Hit by pitch

[stratref]

The only time I bring a batter back to the box is one of two scenarios:
1) (Except NCAA rules) A batter looks a pitch into his body/arm. I am talking about tracking pitch and seeing it the whole way and not even flinching. (This is ok in NCAA as long as contact occurs in the batters box.)
2) (All Rule sets) A batter sticking out an arm or leg or other part of his body to get hit.

I had each type happen once this year, the first the batter understood that just taking the 40ish MPH fastball (38+ league) he had to at least flinch or I couldn't give him first, he walked on the next pitch any way.

The second one a batter ducked on an inside pitch but as he ducked he stuck his front elbow out and got hit right on the elbow. If he was the type to crowd the plate I would have had a strike but as he stood back from the plate that elbow was still 6+ inches off the plate so I just brought him back. I got less than 5 seconds of flack from the coach, and the batter never complained, he knew what was going on.

Jasper

[etn_ump]

All ages I work, 16 and up, unless the batter does something to cause himself to be hit and if the ball is in the box, he is going to first.

I don't reward the pitcher for throwing in the batter's box.

[Dave Reed]

Originally Posted by stratref

The only time I bring a batter back to the box is one of two scenarios:
1) (Except NCAA rules) A batter looks a pitch into his body/arm. I am talking about tracking pitch and seeing it the whole way and not even flinching. (This is ok in NCAA as long as contact occurs in the batters box.)
.......

The NCAA rules use the term "freezes". It is not OK to track a slow pitch into the batters box without attempting to move, according to NCAA rule 8-2d(2) and the associated AR.

I'm well aware that many umpires award first base whenever a non-swinging batter is hit inside the box, regardless of whether the game is being played in NCAA or any other ruleset. That's fine, and maybe the rules should be written that way, but even the NCAA rules don't mandate an award when the batter is struck inside the box.

[mrm21711]

Although not related to the OP, another great "commentary" regarding an HBP situation.

Baseball Video Highlights & Clips | SD@LAD: Johnson awarded first upon umpire inspection - Video | MLB.com: Multimedia

As usual, not sure what Angel was doing here either.

[jicecone]

Originally Posted by mrm21711

Although not related to the OP, another great "commentary" regarding an HBP situation.

Baseball Video Highlights & Clips | SD@LAD: Johnson awarded first upon umpire inspection - Video | MLB.com: Multimedia

As usual, not sure what Angel was doing here either.

As usual, commentators don't have a clue.

After three replays they say, "Its clear that it hit him", then "when your bunting, you hand is part of the bat".

I have this theory in life that 60 - 75% of the public is stupid. Which means there are some VERY STUPID people out there and some not so stupid. Therefore we can establish an average.

Guess what group the majority of Sports Announcers fit in ?

[Larry1953]

Well, they almost got it..."When you're swinging or trying to bunt at it..." but then they had to go with THAPOTB. So I guess that means that a ball "hit" fair in that manner would be in play :-(.

But they got it right when they said "Uh-oh, here comes Angel Hernandez. We've gone 8 innings without anything unusual involving him, what now?"

I guess he needed to play the part of a doubting Thomas and see the hand himself instead of just letting the actions of the player make the call.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Mark Grant is good at doing umpire impersonations and impressions, but is somewhat clueless on the rules. Next time I see him (he only lives a couple miles from me and I know where to find him) I am going to tell him to stop spreading the biggest myth in baseball. Dick Enberg should know better, but alas, doesn't.

[Larry1953]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

Mark Grant is good at doing umpire impersonations and impressions, but is somewhat clueless on the rules. Next time I see him (he only lives a couple miles from me and I know where to find him) I am going to tell him to stop spreading the biggest myth in baseball. Dick Enberg should know better, but alas, doesn't.

Steve, I certainly hope you do. Another good suggestion: have them get a sponsor like White-out or even just MLB to feature one myth of baseball rules per game. There are lists all over the Internet and they are usually 40 or more long. It could be framed as an Ask the Umpire segment too. The point is it would be a way to subject to ridicule statements like "The hands are part of the bat" and "the ball is foul if it hits the plate", etc, etc. Then maybe the announcers will stop repeating them.

[TwoBits]

Originally Posted by mrm21711

Although not related to the OP, another great "commentary" regarding an HBP situation.

Baseball Video Highlights & Clips | SD@LAD: Johnson awarded first upon umpire inspection - Video | MLB.com: Multimedia

As usual, not sure what Angel was doing here either.

Do we all agree Hernandez should not have inspected the batter's hand for injury? I only ask because this situation has happened twice when I was umpiring behind the plate. Both times I did not award first to the batter because I did not see the ball hit the batter's hand, and they were both wood bat games, and I couldn't go off sound, either. Both times the offensive team's managers got themselves ejected when they went nuts over my decision.

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by TwoBits

Do we all agree Hernandez should not have inspected the batter's hand for injury?

I couldn't follow the link, but in general, I think inspecting the hand is proper in MLB

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by TwoBits

Do we all agree Hernandez should not have inspected the batter's hand for injury? I only ask because this situation has happened twice when I was umpiring behind the plate. Both times I did not award first to the batter because I did not see the ball hit the batter's hand, and they were both wood bat games, and I couldn't go off sound, either. Both times the offensive team's managers got themselves ejected when they went nuts over my decision.

Yeah, I thought that was a little goofy. Inspecting the hand can tell you only THAT the ball hit the hand, not WHEN (specifically, not whether it hit bat then hand or hand then bat).

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by mbyron

Yeah, I thought that was a little goofy. Inspecting the hand can tell you only THAT the ball hit the hand, not WHEN (specifically, not whether it hit bat then hand or hand then bat).

It hit the hand first (according to some pro umpire trainer whose name escapes me).

It's this play's version of "the tie goes to the runner."

[mbyron]

Never heard that before, but I'm ok with it.

[Rich Ives]

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

It hit the hand first (according to some pro umpire trainer whose name escapes me).

It's this play's version of "the tie goes to the runner."

The version I heard about was obscebity laced too.

On the order of "Hey stupid, it hit the batter's hand first"

[STL_UMP]

Originally Posted by mrm21711

Although not related to the OP, another great "commentary" regarding an HBP situation.

Baseball Video Highlights & Clips | SD@LAD: Johnson awarded first upon umpire inspection - Video | MLB.com: Multimedia

As usual, not sure what Angel was doing here either.

And don't forget.. your hand is part of the bat.