Skip to main content

7 replies

Hit by pitch

EH Emanski's Heroes1,000+ posts
I have found that one of the most commonly misunderstood/unknown (in my opinion, of course) rule in baseball are the hit by pitch rules. At the amateur levels, I would bet there is close to one instance per game where a batter gets drilled and there is an uproar about whether you have to make an attempt to get out of the way or not.

I have always been of the opinion that you do not have to get out of the way of anything. Obviously you can't lean into a pitch, but if you simply "take one for the team" without changing your position in the box, I think you are justly awarded first base. However, I can't even count how many games I've seen a player take a pitch properly and get drilled, only to have the opposing fans/coaches flip their lid because the player "didn't make an attempt to get out of the way".

I bring this up because I was just reading an article at Baseball America talking about the emphasis this season on players in college baseball leaning into pitches not being awarded first base. However, if a player freezes in the batter's box and is hit, he is awarded first base. (See the end of the article at the link below).

I think this is one of the rules coaches, parents, players, etc. always get in a big uproar about and generally they are in the wrong. I agree with the NCAA rule, but I'm not 100% positive that I'm right for all organizations within baseball. So, I want to ask the folks here, who's right?

http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/college/?p=318
Original Post

Replies sorted oldest to newest

EH Emanski's Heroes1,000+ posts
quote:
Originally posted by BobbleheadDoll:
If a batter is over the plate he should make a reasonable attempt to get out of the way. If there was no such rule every batter would lean into a pitch and that would ruin the games. Stick a foot out and all kinds of ways to get a freebe. In my opinion there are not enough calls about batters not making an attempt to get out of the way.


Obviously if the pitch is in the strike zone then that's an entirely different situation. If the pitch is a strike, then it's a strike whether it hits the batter or not.

Other than that, I specifically said that you can't lean into a pitch. But if a pitcher throws a pitch that comes toward you and you don't lean into it and your body is not in the strike zone, I don't think you have to make any attempt to get out of the way. The NCAA apparently agrees, so I'm asking the question regarding other organizations. Thanks
F 3FingeredGlove1,000+ posts
The NCAA rule is different to all other codes, in that it give the batter's box to the hitter.

The batter becomes a runner....
NCAA 8.2.d. "When hit by a pitched ball at which the individual is not attempting to strike;
A.R.—If the batter intentionally gets touched by moving or rolling any part of the body into the pitch, the umpire shall call a strike or ball in accordance with Rules 7-4 and 7-5.
(1) If the batter is hit by a pitch in the strike zone, the pitch is a strike, the ball is dead, no runners may advance and the batter is not awarded first base.
(2) If the batter makes no attempt to avoid being touched by the ball and the pitch is out of the strike zone, the pitch shall be called a ball. The ball is dead, no runners may advance and the batter is not awarded first base.
A.R.—If the batter freezes (makes no attempt to avoid the pitch) and is hit by a pitch that is clearly inside the vertical lines of the batter’s box, the ball is dead and the batter is awarded first base."

OBR 6.08 (b)
"(b) He is touched by a pitched ball which he is not attempting to hit unless (1) The ball is in the strike zone when it touches the batter, or (2) The batter makes no attempt to avoid being touched by the ball;
If the ball is in the strike zone when it touches the batter, it shall be called a strike, whether or not the batter tries to avoid the ball. If the ball is outside the strike zone when it touches the batter, it shall be called a ball if he makes no attempt to avoid being touched."

I don't have access to NFHS rules right now, but I believe that it also asks for the batter to try to get out of the way.

So you can read the black-letter law, and except in NCAA, the batter needs to try to get out of the way. What you'll actually see on the field varies a lot umpire to umpire. Almost no umpire requires a reaction to a good stiff fastball, but many will not award the batter first on a off-speed pitch if there is no attempt to move.
EH Emanski's Heroes1,000+ posts
quote:
Originally posted by 3FingeredGlove:
The NCAA rule is different to all other codes, in that it give the batter's box to the hitter.

The batter becomes a runner....
NCAA 8.2.d. "When hit by a pitched ball at which the individual is not attempting to strike;
A.R.—If the batter intentionally gets touched by moving or rolling any part of the body into the pitch, the umpire shall call a strike or ball in accordance with Rules 7-4 and 7-5.
(1) If the batter is hit by a pitch in the strike zone, the pitch is a strike, the ball is dead, no runners may advance and the batter is not awarded first base.
(2) If the batter makes no attempt to avoid being touched by the ball and the pitch is out of the strike zone, the pitch shall be called a ball. The ball is dead, no runners may advance and the batter is not awarded first base.
A.R.—If the batter freezes (makes no attempt to avoid the pitch) and is hit by a pitch that is clearly inside the vertical lines of the batter’s box, the ball is dead and the batter is awarded first base."

OBR 6.08 (b)
"(b) He is touched by a pitched ball which he is not attempting to hit unless (1) The ball is in the strike zone when it touches the batter, or (2) The batter makes no attempt to avoid being touched by the ball;
If the ball is in the strike zone when it touches the batter, it shall be called a strike, whether or not the batter tries to avoid the ball. If the ball is outside the strike zone when it touches the batter, it shall be called a ball if he makes no attempt to avoid being touched."

I don't have access to NFHS rules right now, but I believe that it also asks for the batter to try to get out of the way.

So you can read the black-letter law, and except in NCAA, the batter needs to try to get out of the way. What you'll actually see on the field varies a lot umpire to umpire. Almost no umpire requires a reaction to a good stiff fastball, but many will not award the batter first on a off-speed pitch if there is no attempt to move.


Very interesting, and I do stand corrected, which is why I asked the question. Thanks for info.
Michael S. TaylorMichael S. Taylor1,000+ posts
3FG is exactly correct. NCAA is alone in not requiring the batter to move on an inside pitch. They have gone back and forth on this rule. When I first started doing college they weren't required to move. Then they changed it to the same as other codes and then back to what it is now.
In OBR and HS you do have to make an attempt. In the real world of umpiring, many will give the base for even the slightest movement. In other words, they give the benefit of doubt to the batter. The slow curve that they watch hit will not get a base in anything but NCAA. I personally am a little more strict than most at my level.
jjkjjk500+ posts
quote:
In the real world of umpiring, many will give the base for even the slightest movement. In other words, they give the benefit of doubt to the batter. The slow curve that they watch hit will not get a base in anything but NCAA. I personally am a little more strict than most at my level.


I concur with this.

Interesting to see how many blow ups occur over; the slow breaking curve that strikes the "non moving" NCAA batters forearm, clearly "outside the lines of the BB? I can hear it now, "he doesn't have to move, he's in the box"...

Add Reply

Post
.

Membership Required

We're sorry. You must be signed in to continue. Sign In or Register
×
Are you sure you want to remove from your Block List?
×
Loading...
×
When you block a person, they can no longer invite you to a private message or post to your profile wall. Replies and comments they make will be collapsed/hidden by default. Finally, you'll never receive email notifications about content they create or likes they designate for your content.
Note: if you proceed, you will no longer be following .
×
Advanced Search
Advanced Search
Link copied to your clipboard.
×