Quote:
Originally Posted by Andy
I have had situations much as you describe where the batter, who is trying to avoid the pitched ball, has the bat come around and look like a swing, but it is more of a defensive move. It's one of those "I know it when you see it" things and hard to describe.
That being said, in the video presented, I would have ruled a swing. I don't think the batter being hit by the pitch is what caused the bat to come around. If he had not been hit, it seems unlikely that he would have been able to check his swing.
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Same. +1
You said "the barrel had not crossed the foul line". For years (OK, decades) I used that as one criteria, but realized as I worked higher levels that I was missing a lot of swings/strikes. What made me change was the number of balls that I saw actually being hit (and FAIR) with the bat not yet to the point I considered calling it a swing. But that HAS to be a swing if it can hit a fair ball, the bat is obviously into the hitting area. A barrel to the foul line would not only hit the ball, but has advanced thru the hitting area to pull the ball foul, even. I believe I was giving the batters too much and taking from the pitchers.
I have realigned my process to think in terms of "Did the bat enter the hitting zone?", as well as if the ball hit the bat, whether intended to hold up or not, "Would that have hit a fair ball opposite field?". If yes, that's a swing.