New Statesman, wrote that "Sarah Lancashire was no revelation at all", purely because she had "long since proved herself a formidable actress".[72]

text: Subsequent projects (2004–2012)[edit]

text: While pregnant with her third child, Lancashire began an 18-month career break, the longest of her working life.[74] In April 2003, Lancashire gave birth to her third son, Joseph.[75] Lancashire's first job after returning to work was her directorial debut on an episode of the BBC One anthology series The Afternoon Play.[75][76] For "Viva Las Blackpool" she was given the Best Newcomer Award (sponsored by BBC Birmingham) at the Birmingham Screen Festival and the Best New Talent Award at the Royal Television Society (Midlands) awards in 2004.[77][78] The venture also earned her first British Academy Television Awards nomination in 2005 for Best new Director of Fiction.[79] Lancashire next filmed three two-part stories for Rose and Maloney, following on from the pilot episode in 2002.[75] The delay between shooting for the pilot and its follow-up was a result of Lancashire's career break and problems reconciling her availability with that of co-star Phil Davis.[8]

text: In 2005 Lancashire starred in The Rotters' Club as a housewife in 1970s Birmingham.[80] Also in 2005 she appeared in the BBC television film Cherished as Angela Cannings, a British woman who was wrongfully convicted of killing her two baby sons.[73] Lancashire was proud to be involved with the project, having greatly admired Cannings strength of character during her ordeal, and being able to relate to her sense of anguish as a parent.[73] In December 2005, Lancashire returned to West End theatre, taking on the role of Miss Adelaide in the Donmar Warehouse production of Guys and Dolls at the Piccadilly Theatre.[81] Lancashire was due to stay with the production until March 2006, but due to a severe chest infection made her last appearance on 4 January.[82] In 2006 Lancashire accepted an invitation to write a short autobiographic entry in Who's Who, an establishment "bible" of influential figures judged to have had a significant impact on British life and culture.[83][84] Lancashire's only television acting role in 2006 was as house-wife and cake-maker Elaine in the BBC comedy drama Angel Cake.[85] In November she presented an episode of the Five documentary series Disappearing Britain in which she interviewed people with memories of Wakes Week holidays in Blackpool during the early 20th century.[86] In February 2007 she made an appearance in the E4 teen drama series Skins.[87] This was followed by a leading role in the BBC Two television drama Sex, the City and Me as solicitor Ruth Gilbert.[88][89] In October, Lancashire appeared in her first feature film, David Nicholls' And When Did You Last See Your Father? in which she played aunt Beaty.[90] In December, she played the supporting role of Mrs Corney in the BBC's 2007 adaption of Charles Dickens' 1838 novel Oliver Twist.[91] Whilst ambivalent about the serial as a whole, The Daily Mirror's Jane Simon singled Lancashire out for praise stating that she "really sets the tone for the cold, unfeeling world into which orphaned Oliver is born."[92]

text: Between 2008 and 2011 Lancashire narrated the BBC One series Lark Rise to Candleford, a costume drama based on Flora Thompson's memoir of her Oxfordshire childhood in the 1880s.[2][93] In April, she appeared in the opening episode of the 2008 series of Doctor Who, as "an enigmatic and powerful businesswoman" who Lancashire described as a "warped Mary Poppins".[94] She was amongst a number of high-profile actors the series' executive producer Russell T Davies secured for the fourth series of the science-fiction drama as part of his intention to make it "bigger and blowsier".[95] In 2009, Lancashire starred in the BBC One musical drama series All the Small Things. She played Esther Caddick, a full-time mother who starts a choir after her husband leaves her for a more glamorous woman.[96] In July that year the actress was made a honorary Doctor of Letters by the University of Huddersfield.[97] Following this, she reunited with director Coky Giedroyc, who had directed her in Oliver Twist, for a 2009 television adaptation of Emily Brontë's 1847 novel Wuthering Heights in which she played housekeeper Nelly Dean.[98][99] In 2010 Lancashire portrayed Rosemary Nicholls, mother of a murder victim, in the three-part BBC drama Five Daughters; a depiction of the Ipswich serial murders from the perspective of the victims and their families.[100] Though the pair never met, Lancashire felt it important to receive Nicholls consent before filming, and was later "humbled" and "relieved" to receive a feedback letter thanking her for her portrayal.[101] Also in 2010 she guest-starred in the police drama series Inspector George Gently.[102]

text: In March 2011 Lancashire began starring in a new Cameron Mackintosh musical, Betty Blue Eyes, at the Novello Theatre.[103] In the production, a loose adaptation of the 1984 film A Private Function, she starred as Joyce Chilvers, an aspirational housewife who Lancashire describes as "brittle" and "capricious".[104] Despite positive reviews[105] the musical closed in London on 24 September 2011, after a run of just six months.[104][106] For her performance Lancashire was nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical.[107] In 2012 she appeared as lady's maid Miss Whisset in the penultimate episode of the 2010 revival of Upstairs Downstairs.[108][109] In September 2012 Lancashire began appearing as Head of Ladieswear Miss Audrey in the six-part series The Paradise set in a department store in Northern England in the late 19th century.[110][111] Lancashire described her character as "a true archetypal spinster" who has long denied herself a romantic life and who begins to feel undermined by a younger colleague.[111]

text: Last Tango in Halifax and Happy Valley[edit]

text: Since November 2012 Lancashire has appeared opposite Anne Reid and Derek Jacobi in the BBC drama series Last Tango in Halifax. In the series she plays Caroline, an Oxford-educated headmistress who feels that her mother's second marriage gives her "permission" to be herself.[112] Caroline's same-sex relationship with a fellow teacher resulted in Lancashire receiving more fan mail than for any other role,[3] largely from women telling her that the series had helped them to come out.[113] Due to the under-representation of gay characters in television, Lancashire felt it particularly important that Caroline's experience would not be depicted inaccurately.[113] In her portrayal she opted to focus on the "humanity" of the character, rather than her sexuality.[113] Filming of the second series clashed with filming of the second series of The Paradise, which necessitated Lancashire leaving The Paradise partway through its second series.[114] For her role as Caroline she was nominated for the British Academy Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in both 2013 and 2014, winning in 2014.[115][116] At the 2015 Hay Festival Lancashire stated that of all the roles she has taken on in her career Caroline is the one she is most proud of, citing the "extraordinary impact" of the character.[117] After airing three full series, Last Tango in Halifax returned for a fourth series in December 2016, consisting of two episodes which were promoted as "Christmas Specials".[118]

text: In 2014, Lancashire re-united with Last Tango in Halifax writer Sally Wainwright on the crime drama Happy Valley. Wainwright was keen to write another role for Lancashire after being "blown away" by her performances in Last Tango in Halifax.[119] Lancashire portrays single-grandparent Catherine Cawood, a police sergeant still dealing with the aftermath of her daughter's rape, and subsequent suicide, eight years earlier.[3][119] Mark Lawson of The Guardian identified the performance as a career best for Lancashire, stating that she perfectly conveyed "the script's demandingly contradictory notes of tragedy, comedy, love, guilt, weakness and courage".[120] For this role she earned the TV Choice Award for Best Actress in 2014,[121] and the Royal Television Programme Award for Best Actress in 2015.[122] In September 2014 the Radio Times listed her as one of the thirty most powerful women in British television and radio.[123] In April 2015 she received her fourth BAFTA television nomination, her first in the Best Actress category.[124] In June 2015 she was named Best Actress in a Drama Series at the Monte Carlo Television Festival.[125]

text: Despite Lancashire's concerns regarding the decision to extend the story told in Happy Valley, Wainwright's "genuine" storytelling and "integrity" convinced her to return for a second series, which aired in 2016.[126] Lancashire stated that she found the second series as "emotionally brutal"[126] as the first; disclosing to The Independent that she inhabited Catherine's emotional pain for the entirety of the shoot.[127] Whilst promoting the second series, Lancashire also refuted criticism about the level of violence towards women in the series, stating she "would never condone anything which [she] thought was salacious, titillating, or gratuitous" and that Catherine's experience represented an "absolutely honest portrayal of what a female police officer can be subjected to".[126] For her role in the second series of Happy Valley, Lancashire won the 2017 National Television Award for Best Dramatic Performance,[128] and the BAFTA TV award for Best Actress.[129]

text: In March 2015 Lancashire began filming a television adaptation of Ronald Harwood's 1980 play The Dresser.[130] In the teleplay, which aired in October 2015, Lancashire portrayed stage manager Madge, whose unrequited love for 'Sir' (Anthony Hopkins), the head of a repertory theatre company, pits her at odds with his dresser and confidant, Norman (Ian McKellen).[131] Lancashire described The Dresser as "the greatest piece ever written about actors" and found both working with and observing McKellen and Hopkins – "two of the greatest actors ever" – an extraordinary experience.[131] Following an airing on the American premium cable channel Starz in 2016, Lancashire was nominated for the 2016 Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Movie or Miniseries [132] Lancashire played Mrs Pike in the 2016 feature film Dad's Army, based on the situation comedy series of the same name.[133] In early 2017, she began voicing the character of "Headmonstress" Mrs Twirlyhorn in the animated pre-school series School of Roars, which airs on Cbeebies.[134]

text: Lancashire was due to appear opposite Martin Freeman in Labour of Love, a political comedy by James Graham, at the Noël Coward Theatre in late 2017[135][136] but pulled out on 1 September "on doctor's advice" and was replaced by Tamsin Greig.[137] In 2018 she will star as Miriam –billed as an "experienced, no-nonsense social worker" – in Kiri, a four-part drama series written by Jack Thorne, co-produced by Channel 4 and the American on-demand service Hulu.[138] The miniseries centres on the adoption of a mixed-race girl who is later murdered, putting Miriam and the social services under scrutiny.[138]

text: Filmography[edit]

text: Awards and nominations[edit]

text: Lancashire was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2017 Birthday Honours for services to drama.[1][139]


document_title: Baseball field

question_text: what's the distance between home plate and pitcher's mound

question_tokens: what 's the distance between home plate and pitcher 's mound

root

text: Baseball field

text: Specifications[edit]

text: This section appears to contradict itself on what "the infield" means. Please see the talk page for more information. (January 2017)

tag: table

text: The starting point for much of the action on the field is home plate, which is a five-sided slab of whitened rubber, 17 inches (43.2 cm) square with two of the corners removed so that one edge is 17 inches (43.2 cm) long, two adjacent sides are 8.5 inches (21.6 cm) and the remaining two sides are 12 inches (30.5 cm) and set at an angle to make a point. Adjacent to each of the two parallel 8.5-inch (21.6 cm) sides is a batter's box. The point of home plate where the two 12-inch (30.5 cm) sides meet at right angles is at one corner of a ninety-foot (27.5 m) square. The other three corners of the square, in counterclockwise order from home plate, are called first base, second base, and third base. Three canvas bags fifteen inches (38 cm) square mark the three bases. These three bags along with home plate form the four points at the corners of the infield.

tag: p

text: All the bases, including home plate, lie entirely within fair territory. Thus, any batted ball that touches those bases must necessarily be in fair territory. While the first and third base bags are placed so that they lie inside the 90-foot (27.5 m) square formed by the bases, the second base bag is placed so that its center (unlike first, third and home) coincides exactly with the "point" of the ninety-foot (27.5 m) infield square. Thus, although the "points" of the bases are 90 feet (27.5 m) apart, the physical distance between each successive pair of base markers is closer to 88 feet (26.8 m).[2]

text: The lines from home plate to first and third bases extend to the nearest fence, stand or other obstruction and are called the foul lines. The portion of the playing field between (and including) the foul lines is fair territory; the rest is "foul territory." The area in the vicinity of the square formed by the bases is called the infield; fair territory outside the infield is known as the outfield. Most baseball fields are enclosed with a fence that marks the outer edge of the outfield. The fence is usually set at a distance ranging from 300 to 420 feet (91 to 128 m) from home plate. Most professional and college baseball fields have a right and left foul pole. These poles are at the intersection of the foul lines and the respective ends of the outfield fence and, unless otherwise specified within the ground rules, lie in fair territory. Thus, a batted ball that passes over the outfield wall in flight and touches the foul pole is a fair ball and the batter is awarded a home run.

text: First base[edit]

text: First base is the first of four bases that must be touched by a player on the batting team in order to score a run. Unlike when an offensive player reaches second or third base, it is permissible for a batter-runner to overrun first base without being in jeopardy of being put out. After contact is made with the base, the batter-runner may slow down and return to first base at his leisure, so long as he makes no move or attempt to advance to second base. The runner cannot be tagged out if he is touching the base with any part of his body.

text: The first baseman is the defensive player responsible for the area near first base. A professional first baseman is often a slow runner and tall.[citation needed] A tall first baseman presents a large target to which other fielders can throw, and his height gives him a larger range in reaching and catching errant throws. Players who are left-handed are marginally preferable for first base because: first, it is easier for a left-handed fielder to catch a pick-off throw from the pitcher and tag the baserunner; and, second, it is easier for a left handed thrower to make the throw to second base to start a 3-6-3, 3-6-4, or a 3-6-1 double play.[citation needed] Also, a right-handed first baseman must, when setting himself up to receive a throw from an infielder, execute a half-pivot near the base; this is a move that a left-hander need not make (this advantage is very marginal, however). There are three infield positions that can only effectively be occupied by right-handed players: 2nd base, 3rd base, and shortstop. This is because of the time it takes to pivot and set to throw. It takes a left-handed thrower more time to make that pivot and in the fast-paced major league game, that time is critical. As a result, there are fewer positions a left-handed player can occupy, and if that player is not fast, the outfield may not be a good fit.

text: In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the first baseman is assigned the number '3'.

text: Second base[edit]

text: Second base is the second of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a base runner in order to score a run for that player's team. Second base is typically defended by the second baseman and the shortstop. Second base is also known as the keystone sack. A runner on second base is said to be in "scoring position", owing to the high likelihood of reaching home plate and scoring a run from second base on most base hits. Since second is the farthest base from home plate, it is the most common target of base stealing. The runner can not be tagged out if he is touching the base with any part of his body.

text: Ideally, the second baseman and shortstop possess quick hands and feet and the ability to release the ball rapidly and with accuracy. One will usually cover second base when the other attempts to field the ball. Both players must communicate well to be able to make a double play. Particular agility is required of the second baseman in double play situations, which usually forces the player to throw towards first while his momentum carries him in the opposite direction. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the second baseman is assigned the number 4, and the shortstop 6.

text: Third base[edit]

text: Third base is the third of four bases a base runner must touch in a counterclockwise succession in order to score a run. Many batted balls that result in the batter being put out (such as a sacrifice fly) may nevertheless allow a runner to reach home plate and score a run from third base, provided that the third and final out is not recorded before he can do so. A runner on third base is therefore particularly valuable to the batting team when fewer than two outs have been recorded. The runner cannot be tagged out if he is touching the base with any part of his body.

text: The third baseman is the defensive player whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base. A third baseman ideally possesses quick reaction to batted balls and a strong arm to make the long throw to first base. The distance from 3rd to 1st is about 127 feet. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the third baseman is assigned the number 5.

text: Home plate[edit]

text: Home plate, formally designated home base in the rules, is the final base that a player must touch to score. Unlike the other bases, home plate is a five-sided slab of whitened rubber that is set at ground level. The use of rubber was developed by Robert Keating, who pitched one game for the 1887 Baltimore Orioles. Previously—and more dangerously—the plate was made of stone, iron, or wood.[3]

text: The dimensions of home plate are 17 inches (43.2 cm) across the front, 8.5 inches (21.6 cm) down each side, with a triangular rear of two sides of 12 inches (30.5 cm). The rear edges are at 45 degrees to the sides, making a point at the back.[1] The plate is white and surrounded by a black strip 3/4 inches (1.9 cm) in width. The plate sits entirely in "fair" territory, with the two rear edges aligned with the right and left field foul lines. The length and angle requirements for home plate mandate that it is not a regular pentagon; it is a 17 inches by 8.5 inches (43.2 x 21.6 cm) rectangle with an isosceles triangle of base 17 inches (43.2 cm) and equal sides of 12 inches (30.5 cm) attached to the back.

text: 50 to 100 feet (15 to 30 meters) behind home plate is the backstop, which is a wall/fence that will stop wild pitches, passed balls, and foul balls. In enclosed stadiums, the backstop is often composed of a lower part, which is like any other part of the wall, and an upper netting to protect spectators seated behind it; in recreational baseball fields, there is usually a tall chain-link fence, including an angled top section, composing the entire backstop.

text: Batter's box and catcher's box[edit]

text: The batter's box is the place where the batter stands when ready to receive a pitch from the pitcher. It is usually drawn in chalk on the dirt surrounding home plate, and the insides of the boxes are watered down before each game.

text: The chalk lines delineating the two Foul Lines are rarely extended through the batter's boxes. However, those lines exist conceptually for the purpose of judging a batted ball fair or foul. In addition, inside edges of the Batter's Boxes are often not laid-in with chalk. Similarly, though not marked, those lines continue to exist for the purpose of the rules pertaining to the batter's box and the batter's position relative thereto.

text: There are two batter's boxes, one on each side of home plate. The batter's boxes are 4 feet wide (1.2 m) and 6 feet long (1.8 m). The batter's boxes are centered lengthwise at the center of home plate with the inside line of each batter's box 6 inches (15.24 cm) from the near edge of home plate. A right-handed batter would stand in the batter's box on the left side of home plate from the perspective of the catcher and umpire. A left-handed batter would stand in the batter's box to their right. A batter may only occupy one batter's box at a time and may not legally leave the batter's box after the pitcher has come set or has started his windup. Should the batter wish to leave the batter's box once the pitcher has engaged the rubber, he must first ask the umpire for time-out. Time will not be granted if the pitcher has already started his pitching motion. For playing rules relating to the batter's box, see Rules 6.05 and 6.06 of the Official Baseball Rules.

text: Foul poles[edit]

text: Foul poles, if present, help umpires judge whether a fly ball hit above the fence line is foul (out of play) or fair (a home run). The poles are a vertical extension of the foul lines at the edge of the field of play. The outer edge of the foul lines and foul poles define foul territory. Both the lines and the poles are in fair territory, in contrast to football and basketball, where the lines marking the playing boundaries are out of bounds.

text: Before 1920,[citation needed] the foul lines extended indefinitely; a batter was awarded a home run only if a fly ball out of the field was fair where it landed, or "when last seen" by the umpire. Now, a batted ball that leaves the field in flight is judged fair or foul at the point it leaves the field. Thus, such a fly ball passing on the fair side of a foul pole, or hitting a foul pole, is a home run regardless of where the ball goes thereafter.

text: Foul poles are typically much higher than the top of the outfield fence or wall, and often have a narrow screen running along the fair side of the pole. This further aids the umpires' judgment, as a ball that bounces off this screen is a home run. It can still be a difficult call, especially in ballparks with no outfield stands behind the poles to provide perspective. Wrigley Field is notorious for arguments over long, curving flies down a foul line (most notably in left field) that sail higher than the foul pole.

text: At Major League Baseball fields, foul poles are usually yellow. Those at Citi Field are orange. At the Rogers Centre, there are no foul poles, but large nets suspended from the roof that serve the same purpose. At Petco Park, there is no foul pole in left field; the pole's function is served by a yellow metal strip along the corner of the Western Metal Supply Co. building.

text: Pitcher's mound[edit]

text: In roughly the middle of the square, equidistant between first and third base, and a few feet closer to home plate than to second base, is a low artificial hill called the pitcher's mound. This is where the pitcher stands when throwing the pitch. Atop the mound is a white rubber slab, called the pitcher's plate or pitcher's rubber. It measures 6 inches (15 cm) front-to-back and 2 feet (61 cm) across, the front of which is exactly 60 feet 6 inches (18.44 m) from the rear point of home plate. This peculiar distance was set by the rule makers in 1893, not due to a clerical or surveying error as popular myth has it, but intentionally (further details in History section).

text: In Major League Baseball, a regulation mound is 18 feet (5.5 m) in diameter, with the center 59 feet (18 m) from the rear point of home plate, on the line between home plate and second base. The front edge of the pitcher's plate or rubber is 18 inches (46 cm) behind the center of the mound, making the front edge's midpoint 60 feet 6 inches (18.44 m) from the rear point of home plate. Six inches (15.2 cm) in front of the pitcher's rubber the mound begins to slope downward. The top of the rubber is to be no higher than ten inches (25.4 cm) above home plate. From 1903 through 1968, this height limit was set at 15 inches (38.1 cm), but was often slightly higher, sometimes as high as 20 inches (51 cm), especially for teams that emphasized pitching, such as the Los Angeles Dodgers, who were reputed to have the highest mound in the majors.

text: A pitcher will push off the rubber with his foot in order to gain velocity toward home plate when pitching. In addition, a higher mound generally favors the pitcher. With the height advantage, the pitcher gains more leverage and can put more downward velocity on the ball, making it more difficult for the batter to strike the ball squarely with the bat. The lowering of the mound in 1969 was intended to "increase the batting" once again, as pitching had become increasingly dominant, reaching its peak the prior year; 1968 is known among baseball historians as "The Year of the Pitcher". This restrictive rule apparently did its job, contributing to the hitting surge of modern baseball.

text: A pitcher's mound is difficult for groundskeepers to maintain. Usually before every game it is watered down to keep the dust from spreading. On youth and amateur baseball fields, the mound may be much different from the rule book definition due to erosion and repair attempts. Even in the major leagues, each mound gains its own character, as pitchers are allowed to kick away pieces of dirt in their way, thereby sculpting the mound a bit to their preference.

text: The pitcher may keep a rosin bag on the rear of the mound to dry off his hands. Major League Baseball teams are also permitted cleat cleaners on the back of the mound. This may be a flat grate-style plate, or simply a hand tool such as a piece of wood used to remove mud and dirt from cleats. These items are allowed to remain on the backside of the mound at the discretion of the umpire, thus reducing the probability that they will affect a live play.[4]

text: Baseline[edit]

text: A baseline is the straight line between two adjacent bases. Baselines are not drawn on the field, although the foul lines serve to mark the baseline between home plate and first base, and between third base and home.

text: Running baseline[edit]

text: Generally, base runners are not required to follow the baseline. A base runner seeking to advance more than one base typically "rounds" the base, following a more circular path. However, a base runner's left-right motion is constrained when the defense tries to tag him. At the moment the defense begins the attempt, the baserunner's running baseline is established as a direct line from his current position to the base he is trying for. A runner straying more than three feet (0.9 m) away from this baseline to avoid a tag may be called out.

text: Running lane[edit]

text: Beginning halfway between home and first base, and ending at first base, there is a second chalk line to the right of the foul line. This second line and the part of the foul line it runs parallel to, form the running lane that defines the path in which a batter must run as he is advancing to first base. Rule 6.05(k) of the Official Baseball Rules states that, if a batter running to first base runs outside the running lane, and "in doing so" interferes with the fielder taking the throw at first, then the batter is automatically out. First base itself is not located in the running lane, but Rule 6.05 lets the runner leave the running lane "by means of a step, stride or slide in the immediate vicinity of first base" to step on first base.[5]

text: Grass line[edit]

text: The grass line, where the dirt of the infield ends and the grass of the outfield begins, has no special significance to the rules of the game, but it can influence the outcome of a game. Dirt running paths between the bases (and, at one time and still in some parks, between the pitcher and the catcher) have existed since the beginning of the game, although they were not mentioned in the rule books until around 1950, and their specifications are flexible. In addition to providing a running path, the grass lines act as a visual aid so that players, umpires and fans may better judge distance from the center of the diamond. Occasionally the ball may take a tricky bounce off the dirt area or the edge between the dirt and the grass. Multiple World Series championships (including 1924, 1960 and 1986) have been decided or heavily influenced by erratic hops of ground balls.

text: In artificial turf stadiums, infield dirt was originally only placed around the bases and around the pitcher's and batting areas, which are referred to as "sliding pits." In this configuration, the "grass line" is usually designated with a white arc. Among Major League Baseball fields, Rogers Centre was the last stadium to maintain this type of configuration and is reconfigured with a full dirt infield starting in the 2016 MLB season.[6]

text: In some college baseball parks with artificial turf fields, the entire field (along with possibly the pitcher's mound) is made up of turf, with parts of the field mainly containing dirt instead merely being clay-colored turf.

text: Outfield[edit]

text: The outfield is made from thick grass or artificial turf. It is where the outfielders play. The positions to play in the outfield are right, center, and left field (named in relation to the batter's position; thus left field is beyond third base and right field is beyond first base). Outfields vary in size and shape depending on the overall size and shape of the playing field. The outfield stretches from the infield to the outfield wall and it contains the warning track. Outfields especially vary from Little League to Major League fields. Little League outfields vary more in size than Major League outfields. Typically one would see Little League outfields made of grass while most Major League outfields are made of an artificial turf. This goes for some High School and College outfields as well. With the outfield being mostly grass, rainouts are more likely to occur than on fields where the outfield is turf.

text: Warning track[edit]

text: The warning track is the strip of dirt at the edges of the baseball field (especially in front of the home run fence and along the left and right sides of a field). Because the warning track's color and feel differ from the grass field, a fielder can remain focused on a fly ball near the fence and measure his proximity to the fence while attempting to catch the ball safely.

text: A warning track's width is not specified in the rules. It is generally designed to give about three steps of warning to the highest-level players using the field. Typical widths run from about six feet for Little League fields to about 10–15 feet (3 - 4.5 m) for college- or professional-level play. A warning track this wide also lets groundskeepers avoid driving maintenance vehicles on the grass.

text: The track can be composed of finely ground rock particles such as cinders, which is why announcer Bob Wolff called it the "cinder path" rather than the "warning track".

text: The idea of a warning track originated in Yankee Stadium, where an actual running track was built for use in track and field events. When ballpark designers saw how the track helped fielders, it soon became a feature of every ballpark.

text: Single-minded fielders often crash into a wall trying to make a catch despite the warning track. For this reason, outfield walls are typically padded for extra safety. Wrigley Field's brick wall is covered only by ivy, which is not especially soft. However, there are pads on the walls of the tight left and right field corners in foul ground.

text: Warning-track power is a derogatory term for a batter who seems to have just enough power to hit the ball to the warning track for an out, but not enough to hit a home run. The term more generally refers to someone or something that is almost but not quite good enough for something.

text: Outfield wall[edit]

text: The outfield wall or outfield fence is the wall or fence that marks the outer boundary of the outfield. A ball passing over the wall is dead; if it passes over the wall in fair territory while in flight, it is a home run. The official rules do not specify the shape, height, or composition of the wall, or a specific mandatory distance from home plate (though Major League Baseball mandates a minimum distance of 250 feet (76 m) and recommends a minimum distance of 320 feet (98 m) at the foul poles and 400 feet (120 m) at center field). As a result, baseball fields can vary greatly along those lines. The wall has numbers affixed or painted on it that denote the distance in feet from that point on the wall to home plate. In most modern major league ballparks, the wall is made of some hard material (e.g., concrete) with padding on the field side to protect players who may collide with the wall at high speed while trying to make a play. Chain link fencing may also be incorporated into the wall in areas where the wall needs to be transparent, e.g., an outfield bullpen, a spectator area behind the wall, or to protect a scoreboard incorporated into the wall. Many ballparks feature a yellow line denoting the top of the wall to aid umpires in judging whether the ball passed over the wall or if the ball is fair or foul.

text: Bullpen[edit]

text: The bullpen (sometimes referred to as simply "the pen") is the area where pitchers warm up before entering a game. Depending on the ballpark, it may be situated in foul territory along the baselines or just beyond the outfield fence. Relief pitchers usually wait in the bullpen when they have yet to play in a game, rather than in the dugout with the rest of the team. The starting pitcher also makes his final pregame warmups in the bullpen. Managers can call coaches in the bullpen on an in-house telephone from the dugout to tell a certain pitcher to begin his warmup tosses. "Bullpen" is also used metonymically to describe a team's collection of relief pitchers.

text: On-deck circles[edit]

text: There are two on-deck circles in the field, one for each team, positioned in foul ground between home plate and the respective teams' benches. They are technically known as next-batter's boxes. The on-deck circle is where the next scheduled batter, or "on-deck" batter, warms up while waiting for the current batter to finish his turn. The on-deck circle is either an area composed of bare dirt; a plain circle painted onto artificial turf; or often, especially at the professional level, a mat made from artificial material, with the team or league logo painted onto it.

text: Coach's boxes[edit]

text: The coach's boxes, located behind first and third base, are where the first and third base coaches are supposed to stand, although coaches often stand outside the box. This is permissible as long as the coach does not interfere with play and the opposing team does not object (in which case the umpire shall ensure that all coaches on both teams must abide by the boundaries of the coach's boxes). The coach's boxes are marked with chalk or paint. In the early days of baseball, the term "coacher's box" was used, as "coach" was taken to be a verb. As the term "coach" evolved into a noun, the name of the box also changed.

text: History[edit]

text: This section possibly contains original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed. (May 2012) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

text: The basic layout of the diamond has been little changed since the original Knickerbocker Rules of the 1840s. The distance between bases was already established as 90 feet (27.5 m), which it remains to this day. Through trial and error, 90 feet (27.5 m) had been settled upon as the optimal distance. 100 feet (30.5 m) would have given too much advantage to the defense, and 80 feet too much to the offense.

text: The original Knickerbocker Rules did not specify the pitching distance explicitly. By the time major league baseball began in the 1870s, the pitcher was compelled to pitch from within a "box" whose front edge was 45 feet (13.7 m)from the "point" of home plate. Although he had to release the ball before crossing the line, as with bowlers in cricket, he also had to start his delivery from within the box; he could not run in from the field as bowlers do. Furthermore, the pitcher had to throw underhand. By the 1880s, pitchers had mastered the underhand delivery—in fact, in 1880, there were two perfect games within a week of each other.[7]

text: In an attempt to "increase the batting", the front edge of the pitcher's box was moved back 5 feet (1.5 m) in 1881, to 50 feet (15 m) from home plate. The size of the box was altered over the following few years. Pitchers were allowed to throw overhand starting in 1884, and that tilted the balance of power again. In 1887, the box was set at 4 feet (1.2 m) wide and 5.5 feet (1.7 m) deep, with the front edge still 50 feet (15 m) from the plate. However, the pitcher was compelled to deliver the ball with his back foot at the 55.5 foot (16.9 m) line of the box, thus somewhat restricting his ability to "power" the ball with his overhand delivery.[8]:96

text: In 1893, the box was replaced by the pitcher's plate, although "the box" is still used today as a slang term for the pitcher's location on the field. Exactly 5 feet (1.5 m) was added to the point the pitcher had to toe, again "to increase the batting" (and hopefully to increase attendance, as fan interest had flagged somewhat), resulting in the seemingly peculiar pitching distance of 60.5 feet (18.4 m).[8]:230

text: Many sources suggest that the pitching distance evolved from 45 to 50 to 60.5 feet. However, the first two were the "release point" and the third is the "pushoff point", so the 1893 increase was not quite as dramatic as is often implied; that is, the 1893 rule change added only 5 feet to the release point, not 10.5 feet (3.2 m).

text: Originally the pitcher threw from flat ground, but over time the raised mound was developed, somewhat returning the advantage to the pitchers. Before the mid-20th century, it was common for baseball fields to include a dirt pathway between the pitcher's mound and home plate. This feature is sometimes known as the "keyhole" due to the shape that it makes together with the mound. The keyhole was once as wide as the pitcher's box and resembled the "pitch" area used in the game of cricket. Sometimes this path extended through the batting area and all the way to the backstop. Once the rounded pitcher's mound was developed, the path became more ornamental than practical, and was gradually thinned before being largely abandoned by the 1950s. In recent years some ballparks, such as Comerica Park and Chase Field in the major leagues, have revived the feature for nostalgic reasons.

text: Maintenance[edit]

text: Honors and awards[edit]

text: The Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA) presents various awards each year. Starting in 2001, its Sports Turf Manager of the Year Awards have been presented annually in the Triple-A, Double-A, Class A, and Short-Season/Rookie divisions of Minor League Baseball and are chosen from the 16 league winners.[9] STMA also presents the Baseball Field of the Year Award, which includes Schools and Parks, College/University and Professional categories.[10]