Ball hits batter

[MT 73]

Originally Posted by Blueplate

8.1.2.b
Penalty 2
If the batter is hit anywhere on the body,including the hands,while swinging at a pitch,and hits the ball fair or foul,the ball is dead and a strike called. If it is strike 3,the batter is out.

...and hits the ball fair or foul...
It is my understanding that a ball cannot be hit fair or foul unless it has been struck by the bat..and if so then this rule is saying that the bat struck the ball at sometime.

So on 3rd strike, if a ball hits batter then bat, DB,strike,batter out.

But,if a ball hits the bat then batter on 3rd strike,DB,foul ball???
Does that not contradict the rule...ball hit foul or fair...3rd strike batter out???

Quite frankly that first part is a very poorly worded rule.
Sounds as if they are trying to state that the hands are not part of the bat but in a really weird way.
Once the pitch hits the batter the ball is dead so whatever happens to the ball after that is inconsequential.
And yes, the ball must be struck with the bat for it to be fair or foul.
If the pitch hits the bat and rolls fair it is a fair ball.
If it rolls foul it is foul.
If it hits the bat and then hits the batter--and she is still in the batters box-- it is a foul ball.
If the pitch strikes the batter and then hits the bat the ball is dead because this is still considered a HBP
So on the 3rd strike if the ball hits the batter and then the bat we have a hit by pitch situation.
Dead ball runner advances unless she was swinging or if the hit part of her body was in the strike zone.
I think that pretty much covers all possibilities, yes?