[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally posted by TriggerMN
Last night I'm working the plate for a amateur town ball 1st round playoff game, pro pitching rules. In the bottom of the 10th, the home team gets guys on 1st and 2nd. The batter squares to sacrifice, but the pitch runs in on him and nails him right in the junk. Unfortunately, he never pulled the bat back. Guy goes down like he's been shot, and I call a dead ball strike on the offer.

The two coaches come running in from their boxes...then the guy tells us he's not wearing a cup! The coach tells him to take his time...all I can think of saying is the old adage, "Don't rub it."

Anyways, the guy stayed in the game and of course struck out. But now he's got a good story to tell his children, if he still can father any.

Let me get this straight. The batter squares to bunt; he holds the bat in the strike zone and never offers at the pitch that runs in and down on him and hits him in his "reserved partking space" and you call a "dead ball strike" on the batter.

Correct me if I am wrong, but shouldn't the correct ruling have been to award the batter or his subsitute first base for being hit by a pitch that was out of the strike zone.

MTD, Sr.