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That is a myth... unless the batter is swinging and the ball knicked the hands. However...
A high and inside pitch that my batter tried to avoid hit her hand and then her bat. The umpire shouted " The hand is part of the bat!". I told her that is a myth and that is not the rule. She told me that it hit her hand first and then the bat so it was a foul ball. She went on to explain that when the hands were in the strike zone they are a part of the bat. I asked her if the pitch was a "strike" if none of the above happened... She said no, It was a ball. I told her that the hands in that case were NOT and will never be a "part of the bat" and that if she believed otherwise, she is doing the game a discredit. She told me that it was a "foul ball" and warned me to back off and return to the box. Later, the field umpire, who is the UIC, told my assistant that I was absolutely correct. (Which he probably shouldn't have).
On the other hand, I give the home plate umpire some credit for saving her partner from some embarassement. A ball was hit to RF. The field umpire (who was relieved the next inning by the UIC after the play) turned his back on the play. My RF threw a bullet to first to get the runner. The field umpire had his back to the play. The home plate umpire was on top of the play and called the runner out. I tipped my hat to her for being attentative when her partner was not.
On any given weekend.......
A high and inside pitch that my batter tried to avoid hit her hand and then her bat. The umpire shouted " The hand is part of the bat!". I told her that is a myth and that is not the rule. She told me that it hit her hand first and then the bat so it was a foul ball. She went on to explain that when the hands were in the strike zone they are a part of the bat. I asked her if the pitch was a "strike" if none of the above happened... She said no, It was a ball. I told her that the hands in that case were NOT and will never be a "part of the bat" and that if she believed otherwise, she is doing the game a discredit. She told me that it was a "foul ball" and warned me to back off and return to the box. Later, the field umpire, who is the UIC, told my assistant that I was absolutely correct. (Which he probably shouldn't have).
On the other hand, I give the home plate umpire some credit for saving her partner from some embarassement. A ball was hit to RF. The field umpire (who was relieved the next inning by the UIC after the play) turned his back on the play. My RF threw a bullet to first to get the runner. The field umpire had his back to the play. The home plate umpire was on top of the play and called the runner out. I tipped my hat to her for being attentative when her partner was not.
On any given weekend.......