Good evening,
OBR interp please, HS level Babe Ruth Baseball (Note: Babe Ruth uses modified OBR, no modifications matter here):
Right-handed batter has whole body in batters box, gets hits on right elbow. He did not do much to get out of the way. I judged he got frozen on the pitch, sent him to 1B. Manager comes screming out with rule book in hand pointing to OBR 6.08, i.e. batter must try to get out of the way of a pitch (like the FED rule)
BRD is rather confusing on this, CR saying that 2005 FED point of emphasis on this sounds like it's leaning to NCAA interp., saying that if everything is inside the batter's box, it's the pitcher's fault (p. 66 situation #80).
When I went to pro school in the stone age we were taught that if it hits a batter and he is not trying to lean over the plate he goes to 1B. In all the years I've OBR level baseball I have never seen a batter kept at home for not avoiding a pitch. In all the years I have watched OBR on TV, I have never seen 6.08 called as in the rule book.
Am I incompetent now and missed a change in the interpretation of this rule? Does OBR now want things ruled like FED? Has anyone in OBR rules baseball kept a kid who got hit at home?
I am looking forward to my education. Thanks.
|