The Official Forum  

Go Back   The Official Forum > Softball

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Rate Thread Display Modes
  #1 (permalink)  
Old Fri Jun 16, 2006, 10:16pm
Official Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 32
Batter hit by pitch??

Working girls ASA FP alone. R1 on 2B and running for 3B on the release. Pitch far inside and low. Batter jumps up and I believe (very sure) that I hear the ball hit the batter's shoe (really couldn't see it). I call dead ball, instructed batter to 1B and directed R1 back to 2B. Batter steps back up to plate to bat. I told the the batter tha she needed to go to 1B, but batter ignores me and is ready to bat again. I then asked batter, "Did the ball hit you?" Batter said that ball did not hit her and was determined on batting. At that point, I thought that maybe the pitched ball didn't hit her (I didn't see the actual contact). I allowed batter to bat, but made R1 go back to 2B because I had declared dead ball on what I thought was a hit batter. I know that most of you will tell me that I should have stayed with batter hit by pitch and ordered batter to 1B. Suggestions on how to handle this.

After inning was over, both coaches also thought that the ball his batter's foot, but, like me, wasn't 100 percent sure.
Reply With Quote
  #2 (permalink)  
Old Fri Jun 16, 2006, 10:49pm
JEL JEL is offline
Official Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 910
Never. never. never, ever never ever ask a batter "did the ball hit you?"

You called it, gotta go with it. If you were sure enough to call it in the first place, don't let the players influence you to reverse your call. Second guess yourself (by yourself) later but not during the game. Remember that a ball can hit a batter and they not feel it. They may not feel it hit a jersey, should feel a foot, but may not. And there is the possibility that she really wanted to hit and kinda "made up a tale!"
Reply With Quote
  #3 (permalink)  
Old Sat Jun 17, 2006, 07:23am
Official Forum Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: USA
Posts: 14,565
Would you reverse an out call if you thought a glove with the ball ticked a runner's foot on a legal tag and the player refused to leave the base?
__________________
The bat issue in softball is as much about liability, insurance and litigation as it is about competition, inflated egos and softball.
Reply With Quote
  #4 (permalink)  
Old Sat Jun 17, 2006, 12:40pm
Official Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Connecticut
Posts: 55
Lessons learned...

Quote:
Originally Posted by JEL
Never. never. never, ever never ever ask a batter "did the ball hit you?"
You called it, gotta go with it.
I've learned this "rule" just a couple of times, but the hard way. I got (deservedly) reamed out by UIC/commissioner types.

Even if your judgment call is dead wrong in the eyes of others, you have to go with it: you saw (or heard) what you saw. Players and coaches expect it, and that's just the way it is.

I'm with the 'most of you' who'd award 1B to the batter, based on what my senses told me.
__________________
Hey Blue! When your seeing eye dog barks, it's a strike!
Reply With Quote
  #5 (permalink)  
Old Sat Jun 17, 2006, 05:09pm
Official Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: West Michigan (Comstock Park)
Posts: 176
In the situation described, you made the "dead ball" call so stay with the call.
Do not ask a player or coach their opinion on calls especially when working alone.
Sam
__________________
Perfection is a goal which we work to attain
NFHS/Little League
Reply With Quote
  #6 (permalink)  
Old Sat Jun 17, 2006, 06:53pm
Official Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Hurricane, WV
Posts: 800
Send a message via AIM to Mountaineer Send a message via Yahoo to Mountaineer
Had it happen to me once too. I killed it and told the player to go to first base. She said, "but it didn't hit me." My reply - "Oh well, I thought it did, you still get to go to first base." Once you call "dead ball" and make a call, you can't go back and unring that bell based on what a player tells you.
__________________
Larry Ledbetter
NFHS, NCAA, NAIA

The best part about beating your head against the wall is it feels so good when you stop.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Fast pitch - batter "catches" the pitch Dakota Softball 16 Thu Nov 06, 2008 10:06am
Batter hit by pitch. Mark T. DeNucci, Sr. Baseball 2 Tue Apr 27, 2004 08:42am
Batter ready for pitch rafking Softball 9 Fri Aug 01, 2003 11:14pm
Batter hit by pitch gbekken Baseball 5 Thu May 15, 2003 12:51pm
Batter hit by the pitch Bob Joz Softball 2 Mon May 06, 2002 10:21pm


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 05:49am.



Search Engine Friendly URLs by vBSEO 3.3.0 RC1