This happened in a high school (Fed) game last night. The pitch was inside on a batter who tried to check his swing. The ball hit him on the hands. The plate umpire appealed the play and asked the base umpire if he made an attempt. The base umpire said that he did and the plate umpire called a foul ball. After the inning the umpire explained to me and the other coach that if the batter had not checked his swing he would have awarded him first base. But since he attempted a swing, it was a foul ball. The game was a blowout and it didn't matter either way. This just made me curious as to whether the correct call was made.

If a batter swings, then it is a STRIKE, even if it hits anywhere on his body. The ball is immediately dead, and it dosen't matter if it goes fair or foul. Batter does not get first base. Rule 2.00 A STRIKE (e)

A FED ump who doesn't know this basic rule. Where was this game?

Bob

Just for the sake of clarification, since this isn't a foul ball if it happens on the THIRD strike the batter is out.

I saw them blow this call at the LLWS also. There seems to be a lot of confusion around this one, but I don't know why.

If I remember that play correctly, the umpire was correct: Dead ball, Strike.

The announcers were the ones confused, and one even said "The hands are part of the bat".

Roger Greene

We may be thinking of different plays. I saw one where the ump called it foul citing that it had hit the batter in foul territory even though he was swinging.

Harmbu -

Everything sounds OK except one thing. This would not be called a "foul" ball, it would be a "dead" ball, and if there were 2 strikes on the batter prior to the action, the batter is out with no option to run to 1st base, and no runners may advance. A "foul" ball, on the other hand (NPI) would allow the batter to remain in the box to continue the at bat.

Roger Green's comment was precisely correct. The umpire in the LL World Series got it right, and the announcers, former major league players, showed their rule ignorance talking about the "hands" being part of the bat, and did not get it right.

Hopefully, someday, maybe some organization, up to and including the major leagues, will have an on-hand official to explain the many rule infractions that occur during these 'highly visable' contests played on national TV. Ya right! It won't happen before as they appoint a real umpire to the rules committee.

Right call, wrong explanation. A HS game in September?