Hands part of bat?

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Are the hands ruled as being part of the bat?

Kid was hit by the pitch right on the hands and the umpire granted her a walk.

First of all, aren't the hands part of the bat? Secondly, she was rotating around at the beginning of her swing when the ball struck her hands. Shouldn't this be ruled a foul ball? Hence, a strike?

 

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Did the hands come with the bat when it was purchased? That should answer your question.

 

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Hands are DEFINITELY not part of the bat.

 

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backstop09's explanation is probably better ;&...but here is the high school rule.

NFHS Rule 8-1-2b
(F.P.) a pitched ball not swung at nor called a strike touches any part of the batter's person or clothing. It does not matter if the ball strikes the ground before hitting the batter. The batter's hands are not considered a part of the bat.

 

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"The hands are part of the bat" is probably the number one rule myth in baseball and softball. But it's just that- a myth.

The hands are part of the BATTER, not the bat. If the ball hits the hands, it is a hit batter. And, if the ball hits the batter, it is impossible to have a legally batted ball, either fair or foul. Once the ball touches the batter, you have a dead ball and the play ends right there.

 

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I can't believe nobody mentioned that you can have a strike awarded to the batter if the umpire determines that the pitch was a strike (therefore the BATTER had the part of their body that got hit in the strike zone). The OP said she was "rotating around and starting her swing", depending on how poorly she actually swings, she may have had her hands in the strike zone. But, since the umpire granted her a walk, it must not have been the case this time.

 

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Last year my son was on the last batter of the last inning and was throwing a perfect game. He threw an inside fastball. The batter took a full swing and hit him in the hands. Ump gave the batter first. Perfect game up in smoke.

I'm not a rules guru by any stretch of the imagination but I thought you have to attempt to get out of the way. So even if it's a ball and the ump determines no attempt was made, they're not awarded first. If you're taking a full swing; your not making an attempt.

 

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I ask Bretman to quote the actual rule differences but... in NFHS Softball (and NCAA Softball at least), the player does NOT have to make an attempt to get out of the way. They can't move into it to intentionally get hit but they don't have to try to avoid it either.

 

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I believe the rule at one time was a player had to make an attempt to get out of the way but whether it was a rule that was repealed or an explanation that was changed, you no longer need to make an attempt. To my knowledge, if the batter has a part of her body within the strike zone and is hit with a pitch, just as TR_Out mentions that would not be a hit by pitch. This does not mean you can have your hands over the plate and get hit in the leg and declare it a foul ball. Okay, now let's hear the real story from Bretman in the event I'm wrong. lol. I say that with the upmost respect Bretman. In my case they say the first thing to go is the memory and I can't remember the other........

 

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I can't believe nobody mentioned that you can have a strike awarded to the batter if the umpire determines that the pitch was a strike...

A batter hit by a pitch can result in a strike if:

- The batter is in the act of swinging or offering at the pitch when hit by the ball.

- The batter is hit when the ball is inside the strike zone (ie: the ball actually hits the body part that's in the strike zone).

- The batter is hit out in front of the plate and prevents the ball from entering the strike zone.

In all cases, the ball is immediately dead when it touches the batter. Then a strike is added to the count. If strike three the batter is out.


Attempting to avoid the pitch: NCAA, NFHS (high school) and, I believe, a few other that I don't officiate do not require any effort to avoid the pitch if the ball is entirely inside the batter's box. If the ball isn't, then the batter still must make some effort to avoid the pitch in order to be awarded first base.

The bolded part is the part that most people seem to forget when discussing this relatively new rule. This is a recent rule change. NCAA first changed it about 3 years ago, then NFHS followed suit a year or two later.

For ASA, the above exception is not a rule. The batter must show some effort to avoid the pitch, no matter where it is, to be awarded first base.

 

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A batter hit by a pitch can result in a strike if:

- The batter is in the act of swinging or offering at the pitch when hit by the ball.

- The batter is hit when the ball is inside the strike zone (ie: the ball actually hits the body part that's in the strike zone).

- The batter is hit out in front of the plate and prevents the ball from entering the strike zone.

In all cases, the ball is immediately dead when it touches the batter. Then a strike is added to the count. If strike three the batter is out.


Attempting to avoid the pitch: NCAA, NFHS (high school) and, I believe, a few other that I don't officiate do not require any effort to avoid the pitch if the ball is entirely inside the batter's box. If the ball isn't, then the batter still must make some effort to avoid the pitch in order to be awarded first base.

The bolded part is the part that most people seem to forget when discussing this relatively new rule. This is a recent rule change. NCAA first changed it about 3 years ago, then NFHS followed suit a year or two later.

For ASA, the above exception is not a rule. The batter must show some effort to avoid the pitch, no matter where it is, to be awarded first base.

Bretman -your posts should be mandatory reading for all!

 

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A batter hit by a pitch can result in a strike if:


For ASA, the above exception is not a rule. The batter must show some effort to avoid the pitch, no matter where it is, to be awarded first base.

Did this change back this year? Cause I thought it was changed in ASA recently that you do not have to make an effort. I saw pitcher throw a change up that rolled last 5 feet & batter didnt move as it hit foot & was awarded 1B..........

 

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Did this change back this year? Cause I thought it was changed in ASA recently that you do not have to make an effort. I saw pitcher throw a change up that rolled last 5 feet & batter didnt move as it hit foot & was awarded 1B..........

ASA still has the requirement to avoid the pitch, same as they've had for decades. Their rule has never been "no attempt needed".

 

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- The batter is hit when the ball is inside the strike zone (ie: the ball actually hits the body part that's in the strike zone).

What's the call if part of the ball is in the strike zone and the other part hits the batter just outside the zone?

What's the call if the ball hits the batter AFTER passing through the strike zone?

 

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A batter hit by a pitch can result in a strike if:

- The batter is in the act of swinging or offering at the pitch when hit by the ball.

- The batter is hit when the ball is inside the strike zone (ie: the ball actually hits the body part that's in the strike zone).

- The batter is hit out in front of the plate and prevents the ball from entering the strike zone.

In all cases, the ball is immediately dead when it touches the batter. Then a strike is added to the count. If strike three the batter is out.

I know this is all subjective to what the ump sees andwhere they are set up behind the catcher, but what should the call be if apitcher pitches inside just off the plate and a batter has toes on thechalk and uses a leg hike type load which is bound to be over the batter's boxplane or on a check swing their hands or elbow is hanging out over the plane ofthe batter's box and they get hit by a pitch? IMO the batter is moving into thepitch. Even though the pitch is slightly off the strike zone, the batter isputting their leg in that position outside the box and same with elbows orhands. What's the ruling on this hit batter?

 

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A batter hit by a pitch can result in a strike if:

- The batter is in the act of swinging or offering at the pitch when hit by the ball.

So based on this, my DS should have had the "YOUNGEST PERFECT GAME EVER" (10yrs old). Because of that blown call he didn't get on ESPN top plays and the pundints didn't sit around the table to discuss the merits of it being the greatest pitching performance eeevvvverrrrrr (till the next day when they needed to stir the sports world in order to justify their existance).

See what the 12yr old ump stole from my baby boy!!!!!!!!

 

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So based on this, my DS should have had the "YOUNGEST PERFECT GAME EVER" (10yrs old). Because of that blown call he didn't get on ESPN top plays and the pundints didn't sit around the table to discuss the merits of it being the greatest pitching performance eeevvvverrrrrr (till the next day when they needed to stir the sports world in order to justify their existance).

See what the 12yr old ump stole from my baby boy!!!!!!!!

Your son has something in common with Armando Galarraga...
[video=youtube_share;WlDTBDJbNE4]http://youtu.be/WlDTBDJbNE4[/video]

 

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What's the call if part of the ball is in the strike zone and the other part hits the batter just outside the zone?

What's the call if the ball hits the batter AFTER passing through the strike zone?

Dead ball and a strike to both of those.

I know this is all subjective to what the ump sees andwhere they are set up behind the catcher, but what should the call be if apitcher pitches inside just off the plate and a batter has toes on thechalk and uses a leg hike type load which is bound to be over the batter's boxplane or on a check swing their hands or elbow is hanging out over the plane ofthe batter's box and they get hit by a pitch? IMO the batter is moving into thepitch. Even though the pitch is slightly off the strike zone, the batter isputting their leg in that position outside the box and same with elbows orhands. What's the ruling on this hit batter?

If the batter purposely moves a body part into the ball to get hit, that would not have been hit otherwise, then the ball is dead and the pitch is called a ball or strike based on it's relation to the strike zone. No award of first base is given. Otherwise, if the ball is not entirely inside the batter's box the batter must make some attempt to avoid being hit.

Just an observation, based on seeing the newer "no attempt to avoid" rule in place for a couple of years now. It seems to me that umpires are just automatically awarding first base on any pitch that makes contact with the batter, whether it's entirely in the batter's box or not, and if it's not, when no attempt to avoid it is made or even when the batter sticks an elbow or leg into the path of the ball. I think that they're taking "no attempt to avoid" to an extreme and using that as the default for all situations, even those for which it wasn't intended.

 

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So if a ball hits a batters hand while swinging and she has 2 strikes it is a strike out and not a foul ball? Seen it called foul ball virtually every time.

 

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Amazing...that you've seen it called wrong virtually every time!