Swinging Strike + Hit Batter + Dropped 3rd Strike

[Dave Reed]

From the 2009 Casebook:
5.1.1 SITUATION E: On the third strike, B3 swings at and misses a pitch. The ball touches his arm or person. RULING: B3 is out. The ball becomes dead immediately. (5-1-1a, 8-1-1d)

From the rules:
5-1 ART. 1 . . . Ball becomes dead immediately when:
a. a pitch touches a batter or his clothing (8-1-1d), a runner (8-3-1a);
1. The ball becomes dead even though the batter strikes at it (8-1-1d)......

and,

8-1 ART. 1 . . . A batter becomes a runner with the right to attempt to score by advancing to first, second, third and home bases in the listed order when: .....
d. a pitched ball hits his person or clothing, provided he does not strike at the ball; ....

It's the last phrase that matters--"provided he does not strike at the ball". So the batter who swings and is hit by a pitch doesn't become a runner. He does however, have a third strike charged against him, and he is out:

7-2 ART. 1 . . . A strike is charged to the batter when:....
b. a pitch is struck at and missed (even if the pitch touches the batter);

[DG]

This same situation happened in a game I was in last weekend, except they did not argue hands part of bat, they wanted to argue that the catcher did not catch the ball so he should be allowed to run. I was on bases with a younger umpire behind the plate and after a lengthy discussion with the HC he started walking toward me with that help me look and I joined in the discussion and helped my partner put a stop to the nonsense. "Of course he did not catch the ball coach, it hit your batter in the leg while he was swinging, ball is dead, therefore he can't run and he is out because of 3rd strike."