Batter HBP, makes no attempt

[illiniwek8]

Thanks for the replies and insight. Was thinking that the batter initiated this lean in on the pitch and by calling it a ball......does he not gain an advantage/benefit? I guess my question is why should he benefit by getting a ball called and the pitcher be penalized for not getting a strike due to the batters actions. We'll never know if the pitch(curve) which could have broke on the inside corner would have been a strike because the batter intentionally leaned into it before it got to the strike zone(plate). Shouldn't the batter be penalized for initiating this action? I say, wherever it is, if the batter's actions are to "wear" the pitch, I say a strike be called for his actions,such as a strike being called for other actions the batter initiates, such as not entering the box in a timely manner.......I think calling it an automatic strike would stop these batters from "wearing" those pitches. In retrospect, I think we should have ruled strike 3 on that batter and let him take his bruised left shoulder to the bench and tell his teamates that he was dumb to intentionally try to "wear" that pitch.