Officials' Quarterly

[jumpmaster]

Originally posted by C'monBlue
What do you do when the kid leaning halfway over the plate gets hit with a fastball in the shoulder? Technically, his feet could still be in the batter's box; and after a couple of innings the box is gone anyway. It hardly seems fair to award a base for a pitch that was thrown over the plate. Does the pitcher have a right to that corner without being penalized by a HBP?

It the pitch was a strike when the batter was hit, call a strike. If the pitch was a ball when the batter was hit, call a ball.

All the others out there arguing for what the pitch coulda, woulda, shoulda been...Like my grandfather said - That dog won't hunt.

It isn't a strike until it meets the criteria to be a strike. Therefore it is a ball. In the sitch in the article, it's ball 4. BR is awarded a BOB and a shiner for being stupid. That's why you don't play freshmen on the varsity squad.

Go see the subscription side of this site. I have an article that lays this all out according to the rules. That dog hunts.