Explain/Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport popular in the United States, East Asia, and other parts of the Americas. While the term is often used interchangeably with Blaseball, a defunct online variation of the sport, the two are distinct games with different rules and structures.
Rules
Baseball is played between two teams, each totalling 40 players in MLB standards with nine players on the field at any given point in time, with one team fielding and the other team batting. The objective of the game is to score more runs than the opposing team. A batter must hit the ball thrown by the pitcher between the foul lines and run to at least one of four bases, which are set up in a square formation. If a player doesn't hit the ball between the foul lines, then it is a foul ball. If a player successfully runs back to home plate, then they have scored a run.
The pitcher's role is to strike the batter out. This can only be accomplished if the ball is thrown into the strike zone and caught by the catcher. Think of the strike zone as a box the width of home plate and the height between the batter's armpits and knees. If the ball is thrown through the area or the batter swings and misses any ball regardless of where it is, it's a strike. Foul balls count as first or second strikes only. If three strikes are called, the batter is out. However, if the ball is not thrown through the area, it's a ball. If four balls are called, the batter walks to first base.
There are three other ways a player can be called out. Firstly, if the batter hits the ball along the ground, the fielding team can throw it to the base they're running to. If it is done before the batter reaches said base, they're out. Secondly, a batter can be tagged out while they're running between bases. And thirdly, if the ball is caught after the batter hits it, they're out. Once three outs have been called, half of the inning is over and the teams must change sides.
An inning is the period where each team takes turns to bat. A game is generally played over nine innings. However, if the score is tied, then extra innings must be played until the winner is determined.
If the batter hits the ball to the point where it goes out of the park, then they have scored a home run, which means they, and anyone else standing on the bases, get to walk freely around the bases and back to home plate, each scoring a run. This can also happen if the batter safely circles all the bases in time before the catcher catches the ball.
If a runner has successfully moved to another base unprompted by any actions, then they have stolen a base. This can be a risky move, however, as the fielding team can try to get them out, which means they have been caught stealing. If the catcher misses or drops the ball, the batter can attempt to steal first base.
If the ball is caught in the air, any players standing on a base must start from that base before running to the next. This is known as tagging up.
If the ball is hit onto the ground and then leaves the field, the batter automatically walks to second base. This is known as a ground rule double.
If the fielding team gets two outs in a single play after the ball is hit, usually by throwing to one base and then another, then they made a double play.
In the American League, teams can opt to have someone bat in place of the pitcher. This player is known as the designated hitter. Elsewhere, pitchers must bat for themselves.
These are essentially the basics of playing baseball. There are other rules out there, but you probably get the point by now.
In the camp
Baseball was first referenced in The Wiki Camp 2 in Death Row player Mark Genuine's page. Death Row's page references several other teams. Some of them, such as the YouTube Hive Mind, are completely made up, while others, like the New York Mets are real.
The New Cheyenne Kingfishers were originally made up as a team Death Row played. However starting on April 15, 2023, more and more teams were created, leading to the rise of Wikilandian Professional Baseball, which was created as a way to bring the joys of simulating baseball games to the camp, as suggested by Toronto Blue Jays and Canada Moist Talkers fan S-Guy. Callie and CAKO have previously stated that they would love to see such a competition. Wikiascratchboy also seems to be interested. Upon S-Guy's discovery of Sim16 and the death of Blaseball, he believes now would be a good time to start simulating WPB games.
Blaseball is popular within the TWC2 community. However, Internet League Blaseball wasn't talked about that much prior to the announcement of Blaseball's death.
The Category:Baseball teams page features the lyrics to the Tin Pan Alley song Take Me Out to the Ball Game, an unofficial anthem of baseball, albeit featuring TWC2 characters instead of Katie Casey.
New York Mets
Every time the New York Mets are mentioned, they are done so enthusiastically as "the METS BABY LOVE THE METS ALRIGHT BABY LETS GO GET A HOME RUN BABY LOVE THE METS LETS GO METS." Because it wasn't always about winning The Wiki Camp 2, Tee-Dee-Gee...