<P> The third baseman is the defensive player whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base . A third baseman ideally possesses quick reaction to batted balls and a strong arm to make the long throw to first base . The distance from 3rd to 1st is about 127 feet (39 m). In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the third baseman is assigned the number 5 . </P> <P> Home plate, formally designated home base in the rules, is the final base that a player must touch to score . Unlike the other bases, home plate is a five - sided slab of whitened rubber that is set at ground level . The use of rubber was developed by Robert Keating, who pitched one game for the 1887 Baltimore Orioles . Previously the plate was made of stone, iron, or wood . </P> <P> The dimensions of home plate are 17 inches (43 cm) across the front, 8.5 inches (22 cm) down each side, with a triangular rear of two sides of 12 inches (30 cm). The rear edges are at 45 degrees to the sides, making a point at the back . The plate is white and surrounded by a black strip ⁄ inch (1.9 cm) in width . The plate sits entirely in "fair" territory, with the two rear edges aligned with the right and left field foul lines . The length and angle requirements for home plate mandate that it is not a regular pentagon; it is a 17 by 8.5 inches rectangle with an isosceles triangle of base 17 inches and equal sides of 12 inches attached to the back . </P> <P> 50 to 100 feet (15 to 30 meters) behind home plate is the backstop, which is a wall / fence that will stop wild pitches, passed balls, and foul balls . In enclosed stadiums, the backstop is often composed of a lower part, which is like any other part of the wall, and an upper netting to protect spectators seated behind it; in recreational baseball fields, there is usually a tall chain - link fence, including an angled top section, composing the entire backstop . </P>

What are the dimensions of home plate in major league baseball
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