Hit-by-pitch

[Whowefoolin]

Situation: A looping, slow, lazy curve coming in to the batter head level. Batter is a "deer in the headlights". He just freezes. At the last minute he puts up his forward hand to fend off the pitch from hitting him.

What do you have? Hit by pitch?

[Rich Ives]

Non-shavers - HBP

Shavers - "ball"

[wmandino]

the same thing happened to me in a Dixie Youth 9-12 game last week. I was the PU and ruled a hit-by-pitch dead ball awarding the batter 1st base. Neither coaches said a thing.

[Bfair]

Originally posted by Tim C
Hit by pitch at ALL levels I work.

Key phrase, "Deer in the headlights".

Tee

C'mon, Tee..........I thought you knew baseball.........
Let's look at the fine print you must have missed........

A looping, slow, lazy curve coming in to the batter head level.
Batter is a "deer in the headlights".

Give this guy an Oscar if he fooled you........
He's likely staying in the box with me.

"Deer in headlights" don't occur on looping, slow, lazy curves.
They typically occur on inside fastballs where the batter can't decide to move in or move out in order to avoid the pitch.

This hitter was probably laughing all the way to the dugout going for a drink after the pitch was thrown and before it arrived.


Just my opinion,

Freix

[GarthB]

Friex:

Things may have changed since I played, but it was exactly those looping curves that kept us in the box waiting to see where they would break. I'm giving HPB.

(In fact, the guidelines given us by our FED clinician on these types of calls stipulate more leniency on curves than fastballs or changeups. Batters don't have to wait to see where the fastball is going, but a good batter is coached to wait out the curve. Maybe this is an area where umpires who played upper levels will differ from those who did not.

[greymule]

I actually had this one recently. The batter put out his hand just as in the posted situation, and the ball would not have hit him otherwise. I called just a ball.

Seems to me that players at higher levels are the ones who can best gauge where a slow curve's going to go. They're less likely to be hit by that pitch.

I think this one you have to see.

[Bfair]

Originally posted by GarthB
Friex:

Things may have changed since I played, but it was exactly those looping curves that kept us in the box waiting to see where they would break. I'm giving HPB.

(In fact, the guidelines given us by our FED clinician on these types of calls stipulate more leniency on curves than fastballs or changeups. Batters don't have to wait to see where the fastball is going, but a good batter is coached to wait out the curve. Maybe this is an area where umpires who played upper levels will differ from those who did not.

I've not seen Fed give "guidelines" for this.
Perhaps you can post them..........

I still don't find batters looking like "a deer in the headlights" on slow, looping curves. Those are the pitches where they make no attempt and merely turn a shoulder, or where they're willing to stick an elbow or knee into the pitch. Only the most brave are willing to do that to a fastball, and batters taking fastballs are likely to get base awards from me unless extremely obvious that there was intent to get hit. I can't remember ever keeping a batter in the box after getting hit with a fastball.


Freix

[DownTownTonyBrown]

I think surely the location of the pitch has got to have something to do with the situation.

There is definitely an area into which the pitcher's should throw the ball... and there is an area where the batter should be able to stand and not expect to get hit by the pitch.

If the pitcher is throwing in his proper pitching area (just an estimate but I would suggest within a foot [at most] of the plate), then I'm not giving the batter a base. BUT if the pitch is poor enough to hit the batter and the batter is properly positioned in the box... I'll let the batter have a base. That's a bad pitch.

There is also the possibility of a strike call... if the batter is hanging his head and hands over the plate ... I lean towards calling a strike, especially if he reaches out and hits it with his hand. If we've got runners stealing and he does that, I may be tempted to call interference and send one of the would be stealers to the dugout.

Pitch location has got to be factored into the equation/scenario. SO.... in my opinion, Had To Be There.