Bunt attempt turns into HBP

[wadeintothem]

You blew this call straight up.

This was an attempt. "saving yourself" with the bat is an attempt to hit the ball with the bat. If you have time to try to hit the ball, you have time to duck!

Look at it this way, if this batter had hit the ball fair and it not hit his hands - would you have called "Dead ball, batter was not trying to hit ball, he was trying to defend himself".

Nope, if it was a fairball, play would have went on.

This was deadball, strike on the call.

3-1

Play ball.

The UCC/possible UCC is a different matter and you can handle that as a separate issue.

"I look at my pocketwatch and an 1:30 has already gone by."

You dont need a watch on the ball field. If you need a timer, put it on the fence.

Well, I am not gonna sit back and give away 3 BOBs in a row if I can help it

Are you the pitcher or the coach.. or the umpire???

You were umpiring at the JV level - not minor little league.


I think you have some work to do.

[waltjp]

Originally Posted by wadeintothem

You blew this call straight up.

This was an attempt. "saving yourself" with the bat is an attempt to hit the ball with the bat. If you have time to try to hit the ball, you have time to duck!

Look at it this way, if this batter had hit the ball fair and it not hit his hands - would you have called "Dead ball, batter was not trying to hit ball, he was trying to defend himself".

If the pitcher delivers a pitch at the batter's head and the ball strikes the bat as the batter is ducking it's a fair or foul ball, depending on where the ball comes to rest. This is not an attempt to hit the ball.

Slightly different situation - assume the pitch is inside and the batter spins to get out of the way and the ball strikes the bat. Again, the ball has been struck with the bat and will be fair or foul depending on where the ball comes to rest or is fielded. This is not an attempt either.

If the batter was hit on the hands in either of these situations it's a dead ball, hit by pitch.

[wadeintothem]

Originally Posted by waltjp

If the pitcher delivers a pitch at the batter's head and the ball strikes the bat as the batter is ducking it's a fair or foul ball, depending on where the ball comes to rest. This is not an attempt to hit the ball.

Slightly different situation - assume the pitch is inside and the batter spins to get out of the way and the ball strikes the bat. Again, the ball has been struck with the bat and will be fair or foul depending on where the ball comes to rest or is fielded. This is not an attempt either.

If the batter was hit on the hands in either of these situations it's a dead ball, hit by pitch.

Correct.. however, thats not what was being discussed by the OP.

The description which was ".. brought the handle of the bat up immediately to block the ball."

That is described as an attempt to hit the ball with the bat.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by wadeintothem

Correct.. however, thats not what was being discussed by the OP.

The description which was ".. brought the handle of the bat up immediately to block the ball."

That is described as an attempt to hit the ball with the bat.

I would venture that SAUmp was trying to say that the batter was acting instinctively to protect his face, not necessarily with the bat, but his hand. Either way, it was not a bunt attempt, or an attempted swing, or I'm sure SAUmp would have called it a strike.

[Blue37]

Originally Posted by waltjp

Slightly different situation - assume the pitch is inside and the batter spins to get out of the way and the ball strikes the bat. Again, the ball has been struck with the bat and will be fair or foul depending on where the ball comes to rest or is fielded. This is not an attempt either.

If the batter tries to use the bat to keep the pitch from hitting him but misses, is it an attempt?

[mcrowder]

Originally Posted by Blue37

If the batter tries to use the bat to keep the pitch from hitting him but misses, is it an attempt?

Yes it is ...

[bigda65]

I also believe that this is an attempt.

"an attempt out of self defense" but none the less an attempt.

[waltjp]

Originally Posted by Blue37

If the batter tries to use the bat to keep the pitch from hitting him but misses, is it an attempt?

The $64,000 question is - did the batter attempt to hit the ball with the bat? If you answered 'yes' then that's an attempt.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by wadeintothem

You blew this call straight up.

This was an attempt. "saving yourself" with the bat is an attempt to hit the ball with the bat. If you have time to try to hit the ball, you have time to duck!

Look at it this way, if this batter had hit the ball fair and it not hit his hands - would you have called "Dead ball, batter was not trying to hit ball, he was trying to defend himself".

Nope, if it was a fairball, play would have went on.

This was deadball, strike on the call.

3-1

Play ball.

This is faulty logic you are using. If the batter made no attempt to hit the baseball, it is a HBP. It is only a dead ball strike if he was either 1) hit by the ball while it was in the strike zone, or 2) if he was making an attempt to hit the ball. Just because the ball hit his hand, and not the bat, doesn't make it a dead ball strike.

If the batter just held his bat in the normal set position, instead of squaring around to bunt, and was hit in the hand, would you call a dead ball strike then? No, you would award first base. But if the ball caromed off of the bat into fair territory, it would be a fair ball, whether swung at or not.

Unless this guy saw the pitch coming at his face, and actually attempted to bunt the ball, this was a Hit By Pitch.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Sorry Walt, I didn't see your post. Oh well, a little corroboration couldn't hurt!

[SAump]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

Sorry Walt, I didn't see your post. Oh well, a little corroboration couldn't hurt!

Both Walt and Steve have correctly described what I saw. That was the entire reason for the thread. I couldn't believe the offensive coach would question why I would award his batter first base. That coach had NO reason to question my judgment on an event that went his way. His actions struck me like a bolt of lightning and threw me off balance. I couldn't get a grip on a reason. I thought I handled things well with the defensive coach too. He probably would have never even come out on the first play. I'm trying to do the best I can with the situation as presented.

[waltjp]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

Sorry Walt, I didn't see your post. Oh well, a little corroboration couldn't hurt!

Always good to know when you and your partner are on the same page.