I have a bit of a complicated question that maybe some people here might be able to help me with.

Here is the root question:

What's the most pitches a batter can take without swinging the bat in a single at bat?

I believe the answer is 6. Either 2 balls and 3 strikes, or 3 balls and 2 strikes with the 6th pitch being a strike, a ball, a passed ball or a hit batter.

Now here is where the technicalities come in...

A batter is at bat (2-2 pitch count) with a runner on base and 2 outs. The baserunner is then caught stealing to end the inning. The batter that was up when the baserunner was caught stealing was pitched a third ball to make a 3-2 pitch count. That batter will then come up again next inning and bat since his at bat was not completed. But my question is, is the pitch count from the last inning in any way recorded or on record or is that pitch count considered null and void as if it never happened?

The is no count on the batter when he returns the next inning. There are no pitch counts for batters, just balls and strikes.

I think the official scorekeeper may have a record of the count in the previous inning, when the inning ended, but, really what difference does it make? Except for pitch count it does not mean much.

I think the poster may have thought that the batter assumed the previous count when he batted next inning so he wanted to know who tracked it.

No, actually I was trying to find the answer to the question I asked:

What's the most pitches a batter can take without swinging the bat in a single at bat?

LOL!!

I think the other umps here are thinking too much.

Basically, what he is asking is this:

Does the AB count as an AB, or is it tossed out when he comes to the plate again to start the new inning? We all know that he gets a fresh count, but what comes of the record of his last AB?

-Craig

<b> What's the most pitches a batter can take without swinging the bat in a single at bat?

I believe the answer is 6. Either 2 balls and 3 strikes, or 3 balls and 2 strikes with the 6th pitch being a strike, a ball, a passed ball or a hit batter </b>

I believe his question was pretty clear. What is the maximum pitches any one batter can take without swinging the bat? With the senario listed, I get a count of <font color= red> 11 </font> pitches.

BR - 5 pitches (no swing)count 3-2
R1 steals and is thrown out to end inning
BR returns to bat with new count and can take 6 new pitches without swinging before he either reaches 1st or is put out.

Here is a different twist.

Runner on second, two outs. 3-2 pitch to the B2 is called ball four. Runner from second is stealing third on the pitch. Runner is thrown out at third for the third out. Who leads off next inning?

Don't get it...how is this a "twist"? Batter completed his time at bat (OBR 6.04, 6.08a), so B3 leads off. B2 was LOB.

P-Sz

[Edited by Patrick Szalapski on May 11th, 2004 at 09:36 AM]

I know for a fact that it is not uncommon for teams to assume that B2 leads off the next inning. If that happens and it is appealed the umpire needs to remember that the AB ended and rule accordingly. Unfortunately, I've seen some umps blow this. The ruling is easy, it's remembering that is sometimes difficult.

"I believe the answer is 6. Either 2 balls and 3 strikes, or 3 balls and 2 strikes with the 6th pitch being a strike, a ball, a passed ball or a hit batter."

a passed ball is either a strike or a ball.

After the count is 2-3, he does not recieve a 6th pitch. He is either out or on first because the pitch was dropped.

Oops LOL, you're right, guess that should say 3 balls and 2 strikes with the 6th pitch being a strike, a ball, a passed ball or a hit batter.

I don't have any idea why this matters??

Does this have anything to do with umpiring? I wonder how?

sir_eldren hit the nail on the head:

"Does the AB count as an AB, or is it tossed out when he comes to the plate again to start the new inning? We all know that he gets a fresh count, but what comes of the record of his last AB?"

Still haven't heard anyone give an answer to this.