Calling Bretman - Avoiding Inside Pitch

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I think I know the answer to this, but I'd like to hear it from Bretman if he's out there.

Had a batter get a strike called on her last night when her bat incidentally went through the strike zone when she twisted to the left to avoid an inside pitch. If was pretty clear that she was not swinging, but was protecting herself as the pitcher throws some pretty good heat and the batter just acted instinctually. The ball did not touch the batter or the bat.

Good or bad call?

If possible, can you please reference the relevant rule/interpretation?

 

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cshilt-I had the exact opposite call. LH slapper up to bat, pitcher threw a hard inside change-up that batter clearly swung at. On her follow through the ball hits batter on butt. Umpire awards first base on the argument that batter turned to avoid pitch. No field ump to help make the right call.

 

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Looks like Blue missed that one...

http://www.game-ex.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1150342799/6#6

 

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Funny you should ask. I just sent an email to another board member that contacted me through my private email address with a very similar question. So similar, that I think I can just cut & paste the same response to answer the question here!

"The rule is that whenever a batter is hit by a pitch while she is swinging at the ball, it is a dead ball and a strike. If strike three, she is out. That's the rule no matter where the batter is hit (even if she is hit on the hands).

That's the basic rule, and if the batter is taking a typical and obvious swing at the ball, it is an easy call to make.

But there are some elements of umpire judgment on this play that can affect the call. Was this an inside pitch (sounds like it was) that the batter was trying to avoid? I've seen batters raise the bat in a defensive manner on an inside pitch, or even seen the bat just happen to come up in front of the body as the batter tries to get out of the way.

If she was trying to use the bat to defend herself (ie: hit the ball before it hits her), then that can be ruled as a swing, as it would qualify as at attempt to hit the ball.

If the bat just happened to move forward as the batter tried to avoid the pitch, the umpire could rule that the bat movement was not an attempt to hit the ball and award the batter first base.

So, the first question the umpire has to answer to make the proper call is: Did the batter attempt to hit the ball?

If she did, then the ball is dead and you have a strike on the batter.

If she did not, only then would you award first base."

There you have it- the exact same email I just sent a couple of hours ago and it seems to cover your question pretty well!

 

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Thanks, bretman.

Just to clarify, though, the ball did not hit the batter or the bat. If, in the umpire's opinion she was not swinging then it should have been called a ball and not a strike?

 

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Yep, same concept. That part of the question was a little different (batter not hit by pitch), but the other part is always the same. Any motion of the bat must be judged as an attempt to hit the ball before it can be ruled as a swinging strike. If not ruled an attempt to hit the ball- just a random motion of the bat as the batter dodges out of the way- then the pitch is a normal ball or strike depending on its relation to the strike zone.

 

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Was the inside pitch a strike? A batter hanging her upper body over the plate into the strike zone is likely to learn a lesson in older age groups. She can get hit by the ball - AND have it called a strike. Another insult is to have the ball inadvertently hit the bat by not getting it out of the way - also a strike. That strike zone is owned by the pitcher.

Always have your batters turn away from the pitch while pulling the bat down behind them. Getting hit in the back is always better than the front of the body. But you have to practice that move to make it automatic in a game situation. I suggest an "inside pitch drill" using tennis balls. By turning away, the batter is more protected, and it is very obvious they are trying to avoid being hit, and not swinging the bat.

 

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Excellent advice on turning away from the pitch and getting the bat out of the way- pretty much textbook.

But, Sammy, your mind must have been wandering when you typed this:

"Another insult is to have the ball inadvertently hit the bat by not getting it out of the way - also a strike."

You might want to rethink that one... :

If the pitch inadvertantly hits the bat, it can never be a strike! It is a batted ball and will become either fair or foul, depending on where it goes after leaving the bat.

 

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Actually what I was trying to bring attention to was the importance of the batter just getting the bat out of the way if her intent is not to swing. What I should have said is that any contact, whether intentional or not, is a batted ball, which may be called a strike - depending of course on the count and where the ball goes.

More often than not it seems like it's a foul ball putting the batter farther behind in the count. Hitting is difficult enough without having those situations.

Good clarification, bret...