How do some of you call this - hit by pitch?

As a veteran umpire I have instructed the officials in my organization to relegate an area around the plate say 6-12" inside that belongs to the pitcher. For a pitch in that area I expect a batter to make an effort to avoid being hit.

Per my instruction to officials I have suggested that the Plate umpire require some movement to avoid being hit for those pitches close to the plate. No movement, no base. Especially for the batter that moves and gets closer to the pitch or appears to intentionally move to be hit; this batter gets dead ball and stay here - ball or strike depending upon ball location. And I tend to lean toward strike unless it would be obvious to everyone that the pitch was absolutely not in the zone.

Yet we often see a batter that will "take one for the team." Often, there will be no movement by the batter, besides a wince after he has been hit. Sometimes the movement is not obviously to avoid the pitch but rather to possibly absorb some of the blow. There is not enough time to move and this generally happens when the pitch is incidentally directed AT THE BATTER - into the location which the batter is occupying before the pitch begins. This generally doesn't happen for a pitch that is close to the plate as described in the previous paragraph (some attempt like raising the arms is usually made to avoid those pitches). I and our association have prescribed that this batter (hit in the side or back) should be awarded 1st base despite not moving out of the path of the pitch. Do you call this the same way?

The pertinent NFHS rules say:
6-2-3
Infractions by pitcher: Intentionally throw close to a batter. PENALTY: the pitcher shall be ejected if the act is judged to be intentional. In case of doubt, the umpire may first warn the pitcher.
7-3-4
A batter shall not permit a pitched ball to touch him. PENALTY: the batter remains at bat (pitch is a ball or strike), unless pitch was a third strike.
8-1-1d
A batter becomes a runner... when: a pitched ball hits his person or clothing, provided he does not strike at the ball EXCEPTION: If he makes no effort to avoid being hit, or if the umpire calls the pitched ball a strike, the hitting of the batter is disregarded except that the ball is dead. It is a strike or ball depending upon location of the pitch. NOTE: If a batter's loose garment, such as a shirt that is not worn properly, is touched by a pitched ball. the batter is not entitiled to first base.
Casebook 8.1.1 Situation D: When may a batter be hit by a pitch and not be awarded first base? RULING: (1)The pitch is a strike; (2)the batter does not attempt to avoid being hit; (3)with no runners on base, the pitch is illegal and is not ball four (I know I don't understand that one) or (4)batter attempted to hit the pitch.

OBR says
6.08(b)
He is touched by a pitched ball which he is not attempting to hit unless
(1) The ball is in the strike zone when it touches the batter, or
(2) The batter makes no attempt to avoid being touched by the ball; If the ball is in the strike zone when it touches the batter, it shall be called a strike, whether or not the batter tries to avoid the ball. If the ball is outside the strike zone when it touches the batter, it shall be called a ball if he makes no attempt to avoid being touched.
APPROVED RULING: When the batter is touched by a pitched ball which does not entitle him to first base, the ball is dead and no runner may advance.

It's an awful long post but the question is,
"Am I enforcing the rule incorrectly by allowing a batter a first base award that makes no effort to move out of the path of a pitch that is directed into the area he is legally occupying (pitch that hits him in the side or back and he made no effort to move)?

Per rule it looks like I shouldn't allow the award without avoidance, but in reality, how do the rest of you enforce this rule?

me personally
 

I hate to give a bag for no reason. I'm a hue stickler on this rule, and I have no problem with the Sh** it may cause. It is my personal pet peeve. I require more than the minimum of movement, I personally require you make me give you the bag, give me no other choice. I love it and it always happens in the higher ball, where a good batter, leans into a slow curve ball. I love, relish, enjoy immensly putting that guy back in the box. I love dealing with he manager after and being able to say my favorite saying, and it always happens here, "Well, this ani't the Major Leagues no is it coach!" I have brought the same player back twice in the same game, and te best part always seems to be that thier batting average after being brought back is probably 700--850. But they think I care, it's funny. I love to see them hit a double afterwards I feel I've done my job as an official.

p.S. I take a lot of crap for my stance on it, but I will not change as long as the rule says what it does, must make an attempt to get out of the way. Many of my fellow ump here love to say, what about the Deer in the headlights? I don't care, the rule doesn't say unless your caught frozen. Just my humble opinion. But I hate to give the batter a base.

I keep it simple. If the pitch is out of the strike zone, I give the batter first if he made any attempt to get out of the way. If he leaned into the pitch, or did not make any effort to get out of the way, he stays.

As a practical matter, I use the NCAA rule (if the ptich in clearly over the batter's box, the batter need not attempt to avoid, but can't move into the pitch). I've used it for years, at all levels, even before the NCAA changed back to the rule this year.

Re: me personally
 

You should take a lot of crap. Nobody told the pitcher to throw the ball into the batter's box. And if you are working an NCAA game, the rule is that if the ball is inside the batter's box the batter does not have to avoid. Like Bob, I think this principle works well at all levels.

That's a great rule of thumb. Also in HS I give them the benefit on the curve ball since they are waiting to see if its going to break over the plate etc., If it hits them they are usually going to get the base.

I think twice this year I've kept them at the plate, but it was very obvious. If its not obvious, then you are taking it away from the batter, because he did get hit.

thanks
David

What part 3 refers to above is about the fact that an illegal pitch is a "No Pitch," but it counts as a ball or balk. If the pitcher balks and hits the batter, do you give him a base? Or do you enforce a balk? When a pitcher balks with nobody on base, the ball is dead immediately and any delivery is null and void. The batter is credited with one ball. Henceforth, the batter cannot be awarded a base on an illegal pitch (because it doesn't happen) unless it results in a fourth ball.

-Craig
Washington State

My partner had this play happen yesterday and did not know the rule. The batter did not move and was hit by a pitch. He gave him the base. A parent politely asked me between innings if the batter has to attempt to get out of the way. I said yes, but the uic has a better angel on the play and kid may have been fooled by a curve... A few innings later I was chatting with my partner and asked about the call and he said the kid was in the box, so he gave him the base. I told him about the attempt to get out of the way rule, and he was not aware of it. Interesting how the NCAA deals with it.

Point 2: He went to say that the batter never has move from the box even if there is a play at the plate (stealing runner)...
Can anyone site the ORB rule on this part. I have not sound it.

in NCAA
 

I would make my call different. But in OBR rules, it is pretty clear, must attempt to avoid the ball. I take it to heart. To say no one told the pitcher to throw in the BB is simply silly, Just cause no one told the batter to swing at a pitch in the dirt should I change the rules to suit them??

How about this a change-up lets say 60 MPH thrown at a teams 3rd batter comes into the BB bases loaded and the player stands their and lets the ball hit him. You think that should be a HBP and an RBI?? I don't that is just a waste, make an attempt to move. It is simply lazy not to make a half hearted attempt to get out of the way and earn your bag. Play the game by the rules.

I know I'm in the minority on my opinion, but it is my pet peeve about the game. It is not hard to make the attempt and still get hit, people have made careers out of it. Look at Coach from Cheers, LOL.

Re: in NCAA
 

My personal pet peeve is with umpires who put their personal pet peeves above the game as it is called by every other competent official.

There are reasons that we award bases when a player doesn't move. Players can't be bailing out of the way on pitches -- a pitch coming right for a batter may curve right over the plate.

Sure, I've kept people there on slow changeups that hit a batter right in the biceps. There are exceptions to the NCAA principle (except in NCAA games, of course). But a fastball in the side? I'm going to keep him at the plate because he didn't go diving out of the way? Nope.

6.06(c) A batter is out for illegal action when - he interferes with the catcher's fielding or throwing by stepping out of the batter's box or making any other movement that hinders catchers play at home base. EXCEPTION: Batter is not out if runnery attempting to advance is put out, or if runner trying to score is called out for batter's interference.

So, in the judgement of the umpire, if the batter hindered a play by staying in the box, interference could be called. If the batter was near the back of the box, the umpire might not rule that he interfered. If he swung on the pitch, he can't reasonably be expected to exit the box intantly. If he was in the front of the box, and did not swing, he better get out of there pdq...

Now now now
 

Relax, I refuse to believe that anyone who has played the game can stand in and take a pitch off the arm, leg . . . without attempting to move unless the believe they can gain from it. I don't care if the wait till the last second before flinching, but standing stone still letting the ball hit them and then start trotting of to first. That is BS and I believe you know it to. Must not have the gumption to call it though. Oh well that happens I guess. Rules are meant to be broken. This only happens maybe 2 a season out of 25-40 HBP, so tell me why have the rule at all, just change it to read if hit, the batter must not throw their body infront of the pitch, otherwise tough luck for the pitcher. In the NCAA the rule is more defined and therefore deals with my pet peeve and I would lovingly give batters the bag, in the rest, sorry but the rule is specific too. 98% of the time it's a bag, but this does not mean blindly give bags for fun and pleasure.

[Edited by 3appleshigh on Apr 21st, 2004 at 05:08 PM]

I had a discussion on another board about a kid the other night who stuck his hand out into the path of the ball, which was high and about 2" off the plate. Who knows why he stuck hand out, bottom line--ball would of not hit him if he hadn't stuck hand in path. I made him stay in box, and fans wanted me crucified.

You don't have to be stock-still to be "not avoiding the pitch". Flinching at the last second doesn't cut it either. Except in NCAA, if they don't try to get out of the way, and I believe they COULD HAVE tried to, they stay put.

Thanks everyone
 

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. :)

Give the batter the base if he makes a reasonable attempt at getting out of the way.

It's a players game.... not an umpires game.... we don't need to showboat by keeping guys in the box after getting smoked by a pitch.

If the guy makes a reasonable attempt to move, he gets the base in my opinion.

I go by whether the batter attempted to get out of the way of the pitch and the benefit of the doubt goes to the batter. The pitcher only owns the area over the plate, or within two inches of the plate, given that a baseball is a little over 2 inches wide. Some batters are frozen by fastballs inside, and they get hit. The location where the batter gets hit has a little bit to do with decision also. Nobody wants to get hit in the elbow, lower arm, or wrist. These could be season enders. Shoulder, butt, thigh, these are areas where a batter mightlean into one. If I see an intentional HBP I call it, otherwise, benefit of the doubt goes to batter. Pitcher only owns the area over the plate.

Exactly.

so, even if kid takes part of his body (hand in this case) toward the ball, still award base? Monday night when this happened I was confident with my decision, now I am not so sure. Maybe I need to revisit the way I look at this issue. Thanks

Did you ever think that mabey the kid was trying to protect another part of his body , using his hand. Not uncommon. It is very natural when something is going to hit you, that you put a hand or arm up for protection.

This is not as complicated a subject as we are making it here. For the most part in all leagues, if you are not 100% convinced that the batter was trying to get hit by the pitch, send him to first. Ive probably officiated in a few thousand games and can almost remember the few times I have kept the player in the box.

If the batter tried to get hit he stays, if he was protecting himself I give him first. Plus I give benefit of the doubt to the batter on the slow curve to the arm as he has to stay in there in case in drops into the zone. This stops kids from having to do too much to try to avoid getting hit and having a more serious injury, ie turning into a high fastball to take it in the back as opposed to trying to jump out of way and taking it in the ribs.

If the batter is trying to get away from the pitch and puts his hand between himself and the ball, he's still trying to get away. HBP

However, I've seen the occasion where the batter is NOT in the path of the ball and the batter reflexively puts his hand up into the path of the ball (that wouldn't have hit him had he not done so). Ball.

This is what happened!! But is "reflexively" defensive????

There is a difference of opinion of this I know. FROM NOW ON....I am awarding base!! I took alot of grief from the fans Monday and it is still bothering me. If I gave the kid the base, I would of forgot about it four days ago. I was obviously over-officiating by not awarding first.