Advice needed on "Hands part of the bat" myth

[Blue37]

I was listening to a MLB game as I was on the road yesterday (Braves? Reds? can't remember who was playing) and a pitch ran in on the batter. The umpire said it hit the knob of the bat and called it a foul ball. One announcer said the replay clearly showed it hit the hand and the other guy said it was a foul ball because he was tightly gripping the bat when it hit him and, if you are tightly gripping the bat when hit on the hand, it is a foul ball.

I almost ran off the road.

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by Blue37

I was listening to a MLB game as I was on the road yesterday (Braves? Reds? can't remember who was playing) and a pitch ran in on the batter. The umpire said it hit the knob of the bat and called it a foul ball. One announcer said the replay clearly showed it hit the hand and the other guy said it was a foul ball because he was tightly gripping the bat when it hit him and, if you are tightly gripping the bat when hit on the hand, it is a foul ball.

I almost ran off the road.

Ha! Lemme do a quick search of OBR for "tightly gripping the bat."

[TwoBits]

Wow, one of my posts being lifted from the dead. I feel special.

Due to the enormous amount of rain this year, I haven't had the game load has I've had in the past, and haven't heard this one yet this year. Of course, there is still the summer baseball season...

[SethPDX]

I heard it this season.

Couple innings later, from the same coach, I hear, "You called that a swing? That wasn't a swing! I want you to appeal it to the other umpire!"

[njdevs00cup]

I had a game end this year with the final batter of the game striking out on a ball which hit his hands. R3 was the tying run. "Dead ball, the ball hit the batter while swinging." To my complete shock and surprise their was no arguement or questions.

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by njdevs00cup

I had a game end this year with the final batter of the game striking out on a ball which hit his hands. R3 was the tying run. "Dead ball, the ball hit the batter while swinging." To my complete shock and surprise their was no arguement or questions.

I would have argued with an umpire saying "Dead ball."

[aschramm]

I had this situation happen to me tonight.

U14 game, FED rules, batter squares to bunt. Pitch is inside, batter pulls his bat infront of his body (toward the pitchers mound) and tries to turn out of the way. The pitch hits him in his hands. I, PU, award the batter first base. The opposing coach disagreed, saying that since he still had his bat out as if he were bunting (but while trying to avoid the pitch), that it should be a foul ball. I discussed this with my partner, and we still awarded the batter first base. Between innings, the opposing coach came out to discuss this with me again, and he said "But aren't the hands part of the bat?" I said "No, coach they aren't". And that was all that was said.

Now looking at the rule book, it states that the batter is awarded if a pitch hits any part of his body (exception - if he doesn't try to move out of the way). I believe i got this call correct. Can anyone confirm this or put in their judgment?

Thanks

[UmpJM]

aschramm,

As described, you freakin' NAILED it.

Do not ever question yourself again on this point.

JM

[UmpTTS43]

While checking equipment prior to a FED game, one of the bats had the batter's batting gloves attached. I looked at the coach and said "wow, I guess the hands are a part of the bat." To his credit, he just looked at me and rolled his eyes.

[aschramm]

Thanks UmpJM. I was pretty sure I had the call correct. The problem was that I was still thinking about it for the rest of the game (another 1 1/2 innings), and couldn't completely shake it off (and it was definitely distracting while trying to call balls and strikes). But after reading through the rule again, and reading through this thread, I'm glad I know that I made the correct call.

[johnnyg08]

good job! sometimes even though we think we know the rule...often times teams can place an ounce of doubt in us and it tears us up worse than anybody else on the field because we want to get them right...this is esp the case when you're working 1 man.

I could sit here and tell you that you need to move forward and not think about it after making the call...but I'd be lying if I said I've never doubted myself after the fact. Good job...it always feels good to get reassured that you got the play right.

[GA Umpire]

Here is one I didn't notice in the myth list or anyone seem to mention.

For OBR, it is a balk with runners on base and the 1B/3B has one or both feet in foul territory.

I recalled this one b/c I heard of a 3 man crew where the 3B umpire called it a balk and no one corrected it.

Another myth holding true.

[johnnyg08]

wow.

[RogersUmp]

Anyone watching the nationally televised Twins-Brewers game on Sunday got two opportunities to learn that the "hands are not part of the bat". Crede got nailed on the hand and took first...had to leave the game eventually. Then, Mauer got hit inside on the hand. This one was more interesting, though, as the PU (Reliford, I believe) called it a foul ball (sure sounded like it). But, the Twins manager came out to argue and kept pointing to the batter's hand and it didn't look like PU wanted to look and was going to stand his ground. Then, Gardenhire, in classic form, whipped off his cap and started arguing more intensely and PU finally looked at the plunked hand of the batter and changed his call. This, of course, brought out the opposing manager who didn't like the call reversal (although PU made the correct call).

The announcers were terrible through the entire episode with Steve Phillips actually saying that Macha, the 'vicitim' of the correct call, should have argued the reversal more ardently and as a player he (Phillips) would have kicked him when he returned to the bench for not doing so. What they should have said was, "See! The hands are NOT part of the bat!"

[gsarosi]

Originally Posted by btdt

Just for the heck of it, print out the 40 myth's of baseball and give it to them.
Might get them thinking

Top 40 Baseball Rule Myths | eteamz

In my teams game yesterday both #1 and #2 from this list happened. For #1 "hands part of the bat" the umpire got it right, and I questioned him, mainly because my assistant and my son (the pitcher) were positive that the hands were part of the bat, the ump told me I was wrong and that was that. For #2, my player beat out a bunt single and then wandered into fair territory on his way back to first they tagged him and the ump called him out. I argued and the home plate ump said that I was right but that he can't overrule the field ump and he was young and new so now he knows the correct rule.