hit by the pitch

[mbyron]

I found LMan's post a little confusing.

There's a specific order of questions to ask yourself on a possible HBP. Assuming the batter was hit, then it's a dead ball AND:

1. Was the pitch a strike? If so, then nothing else matters, call the strike (either in the strike zone or swung at).

2. If not a strike, then did the batter avoid the pitch? The answer here should be sensitive to the level of the players. If the batter did not try to avoid, then call the pitch (a ball, since the answer to #1 was "no") and leave him at the plate; otherwise, award 1B.

3. If the batter tried to avoid a pitch that was not a strike, and the pitch hit him, then award 1B.

The ball going foul after hitting the batter is a red herring.