Have to avoid?

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by Rufus

Thanks DG, that makes sense. I just thought it interesting that the HP responded that the batter doesn't need to try and avoid contact. If they did make a move to avoid and it was only slight I would think he would respond "Yes he did." Not that he owes anyone an explanation, of course, just that one response is at least in keeping with the rules.

It's interesting too to note the responses about the ball being pitched through the batters box instead of over the plate being a factor in enforcement of the rule. If that were the case wouldn't the rules stipulate that the batter needs to avoid contact only for strikes? I know in basketball there are "rules" and then there are "rules" (e.g., I've never called a 10 second violation on a free throw shooter, and barring a return of Alonzo Mourning probably never will, but the rule is definitely there). Is this a similar type of thing?

No, this is not one of those (those exist in baseball, but not here). The rule is there so that batters aren't rewarded for leaning into the ball (don't tell Craig Biggio), and so that a batter who sees a pitch coming and simply stands there to let it hit him also doesn't get rewarded. But umpires recognize that every player's reactions are different and that 99% of the time, the player is not trying to get hit. Given that, as others have said, the ball doesn't belong in the batters box (in other words, the fault of the batter getting hit by a pitch lies squarely on the pitcher) - the default is going to be to award a base except when it's blatantly obvious that we shouldn't.