Five Things You Probably Didn't Know About Baseball

1. The Ground Rule Triple: While the ground rule double is a common occurrence, a ground rule triple is possible as well. This occurs when a player attempts to use his hat to stop a ball on the ground or in the air. Using a hat is a penalty of three bases to both the batter and any runner(s) on base.

2. MLB Mud: Every MLB ball is covered in mud from a secret location in New Jersey. The mud is called Lena Blackburne Baseball Rubbing mud and allows pitchers to have a better grip on balls. Before this mud, baseballs were rubbed in water and dirt and sometimes tobacco juice and shoe polish.

3. A Big Trade: In 1957, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs conducted a huge trade. How huge? They traded their entire minor-league teams! As the Dodgers were preparing to move West and the Cubs were wanting a change, both teams decided to spice things up and traded their entire 25-man minor league roster.

4. An MLB Baseball Lasts Six Pitches: Whether it is due to a ball going out of the park, getting dirty or damaged, it has been said that a single MLB ball only lasts six-to-seven pitches. Interestingly enough, it is also been said that a typical game goes through five-to-six dozen balls, though a single club must have 90 on hand for each game.

5. 12 Seconds to Pitch: According to Rule 8.04(b) of the MLB Handbook, a pitcher has 12 seconds to pitch after he has received the ball back from the catcher when the bases are empty. If the pitcher surpasses this time, the umpire may choose to add a ball to the count, calling the occurrence a delay in the game.

Be honest - which ones did you know? Comment below.