Quote:
Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA
Quote:
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If a hitter is struck by a pitch while in the batter’s box, she will be awarded first base regardless if she tried to avoid being struck by the ball. Previously, the umpire had to judge whether the batter in the box tried to avoid being hit by the pitch. The umpire still can keep the batter in the box if, in his/her judgment, the batter initiated the contact by trying to get hit by the pitch.
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Anybody think this wasn't a coach's idea?
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Mike-
This has actually been the directive to umpires for a few years now. We (umpires, ok Emily) have been pushing to get the wording in the rules to align with what was reasonable to judge as an attempt to avoid being hit. The premise is that the ball does not belong in the batter's box. The reasoning behind the change was due to very inconsistent application of the hbp rule.