Hit a single.- Reach on an error.
- Walk on four balls.
- Get hit by a pitch.
- Catcher drops the ball after the third strike.
- Fan interference.
- Catcher interference.
- A pitching infraction that results in a 4th ball.
- A pitched ball lodges in the catcher or umpire’s mask on the third strike or fourth ball.
- Replacing another player that just reached first base.
- Purchase failing MLB franchise, build new stadium, create a ground rule stating that a player with your exact name is awarded first base at each at bat regardless of the strike/ball count, add yourself to the 25-man roster.
- Star in a stupid movie based on a British book written about a different sport, run on field to chase romantic interest Jimmy Fallon.
- Take a 25% dose of the steroids normally used to hit home runs.
- Take 4 train from East Side or B/D train from West Side, stop at 161st St, enter at gate 6.
- Hire Uri Geller, learn secrets of hypnosis, hypnotize all defensive players and umpires.
- Jet pack.
- Time at-bat with zombie apocalypse, wait until all players are infected, have co-conspiritor drop large pile of human brains on the warning track by center field.
- Build time machine, send cyborg back in time to kill pitcher’s parents; repeat until you get a really bad pitcher you can easily hit.
- If you play first base, you will always reach first base nine times, provided you don’t leave the game early. (Why isn’t this ever on any of these lists?)
- Have fans throw batteries at the head of the pitcher. (Works best if you play for the Phillies and are at a home game.)
- Scout a pitcher born with phenylketonuria; feed him large amounts of aspartame prior to his start.
- After strikeout by a pitcher born outside of the United States, petition the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law for arbitration, arguing the pitcher’s work status is in dispute due to paragraph 9 of General Assembly resolution 2205 (XXI) of 17 December 1966.
- Up-down-up-down-left-right-left-right-A-B-Start.
- Either build a second moon, or move an asteroid into Earth orbit, with enough mass to change tidal patterns and conversely change barometric pressure to alter the pitcher’s ability to locate the ball correctly.
- Do not give the pitcher LSD (especially if it is Doc Ellis.)
- Start a facebook petition to put you on first base.
- Travel to bizarro alternate reality where you get to advance to first base after you swing at nothing three times.
- Send a photo of a gun to the pitcher’s cell phone. (This probably works best if you are Elijah Dukes.)
- Be the daughter of Bud Selig when he is on first base and suddenly needs it to look like he doesn’t own first base because he took a new job.
- Practice.