Batter's hands

[rngrck]

Are batters allowed to extend any part of the fore arms and/or hands across the plane of the plate while the pitch is in motion? ruling?

[Cub42]

You have nothing to rule on here unless the batter is hit by the pitch while doing this.

[Emperor Ump]

You'll see this frequently as kids swing at outside pitches or with guys who crowd the plate. Like Cub42 said you have nothing until he's hit. In which case its "Time, the pitch is a strike, the batter stays here." If he's swinging or was hit in the zone while not swinging. These always cause interesting situations after you make that call. Including the infamous "the hands are part of the bat arguement"

[ozzy6900]

Originally Posted by rngrck

Are batters allowed to extend any part of the fore arms and/or hands across the plane of the plate while the pitch is in motion? ruling?

Where do questions like this come from? I'm not admonishing the poster for asking, but almost 30 years in this business and I still can't figure out where some of these questions come from. My guess is that people are taught these fallacies by inept coaches when they were just kids!

[TwoBits]

They are passed from father to son. I've been hearing the "hands are part of the bat" argument for 20 years now. That's one full generation.

[bluezebra]

Originally Posted by TwoBits

They are passed from father to son. I've been hearing the "hands are part of the bat" argument for 20 years now. That's one full generation.

Only 20 years? OVER 60 years for me. And in all that time, checking hundreds of sporting goods stores from Chicago to Southern California, I NEVER found a bat with hands attached.

Bob

[rngrck]

Originally Posted by ozzy6900

Where do questions like this come from? I'm not admonishing the poster for asking, but almost 30 years in this business and I still can't figure out where some of these questions come from. My guess is that people are taught these fallacies by inept coaches when they were just kids!

Ozzy- I think it may be time for you to retire. Try to go back 30 yrs when you were a rookie and needed some clarification or re- assurance on something that was not in the rules. Give us newbees a break!! If you have nothing positive to offer, please refrain.

[Rich Ives]

Originally Posted by rngrck

Ozzy- I think it may be time for you to retire. Try to go back 30 yrs when you were a rookie and needed some clarification or re- assurance on something that was not in the rules. Give us newbees a break!! If you have nothing positive to offer, please refrain.

Over the decades I've heard (and maybe at one time believed) just about all the myths and misconceptions about the rules, but this is the first time I have ever heard that holding your hands in the strike zone might be a problem.

[rngrck]

Well I got news for you!! I had a batter extending hands so far over the plate, that the pitcher complained he couldn't see F2's target. Well, I agreed and had the batter back off the hands. In this case, The B1 was deliberately trying to distract the pitcher. Thats was my ruling and I'm sticking to it. LOL.

[Welpe]

Where in the heck was the catcher's target for the batter to be obstructing the pitcher's view of it?

I'd leave this alone. What level of baseball was this?

[jicecone]

Originally Posted by rngrck

Well I got news for you!! I had a batter extending hands so far over the plate, that the pitcher complained he couldn't see F2's target. Well, I agreed and had the batter back off the hands. In this case, The B1 was deliberately trying to distract the pitcher. Thats was my ruling and I'm sticking to it. LOL.

Well back when I was a rookie, we looked things up for ourself because we didn't have an internet. But us old guys understand how difficult it is to research something when there is always someone who can give you the answer, (we called that the easy way out).

It is one thing to ask a question as a rookie, it is entirely rude to ignore the right answer an tell us "your doing it your way."

I'm with you OZ!!!!

[GarthB]

Originally Posted by rngrck

Well I got news for you!! I had a batter extending hands so far over the plate, that the pitcher complained he couldn't see F2's target. Well, I agreed and had the batter back off the hands. In this case, The B1 was deliberately trying to distract the pitcher. Thats was my ruling and I'm sticking to it. LOL.

So you invented a rule? Not a recommended practice.

Exactly what level is this that a batter can hold the bat in such a manner that his arms blodk F2's vision all while staying in the batter's box?

[DG]

Originally Posted by rngrck

Well I got news for you!! I had a batter extending hands so far over the plate, that the pitcher complained he couldn't see F2's target. Well, I agreed and had the batter back off the hands. In this case, The B1 was deliberately trying to distract the pitcher. Thats was my ruling and I'm sticking to it. LOL.

No legitimate rule I know of to prohibit batter from loitering over the plate as long as his feet are where they need to be. A good pitcher will get him off the plate rather quickly.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by rngrck

Well I got news for you!! I had a batter extending hands so far over the plate, that the pitcher complained he couldn't see F2's target. Well, I agreed and had the batter back off the hands. In this case, The B1 was deliberately trying to distract the pitcher. Thats was my ruling and I'm sticking to it. LOL.

Sorry for rehashing this, but I can't find any other threads that don't bore me to death. I could not post in the closed thread that's about Ozzy's so-called rude response.

First, just what rule set are you playing by that would allow you to tell a batter where he can place his hands? The pitcher can't see F2's target? Call the waaaaaaaaambulance. Throw the ball at the batter's hands, then.

Second, Ozzy merely questioned where the "crazy questions" (well, it was) come from and did not insult you, and in fact he went out of his way to clarify that he wasn't trying to insult anyone.

Third, rookies should never tell veterans when to retire. It just ain't right.

[UMP25]

Originally Posted by rngrck

Well I got news for you!! I had a batter extending hands so far over the plate, that the pitcher complained he couldn't see F2's target. Well, I agreed and had the batter back off the hands. In this case, The B1 was deliberately trying to distract the pitcher. Thats was my ruling and I'm sticking to it. LOL.

Tell the pitcher to plunk him. Problem solved.