View source for Base on balls

==Intentional base on balls==
{{main|Intentional base on balls}}
[[Image:Escobar IBB.jpg|thumb|right|[[Mark Hendrickson]] of the [[Florida Marlins]] intentionally walking the [[Atlanta Braves]]' [[Yunel Escobar]] in 2008. Note the Florida [[catcher]], [[Mike Rabelo]], in a standing position behind the opposite batter's box to receive the pitch. This method of issuing an intentional walk is no longer used in Major League Baseball.]]
A subset of the base on balls, an intentional base on balls (IBB), or intentional walk, is when the defensive team intentionally issues a walk to the batter. In Major League Baseball and many amateur leagues, an intentional base on balls is signaled to the home plate umpire by the defensive team's manager holding up four fingers, at which point the batter is awarded first base without any further pitches being thrown. In some leagues and in Major League Baseball prior to 2017, an intentional base on balls is issued when the pitcher deliberately pitches the ball away from the batter four times (or as many times as needed to get to ball four if the decision to issue the intentional walk is made with one or more balls already on the count). As with any other walk, an intentional walk entitles the batter to first base without liability to be put out, and entitles any runners to advance if forced. 

Intentional walks are a strategic defensive maneuver, commonly done to bypass one hitter for one the defensive team believes is less likely to initiate a run-scoring play (e.g., a [[home run]], [[sacrifice fly]], or [[Run batted in|RBI]] [[hit (baseball)|base hit]]).  Teams also commonly use intentional walks to set up a [[double play]] or [[force play|force out]] situation for the next batter.