Rule 1: Shoot fast

To capture that magical picture you have to be able to freeze the action. Try to use a shutter speed of 1/1,000 sec. or faster. So choose shutter priority mode and 1000 as your setting. Allow the camera to choose aperture. Then change the ISO setting so that you get correct exposure. If your camera is protesting at ISO 100, change to 200, then to 400, then to 1600 and 3200. When you cannot get correct exposure at your fastest setting, change the shutter speed to 1/500 and keep going. [Don't use a slower shutter than this for action shots, but you can for static pictures such as a fielder in position as a pitch is delivered.]

If you cannot get correctly exposed shots at your fastest ISO, change to RAW capture mode and keep shooting. You can increase the exposure setting later on in software, but you cannot fix motion blur in your captured image.

Rule 2: Numbers Matter (i.e. Use Burst Mode)

Your burst mode is your friend. Use it to find that "money shot" amid many taken.

Capture the motion of the pitcher by setting your camera to burst mode ("continuous shooting"), pressing the shutter down, and holding it down until the ball enters the catcher's mit. Capture the base runner sliding into 2nd by starting at that moment when the runner enters your camera's range and continue until the action stops.

Read "The Rule of Numbers" by clicking here.

Rule 3: Shoot shallow

What you would like to have is your subject in focus while everything behind or in front of your subject is slightly out of focus. To get this "shallow depth of field" you use the largest possible aperture. So choose aperture priority mode on your camera and a setting like f4 or larger (such as f2.8). In reality this is similar to rule one since a large aperture will, for the same exposure, result in a faster shutter speed.

When you do this, correct focus is critical because slightly out of focus object (such as players) will be blurred. In low light it may be necessary to manually focus your camera instead of relying on autofocus (which isn't as reliable in low light).