Pitching (baseball)

thumb|Clayton Kershaw, a pitcher for the [[Los Angeles Dodgers, pitching in a game versus the New York Mets in 2015]]

A swingman is an athlete capable of playing multiple positions in their sport.

right|thumb|250px|Cincinnati Reds outfielder [[Adam Dunn strikes out swinging.]]In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It means the batter is out, unless the third strike is not caught by the catcher and the batter reaches first base safely as a result. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is usually denoted by the letter K, or sometimes by the initialism SO. A "strikeout looking"—in which the batter does not swing and the third strike is called by the umpire—may be denoted by a

volume of space through which a pitch must pass in order to be called a strike, if the batter does not swing

baseball game in which at least one team has no baserunners

thumb|Nolan Ryan holds the record for no-hitters in the major leagues with seven.

in baseball, reaching base on four balls

baseball or softball pitcher who relieves a previous pitcher

major League Baseball award

baseball event in which the batter is hit by the pitched ball, and is awarded first base

baseball or softball pitcher who throws the first pitch for their team in a game

thumb|right|upright|Bob Shaw (baseball)|Bob Shaw holds the major league record for most balks in a single game, five, in 1963. In baseball, a balk is a set of illegal motions or actions that a pitcher may make. Most of these violations involve pitchers pretending to pitch when they have no intention of doing so. In games played under the Official Baseball Rules that govern professional play in the United States and Canada, as well as NCAA rules governing college baseball, a balk results in a dead ball or delayed dead ball. In certain other circumstances, a balk may be wholly or partially disre

machine that automatically pitches a baseball to a batter

baseball pitch

baseball or softball relief pitcher who specializes in finishing games

baseball term for the best starting pitcher in a team's rotation

in baseball, the number of balls and strikes called so far during a plate appearance