For many of us who grew up watching cartoons or Hollywood movies, baseball is a game we would be somewhat familiar with. One of the most popularly played sports in the United States of America, this is a sport which is loved with as much fervour as cricket is loved in India.

For those of us who are uninitiated in this sport, baseball is a bat and ball game that is played between two teams consisting of nine players in each team, with each team taking turns batting and fielding. A player on the fielding team (who is referred to as the pitcher) throws a ball which a player on the batting team must hit with a bat. In baseball, the objective of the game is for the batting team to hit the ball into the field, at which time its players must run in a counter-clockwise direction around the four bases in order to score runs. The objective of the fielding team is to prevent players of the batting team from becoming runners, and, in due course, to prevent the runners’ movement around the bases. A run is scored when a runner moves around the bases in sequence and touches ‘home base’, which is the place where the player started as a batter. Just like in cricket, the team that scores the most runs by the time the game concludes is the winner.

Contrary to popular belief, baseball did not originate in the United States of America. In fact, the sport has evolved from older bat and ball sports that were already being played in England around the middle of the eighteenth century. It was brought to North America by immigrants, and that is where the modern version of baseball – the version of the sport that we know today – had developed.

What is fantasy baseball?

Now that we have covered the basics of baseball, let us come to the phenomenon that has taken the world by storm – fantasy baseball. Fantasy baseball belongs to the genre of gaming known as fantasy sports. In fantasy sports, players become the owners and managers of their very own virtual sports team. In the case of fantasy baseball, you get to own and manage your very own baseball team. But before you rush off to look for the best baseball fantasy app in India, let us tell you how it works.

Playing fantasy baseball requires you to first create your very own virtual baseball team, consisting of real world baseball players for an upcoming match. When you select a specific real world match you want your fantasy team to play, you will see the list of players from both the competing teams. Your team must have 9 players, of which a maximum of 6 can belong to the same real world team. You will also have to select a captain and a vice captain for your fantasy baseball squad. You will then earn points on the basis of these players’ real life performance on the day of the actual match. Do keep in mind that player selection is not arbitrary or random, and that you must carefully select your players so that your fantasy team has a good chance of performing well on the actual match day.

Is fantasy baseball a form of gambling?

As per the laws in India, fantasy baseball is a game that comes under fantasy sports. Since these games involve intelligence, knowledge of the sport as well as skill in player selection and team building, they are categorised as games of skill and not games of chance. Therefore, fantasy baseball is not a gambling game.

What are the rules of baseball?

Let us quickly cover the basic rules of the game.

1. Baseball is played between two teams consisting of nine players each, on a field that is diamond shaped, and this field is called a ballpark.
   
   
2. A baseball team consists of pitchers, catchers, outfielders and infielders.
   
   
3. A baseball match is played for 9 innings. Whichever team has managed to score the most runs at the end of the ninth inning is the winner of the match.
   
   
4. If there is a tie at the end of the ninth inning, the match goes on for an additional inning until a winner is determined.
   
   
5. A baseball match begins with the pitcher throwing a ball towards a batter overhand. Runs are scored by the batter upon hitting the ball into the baseball field and running around the four bases.
   
   
6. Having hit the ball, the batter must at least reach first base. However, they can run to as many bases as possible before getting tagged out.
   
   
7. When a batter hits the ball outside of the playing area it is known as a home run.

How to create the perfect fantasy baseball team?

As mentioned earlier, the way you select the players for your fantasy baseball team will have a direct impact on the points you score. To build your ideal fantasy team, here are some helpful tips to keep in mind:

1. Familiarise yourself with the point scoring system for fantasy baseball matches. The captain will earn you 2x the points and the vice captain will earn you 1.5x the points that regular players would.
   
   
2. Knowledge of the sport, as well as statistics and other information regarding the venue of play, the size of the pitch and even the local weather will help you tremendously.
   
   
3. Points are earned on the actual performance of players on the day the match is held.
   
   
4. It helps to do some research regarding players beforehand. Keep a check on which player has been performing well over recent matches.
   
   
5. Resist the temptation to pick players just because you like them or for any other sentimental reason. This is because their actual performance on the match day will have a direct impact on the points you earn. Pick players who are likely to perform well on the actual match day.
   
   
6. You should aim to create a team that is well balanced, as this will increase your chances of winning and earning a respectable position on the leaderboard.

The popularity of baseball in India is steadily growing and likewise fantasy baseball is gaining traction in the country. It is a highly thrilling sport, and with our handy tips in hand, you are ready to take the plunge. Happy playing!