Strikeout

In baseball, a strikeout or strike out (denoted by K or KO, among others) occurs when the batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. Strikeouts are associated with dominance on the part of the pitcher and incompetence on the part of the batter, although for power hitters it is recognized that the style of swing that generates home runs also leaves the batter somewhat susceptible to striking out.

Rules

A pitcher receives credit for (and a batter is charged with) a strikeout on any third strike, but a batter is out only if either of the following is true:

the third strike is pitched and caught in flight by the catcher (including foul tips);
on any third strike, if a baserunner is on first and there are fewer than two outs;

If the third strike is not caught and there are two outs, or fewer than two outs and no baserunner on first, the batter becomes a runner. Thus, it is possible for a batter to strike out, but still reach base safely if the catcher fails or is unable to catch the third strike cleanly and cannot tag out the batter or force him out at first base (called in Japan as furinige（振り逃げ）, i.e. swing and escape). As a result, pitchers have occasionally been able to record four strikeouts in one half-inning.

In scoring, a swinging strikeout is recorded as a K, or a K-S. Some scorers record strikeouts where the batter didn't swing at the last pitch with a backwards-facing K, also recorded as K-C. The use of "K" for a strikeout was invented by Henry Chadwick, a newspaper journalist. The letter "S" was used to coin "sacrifice" so Mr. Chadwick decided to use "K", with "K" being the last letter in "struck". Mr. Chadwick also invented many other baseball scoring abbreviations, such as using numbers to designate player positions. Although some people use SO, that is typically used to denote a shutout.

History

The strikeout is as old as baseball itself. Alexander Cartwright's Knickerbocker Rules, drawn up in 1845 and considered the foundation of the modern game, define the strikeout as follows:

Three balls being struck at and missed and the last one caught, is a hand-out; if not caught is considered fair, and the striker bound to run. (Rule #11)

This is essentially the same rule in use today, with the addition of the called strike (1858) and the provision that the batter is automatically out if there are less than two out and a runner on first. In 1880, the rules were changed to specify that a third strike had to be caught on the fly. In 1887, the number of strikes for an out was changed to four, but promptly changed back to three the next season. A foul bunt was classified as a strike in 1894, and a foul tip in 1895.

Jargon and slang

A swinging strikeout is often called a whiff and a batter who is struck out by a fastball is often said to have been blown away. A batter who strikes out on a swung third strike is said to have been fanned. When a batter takes a called third strike it is called a punchout, or said that the batter was caught looking. A pitcher is said to "strike out the side" when he retires all three batters in a half inning by striking them out, not necessarily in a row. If they are struck out in a row, the pitcher is said to "retire the side in order".

In slang, when a batter strikes out three times in a game, he is said to have completed a "hat trick". If he strikes out four times, it is a "golden sombrero" or a "silver sombrero". He receives the "Olympic rings" for striking out five times and the "horn" for striking out six times in a game - a rare occurrence, which in the history of major league play has only been accomplished in extra innings games.

Some pitchers who specialize in strikeouts have acquired nicknames including the letter "K". Dwight Gooden was known as "Doctor K". Francisco Rodriguez is known as "K-Rod".

Strikeout records

Season and career strikeout totals for pitchers are followed closely by fans. The top 5 Major League Baseball career strikeout leaders (active players in bold):