hit by pitch

[yankeesfan]

how much effort must a batter give when trying to avoid getting hit by a pitch? situation: pitch is throw and hits the batter in his back. batter clearly in batters box, ball not even close to plate, coach screams he made no attempt to get out of the way. very next pitch, ball hits batter in his head. batter turned his head slightly, a curve ball that didnt curve. coach starts screaming again and then adds "your terrible anyways", needless to say i tossed him. both pitches were way off the plate. please give some advice.

[UmpJM]

yankeesfan,

As a coach, I would say....

(Assuming you awarded the batters 1B in each case)

Good call(s) Blue!

Good toss too.

At the risk of repeating myself, at times it can be quite emabarrassing to be a coach.

Sounds to me like you know what you're doing.

JM

[briancurtin]

pitchers need to not throw the ball in the batter's box. if you get hit within the vertical confines of the box, first base is yours. however, if you reach out and try to get hit, you are sticking around for at least another pitch.

thats how i look at it. if the batter doesnt move at all, why penalize him for the pitcher's mistake?

[ctblu40]

I agree with Brian on this one. How am I supposed to read the batters mind? Maybe the batter thought the ball was going to break? Batters are fooled by pitches all the time. At least that's my answer to a coach who wants me to keep the batter in the box.
JMHO

[waltjp]

Any batter that's willing to take one in the head for the sake of the team deserves first base.

I can only remember one time when I didn't award first base on a HBP. It was a slow curveball and the batter just stood there and let it hit him. When I told him to stay in the box he just smiled at me. His coach didn't say a peep either.

In general, I think it's pretty obvious when the batter doesn't make an attempt to get out of the way, and when in doubt, put the batter on first.

[3appleshigh]

Personally, I love this rule, If it is obvious that the batter could have and should have gotten out of the way, leave him in the box. If the batter didn't move at all, no flinch no nothing leave him in the box. In a reg OBR game, the batters box bit is not the RULE that is NCAA. If the pitcher is throwing 40mph beachballs, and the batter takes it without moving at all, Leave him in the Box. Also throwing your body in the way is a ticket to resume the batting position. Now then if the pitcher is throwing curveballs at guys for strikes then plunks a kid, movement or not he's getting his bag.

That said, in your stitch, Hit in the Back, there is movement, might be silly movement, but I'm going to give a base. Hit in the head, you get your base, if you have trained yourself to take a beanball your better than anyone I know Take your base. The human mind tries not to put the body in harm's way. Therefore standing still is a conscious act.

P.S. the Rule says must make an attempt to get out of the way, there is no further provision for - unless in BB or a curveball, or a fastball that froze the batter. So my stance usually is give me the attempt I'll give you the bag.

Personally I have called two pitches that hit the batter as not a free bag. 1 a strike, batter then grounded out, 2. just recently, leaned into the pitch, batter then hit into a triple play. I have no issues with either call they were correct. Also had minimum of 15 HBP that got there base if not double that #. Also this year is the first year that I have put a player back in the box and they haven't gotten a hit. Usually an extra base hit too.

[briancurtin]

Originally Posted by 3appleshigh

If the pitcher is throwing 40mph beachballs, and the batter takes it without moving at all, Leave him in the Box.

why penalize the batter for the pitchers mistake though?

[NIump50]

Originally Posted by 3appleshigh

That said, in your stitch, Hit in the Back, there is movement, might be silly movement, but I'm going to give a base.

Not sure getting hit in the back is so silly.
99% of the batters are taught to turn inside and take the pitch in the back.
Much better than trying to back out and getting hit in the ribs or the arm.

If I get any movement at all, even a flinch, I give the base. If they stand still on a curve ball, no base, if they were wanting to swing, they would have movement. A batter who stands like a statue and lets a curve ball hit him had no intention of ever swinging and every intention of getting hit. no base!!!!