Hit Batter Rule

[TwoBits]

In the 2007 edition, I don't see anything that specifically says that a batter is still awarded first base if the pitch hits the ground. However, it does list cases in which a batter can be hit and NOT be awarded first base, and a pitch hitting the ground is not one of them. Same thing can be said for my copy of OBR (2006 Sporting News Edition).

FED softball has the specific wording regarding the batter still being awarded first base on a pitched ball in the dirt.

If all else fails, have the person/coach/rat arguing with you think of it this way: If you could purposely bean a batter and still have them not awarded first, don't you thing the pros would have figured it out? Do you ever see a pro pitcher attempting to bean someone by skipping the pitch off the ground?

[mcrowder]

Or better yet ... tell the coach there is absolutely no difference between a pitch that has hit the ground and one that hasn't, except that it can't be caught (i.e. D3K rule) and can't be a called strike. Such a ball is hittable, not dead, runners can run, HBP's are still HBP's, etc.