[Dakota]

(a) dead ball, foul, batter remains batting.

Incorrect. Not even close; ball remains in fair territory.

((b) dead ball, strike three, batter is out.

Correct. Batter swung and missed. Ball hit batter on the hands. Batter is out on strike three (swing and miss - ball did not hit the bat). Ball is dead because it hit the batter.

RULE 7. BATTING SECTION 6. The Batter Is Out A. When the third strike is swung at, missed and the pitched ball touches any part of the batter's person.
EFFECT - Section 6 A-I: The ball is dead and each runner must return to the base legally held at the time of the pitch.


((c) dead ball, award batter first base.

Incorrect. This is not a hit-by-pitch, because the batter swung at the ball.

((d) live ball, batter becomes a batter-runner.

Incorrect. myth call - "the hands are part of the bat" is the myth. IF the hands were indeed part of the bat, this would be a slow grounder that the batter would try to beat out, hence you will see this incorrect call being made in this situation. More commonly, however, will be the chorus from the parents of the offensive team... "The hands are part of the bat, fair ball...."


[Edited by Dakota on Mar 5th, 2001 at 03:58 PM]