Quote:
Originally posted by GerryBlue
One the one hand, it looks like the batter put himself in harms way by initially going for the ball. What if after he "successfully" checks his swing, he makes no attempt to avoid the ball. Haven't we a "ball" on the batter?
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This "bat held in the strike zone is a strike" is one of the myths of baseball. It's easily decided simply by reading any rule book. A strike occurs when: (1) any part of the ball passes over any part of the plate (within the up and down parameters); or (2) the batter attempts to hit the ball.
As near as I can figure it, I can't hit the ball (perhaps the ball can hit my bat) unless I move the bat to the ball. I gotta swing at or tap (bunt) the pitch.
This myth got started back in the 60s in Little League when rules interpreters at that level decided young kids were being coached to "hit" the ball by putting the bat over the plate
and leaving it there because they lacked the skill to tap the ball properly.
Another issue: Any time a batter attempts to hit the ball but checks his swing, the umpire cannot fault him when the pitch rides in on him. He can't check his swing and bail out at the same time. Simply: He's hit by the pitch and heads for first.