Hit by pitch

[ozzy6900]

Originally Posted by Rita C

Question: Pitch is in batter's box but batter only turns to take the pitch in the back.

Is that enough effort to avoid for you all? I have a friend that wants a major bailout before he sends a batter to first.

Rita

The pitch does not belong in the batter's box so if the batter makes any movement (other than offering at the pitch), you can make the award. When the DC whines, just repeat what I said first "The pitch doesn't belong in the batter's box".

[jicecone]

IMO there are three types of pitches that you need to deal with in the games most of us on this board do, as Mbyron has also implied:

1. (98% of the time) Bad or errant pitching. Unless that batter does something to obiviously get hit by the pitch, chances are real good I'm sending him to first. To expect the batter to make exhorbant moves to not be hit by a pitch in the batter box below the shoulders, well I'm going with the batter. Anything above that, well you know self-preservation is kicking in. The rule book allows me to make the call and this is the criteria I have established to be in compliance. By the same token if it is obvious your trying to get hit with the pitch over the plate, your staying to finish your at bat.

2. (1%) Send a message pitch. I have umpired games were some players just needed a correction factor applied to their method of approach to the game, attitude and overall sportsmanship. It was artfully handled by the pitcher and always below the shoulders, and very effective in getting the message across of how the game should be played. The batter was sent to first however the players handled a situation that was much more effective than I could of done.

3.(1%) The intentional Bean Ball. If you do enough baseball you have a pretty good idea when you should be looking for this. You may have already given warnings and you should be jumping all over this with an ejection. It is obvious what has to be done here. There is sometimes a fine line between No. 2 & 3 but, with experience you should have no problem discerning this.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by ozzy6900

The pitch does not belong in the batter's box so if the batter makes any movement (other than offering at the pitch), you can make the award. When the DC whines, just repeat what I said first "The pitch doesn't belong in the batter's box".

I actually got a chance to use this in my game this morning. The batter had no time to really "avoid" anything, he merely raised his arm a bit to get hit in a more favorable spot. The DC came out, did his little song and dance, and I said the pitch was well inside the batter's box, and that's his box. He grudgingly agreed, and we continued playing the first of a long, humid, and grueling all-day double header.

[ozzy6900]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

I actually got a chance to use this in my game this morning. The batter had no time to really "avoid" anything, he merely raised his arm a bit to get hit in a more favorable spot. The DC came out, did his little song and dance, and I said the pitch was well inside the batter's box, and that's his box. He grudgingly agreed, and we continued playing the first of a long, humid, and grueling all-day double header.

See how nicely this works! I no longer have arguments on HBP. I just have babbling, burbling coaches (as you saw) that can't really argue the issue any longer.