HIT BY PITCH

[DownTownTonyBrown]

I'm going to continue to call this the way I discussed it above.

I fully believe that there is an area around the plate that belongs to the pitcher - every pitch is not expected to be over the plate or to be a strike. At least 6 inches inside the plate also belongs to the pitcher and a batter hit in that area had better be attempting to avoid the pitch or he stays put. I've called it that way many times - no avoidance or intentional movement towards the pitch gets a ball or strike call and batter stays.

I also fully believe there is an area beyond the pitcher's area that can be considered as belonging to the batter. I don't feel a batter is responsible for being hit with a pitch that is so significantly inside that it hits the batter in his side or on his back. This is plainly a bad, out of control pitch.... or it is an attempt to itimidate the batter. This batter in my games will get first base whether he flinches, jumps, howls, or sullenly takes one for the team - movement to avoid the pitch, not required.

Dead ball and immediately move so I can be between the pitcher and batter if anything futher happens.

Thanks for all of your inputs.