Intentional HBP coach training

No, the coach should not discipline a player for avoiding being hit.

Avoid fastballs; wear curveballs.

Now that is nothing set in stone but it's pretty good idea to live under MOST of the time. A player should NEVER wear any pitch heading for his head. Too dangerous to stay in the box on that one.

Players should be taught to recognize inside fastballs and roll inwards (probably what your son is doing now). This way if it does hit him it will be the back area instead of the more vulnerable front. But you can still get hurt even doing it properly like you said with your son cracking a rib.

Since some curves have that absolute late break you have to teach them to stay in there in case of the break. But typically an inward turn with the upper body should be enough in case it doesn't break.

Sounds like he might be telling / teaching them what goes against the rules. NFHS says that a batter has to make an attempt to get out of the way. Obviously that is umpire judgement as to what is "making an attempt" but you cannot just stand there and wear one.

This guy is wrong.

Thanks, I failed to mention that the other player was pulled in the middle of his at bat, with a 3-1 count....he has since quit the team and was one of the better players. This HS team has not won a game in four years.

I will say that most HS coaches expect a player to wear a pitch. Also, over the last three or four years, I have seen a shift in the way umpires call this. It used to be that a batter would have to make some attempt to avoid getting hit (for most pitch types and locations, anyway). Now, standing still or rotating back without giving ground is considered acceptable and you are now standing on first base, regardless of pitch type/location. You pretty much have to lean toward the plate with clear deliberate effort to get hit to be called back to the batters box. At least, that's what I see now in our area.

While I usually agree with Coach, I'm not sure how feasible it is for a hitter to recognize a pitch and react differently with FB a CB. Of course, they do it when hitting but that's different than deciding whether to bail or wear it. The hitter's focus is on hitting, not bailing "if"...

We try to teach proper roll so that any HBP is glancing or lands on big muscle instead of bone. We certainly don't want a player to take one to the head and we're also OK if they are dancing from a pitch at the knee and lower. I think this is the norm.

So, to answer the OP question...
Yes, it is generally an accepted practice but certainly not to the head. Ribs - if he's rolling properly, it should be hitting him where the large back muscles are and that should USUALLY result in just a bruise.
17 and 110 lbs? Let the kid drink more shakes and eat more fries

Haha, thanks! The kid eats like horse, we're not sure where it all goes.

baseballmom 69.. What a screen name..sorry had to laugh.

We try and use whiffles a couple times a year to ensure good technique..Obviously to the head is not ever a good idea. College baseball is where you will hardly ever see a guy avoid a hbp. College world Series a couple years back there were like 11 in one game.

quote:

Originally posted by coach2709:
NFHS says that a batter has to make an attempt to get out of the way.

Unfortunately what you're quoting is the NCAA rule. The NFHS rule says something more along the lines of "he can't LET it hit him." which leaves it more up to the umpires judgement and some could argue that it's not the same as not making an attempt to get out of the way. Wish they would change the wording to the NCAA wording.

NFHS 7-3-4 - A batter shall not permit a pitched ball to touch him.

NCAA 8- SECTION 2. The batter becomes a base runner:
d. When hit by a pitched ball at which the individual is not attempting to strike, the ball is immediately dead;
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.

OBR 6.08 The batter becomes a runner and is entitled to first base without liability to be put out (provided he advances to and touches first base) when—
(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.
APPROVED RULING: When the batter is touched by a pitched ball which does not entitle him to first base, the ball is dead and no runner may advance.

I have a friend who is a high school umpire in both Missouri and Kansas. He told me that he (and the other umpires) were instructed this year to basically ignore the "batter makes no attempt to avoid being touched by the ball" part of the rule. As it was explained to him, the fact that the batter had to go out of their way to avoid the pitchers mistake was one part of the issue while the other was the fact that "getting out of the way" is a very subjective ruling. Obviously, he still enforces that part of the rule when a kid gets hit with a pitch that was a strike and if the kid intentionally leans out over the plate or sticks out his elbow, but he said he feels much better about not having to decide if batters make sufficient effort to avoid getting hit while they are standing in the batters' box.

quote:

Originally posted by Baseball mom69:
Thanks, I failed to mention that the other player was pulled in the middle of his at bat, with a 3-1 count....he has since quit the team and was one of the better players. This HS team has not won a game in four years.

haven't won in four years, players and fans should be allowed to throw at the Coach!

I would bring the coaches behaviour to the school board.

The coach has demonstrated he can't coach a team and cannot inspire the players.

He should be fired.

Well apparently the entire coaching staff has been fired due to several reasons, this as well as tabacco use on the field during games....wow how dense can they be. Here's to a better year next season.

At least we still have our summer rec league.