OK, guys, here's a new one for me I am sure you guys are familiar with. I have looked in my OBR rule book and can't find any exception.

B1 down 0-2, pitcher throws wild, hits dirt then batter. I give first base because I cannot find any exception to HBP other than failure to avoid (I did not whip out my rule book on the field, I have looked before). I give first base, hilarity ensues.

Did I make the right call?

Your right, 6.08 A batter hit by a pitch which he is not attempting to hit and the ball was not in the stike zone, and he was not attemping to get hit by, shall make that batter a runner.

Good call! The ball bouncing has no effect on HBP status.

bouncing
 

right call the OBR says only hit by a pitched ball noting about contact with the ground.

You were correct. A bouncing pitch is still a live ball (except in Men's Slo-Pitch softball). The only thing is if the batter swngs and misses or "tips" the pitch, the ball cannot be "caught".

Absolutely the right call. As long as the batter tries to avoid the pitch, doesn't swing at the pitch, and doesn't get hit in the strike zone, he gets a base. Doesn't matter if it bounces first.

Of course the ball has to be a "pitch." I had a coach argue that the batter who got hit by a ball on the rebound of the catcher's mask should be awarded a base.

IF it's "tipped" it can be caught. It's now a batted ball.

Check 2.00 "BALL"

A BALL is a pitch which does not enter the strike zone in flight and is not struck at by the batter.
If the pitch touches the ground and bounces through the strike zone it is a "ball." If such a pitch touches the batter, he shall be awarded first base. If the batter swings at such a pitch after two strikes, the ball cannot be caught, for the purposes of Rule 6.05 (c) and 6.09 (b). If the batter hits such a pitch, the ensuing action shall be the same as if he hit the ball in flight.

Try this as an explanation:

"Well coach, if a ball in the dirt nullifies the HBP, don't you think you'd see more pro pitchers throwing at a batter's legs instead of their head? Think about it...you get to bean the batter AND he has to stay to bat again."

That usually gets coaches off your back.

Hold on a second. We went over this a month or two ago. I thougt it was decided that if the pitch that bounced was stuck at by the batter, and then caught by the catcher, the batter is out.

If it's "tipped" and caught by the catcher for the third strike, the batter is out.

If it's struck at and missed, it's an "uncaught third strike."