Written by Mark Bailey
In baseball, “bot” is shorthand for “bottom,” referring to the bottom half of an inning where the home team takes its turn to bat. Stick around as we delve deeper into baseball’s unique lingo and the strategic nuances that come to life in the bot of an inning.
POINTS
- “Bot” is an abbreviation used to represent the bottom half of an inning.
- You may see this abbreviation on a scores app on your phone.
- If the game is in the bottom of an inning, this is an easy way to tell that the home team is currently hitting.
- The away team hits at the top of every inning, and the home team hits at the bottom of every inning.
The bot is an abbreviation used in baseball to explain the current situation of an inning. There are nine innings in a baseball game. Each inning has two parts: the top and the bottom. Since top is a three-letter word, there is no abbreviation needed for this one. Bottom is a long word, so they decided on the acronym “bot” to signify the bottom of an inning.
Scores apps across technological platforms will commonly use abbreviations like this one. It is helpful to have guides like these to navigate through MLB games.
What does bot mean in baseball?
Whenever you see bot in front of the inning, this means the game is in the bottom half of the inning. The home team always hits at the bottom of every inning, so that is one way to remember the concept.
“Bot” stands for bottom. Every inning has a top half and a bottom half of the inning. In the top of an inning, the away team gets to bat. The home team follows at the bottom of every inning. You will find this abbreviation of many live score applications on your phone or computer. You might also find this abbreviation used on the scoreboard at a stadium or in the official scorebook.
Is there a top and bottom of every inning?
Yes, a baseball game has a top half and bottom half of every inning. The top always comes first in every inning. This is why the away team gets to hit first in every baseball game.
Although every inning has a top and bottom, there is one exception that can eliminate one of these half-innings. If the home team is winning going into the 9th inning, all they must do is get three outs in the top of the 9th, and the game is over.
The bottom of the 9th will not happen since the away team is out of innings and can no longer win. This is the only exception. All MLB games will play at least 17 half-innings per game. If the bottom of the 9th is played, there will be 18 half-innings, barring any extra inning play.
Does the home team always hit in the bottom of the inning?
Yes, the home team will always be designated to hit in every bottom half of the inning. The away team will always hit first in the game, which will always be at the top of the inning.
There is one technical exception to this, in which a baseball game is played on a neutral field. A neutral field is a game played on neither team’s home field. This usually happens in tournament-like settings. However, the home team and away team will be designated through either prior determination or terms such as a coin toss. Even in this situation, the home team will still hit the bottom of the inning.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is a bot in baseball?
A bot will go on until the home team gets three outs. A bot is an abbreviation for the bottom of an inning. Since the home team always hits in the bottom half of an inning, the home team will hit until they get three outs. Once they reach three outs, a new inning will begin, which will be the top half. Both the bottom and the top of an inning are the same length outs-wise.
What is bot 9th in baseball?
Bot 9th stands for the bottom of the 9th inning. The 9th inning is the last inning of a baseball game unless the game is tied at the end of the 9th. Some games may not have a bottom of the 9th since the home team will not hit in the 9th if they have the lead. This abbreviation stays consistent across each inning. For example, the bot 6th abbreviation stands for the bottom of the 6th inning.
How many baseball bots are there?
In an MLB game, there will be at least eight bottom-half innings. Some games will have nine bottom-half innings, but this will only happen if the home team loses in the ninth. Every inning has a bottom half.
Conclusion
Bot is an abbreviation used to represent the bottom half of an inning. You may see this abbreviation on a scores app on your phone. If the game is in the bottom of an inning, this is an easy way to tell that the home team is currently hitting. The away team is designated to hit at the top of every inning, and the home team is designated to hit at the bottom of every inning.
This rule stays consistent in every circumstance. Every MLB game plays at least eight bottom halves of an inning. The only time the ninth is not played is when the home team finds themselves losing at the end of the top of the ninth.