Batter Hitting Catcher on Backswing-Repeatedly
 

Is there a rule that prohibits the batter from intentionally hitting the catcher with his bat? How do you know it is intentional?? When they hit the catcher five times in a row with a swing that in no way resembles a warm-up swing. They did it last year as well, same team; it never happens against any other teams. What’s the rule?
Easygoer

When it's intentional.

Are you sure you're in the right forum? This sounds like a softball question. I've never seen or heard of a baseball team letting an opponent hit their catcher three times, let alone five.

When this happens where I live, the rule is sore ribs.

Just curious, what level?

Ask the kid what baseball school he's going to with some moron telling him that it's going to make him a better player.

Does "they" mean that one person hit the catcher 5 times, or that it happened 5 times during a game, from different players?

If he's in the box, the catcher needs to move back. If he's looking back at catcher when this happens, I likely have an ejection.

If you think it's intentional, I'd err on the side of safety and toss him. But if you're not sure, consider the possibility that this team is just coached to stand as far back in the box as possible.

If this happens on a practice swing, the PU is supposed to step out and call "TIME - Back swing hit the catcher!" Then get everyone reset and start again. This was an old trick back in the teens & twenties to distract the catcher especially when there are men on base. Today, we do not want the catcher distracted like this so the PU has to take control.

I had this happen in a HS game where F1 set up and B1 stepped into the box and set up deep. I stopped them once, then twice. The 2nd time, I said "Gentlemen, you two need to figure this out before we continue." B1 stepped back in in almost the same spot but did not hit the catcher again.

At least 2 (rules)
 

1st is catcher's interference. Award 1st base. Move the catcher further off the plate.
2nd is warn batter after 1st contact, and eject after 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th contact.

Absolutely wrong.

Two different kids hit the catcher, one of the kids did it five times in a row. This is a pattern of behavior from this team, high school level. Was curious if there is a specific rule that applies. I am aware of catchers interference, this is not that.

Thanks

Easygoer

Looks, like a pattern, seems like a pattern, smells like a pattern
 

Ignore, Warn, eject. He doesn't get to five.

Ignore a batter intentionally hitting the catcher with a bat?

Really? Not around here.

Try 3-3-1g (4) or 10-2-3f - both deal with unsportsmanlike behavior.

You were there. Only you can determine intent. Eject if necessary - surely you don't need to be directed to a specific rule citation to justify ejecting a player who is intentionally hitting another player with a bat!

+1

+1

If I'm sure it's intentional, there is no warning. No warning on a retaliatory antic either.

Replace your catcher
 

I can't imagine any reason a catcher would get hit five times in a row. I don't think there is a rule to protect him. There might be one to apply after he gets hit again. Your catcher still runs the risk of getting hurt and being sent to the hospital before that happens.

If it isn't catcher's interfence with a weird swing, what is it then? Tell us so we don't have to keep guessing about this highly unusual behavior. How did the umpire treat the 1st situation, the 2nd, the 3rd, the 4th and 5th time? Please describe what happened.

Tell us how catcher's interference can occur with a warm-up swing. Seriously.

+100

Intentional warmup backswings?
 

Ozzy mentions a practice swing. I did not mention anything about a practice swing or warmup swing. I thought the rule violation took place during a live ball after the batter swung at a hittable pitch. But here you go.

A warmup swing may be as hard as a home run warmup swing a batter may take in the on deck circle or the short plate measurement half swing and soft backswing usually taken in the batters box. The catcher is standing TOO close to the batter.

Now easygoer doesn't mention a warmup backswing, so his catcher is subject to catcher's interference. But he claims to know what that is and states that that did not occur. I have nothing here so I asked for more info.

Let me make this as simple as possible. The coaches of this team are total redneck a-holes. Their kids will spike yours if possible when running to the bag on a force play. I have seen them run over fielders attempting to catch pop ups. They will truck your catcher even if there is a clear path to the base. Pretty much every chicken *hit thing you have ever heard about they will do.

For the last 3 years the only time i have seen the catcher hit on the warm up cuts at the plate were against this team. They do it repeatedly and until an umpire makes them stop. I was just curious what specific rule should be used to stop their tactics.
Saw them play yesterday and their batter interfered with the catcher on a throw down to 2nd. The coach complained, again, two earlier instances that appeared to be batter interference were not called, the umpires finally called the kid out for batter interference on the third instance.

Again, not a question about what they are doing or why, only about the specific rule that should be enforced to stop it,

Thanks

Easygoer

Yes, he did.

No, you had CI, which cannot occur on a warm-up swing, nor without a pitch.

Try again.

FED 3-3-1n covers malicious contact.
The umpire does not allow the pitcher to pitch.
FED 7-3-5 covers batter's interference.

You must clean this stuff up.

The rule is unsportsmanlike conduct. All codes have some version of it. All you need is your judgement that the act was intentional. Your judgement cannot be questioned. Throw them out of the game without a warning. They will either stop doing it, or run out of players.

Somebody either batter or F2 is doing something seriously wrong. In thousands of games of umpiring, I have never seen that. Batter could be hinting at F2 to get back off of the plate. Depends on the level. I wouldn't over think it. This is something that you will likely never see again.

I'm having a hard tome believing that this stuff happens at high school level (per the OP poster in post 9) without retribution.

Someone has a perception problem with the activity - the only question is who has the problem.

I'm confused if the OP is talking about a "back swing" where the batter is in the box, and the batter is swinging his bat back, and hitting the catcher, or the "back swing" which is really "follow through" in my book, and hitting the catcher.

The first one is chicken sh*t, and the other one is stupidity (hopefully, not intentional). I would cut out both of them in a heartbeat, and make no qualms about it.

EJECT!!! EJECT!!!!!EJECT!!!!! Seriously? Try malicious contact OR unsportsmanlike conduct. You've seen all these things and done nothing? EJECT!!!!!! That's the only way it stops.

Anyone up to a road trip to easygoer's fields? Give a week or two with him having to deal with umpires that don't allow this crap to happen and he'll either learn his lesson or be barred from the league. Either one would be a benefit to baseball.

If the team he is talking about is a travel team, quit inviting them. If they are a league team, kick them out.