![]() ![]() ![]() Twisting the upper torso to avoid the pitch generally should be accepted as sufficient movement, but it’s possible to manipulate the upper body so as to be hit. It’s easy to say a batter can move toward the plate if the pitch is at his back, but that is not a natural movement. Fastballs are very difficult to avoid, especially when thrown directly at or behind the batter. It is not feasible to cover all the possibilities, and putting this subject into “rules” is highly likely to spur disagreement, but what follows should get any umpire started on determining what he or she should look for. Keep in mind, a batter who has committed to swinging has reduced the control of his body. Where on the batter’s body the ball makes contact is also a factor. The indicators umpires can use in making that determination include the speed, the type and the location of the pitch in relation to both the plate and the batter’s position. In this matter, “movement” is not synonymous with “avoid.” It is unrealistic to expect batters to protect the plate and not subject themselves to being hit. It is the umpire’s responsibility to determine whether or not the batter could have feasibly avoided the pitch. Rather than focusing on the exact wording, seeking a loophole as an attorney would, an umpire should concentrate on developing the guidelines he will use to make the stay or go decision. If we turn those words around, a batter does not make an attempt to avoid getting hit (NCAA/pro wording) if he permits the pitch to hit him (NFHS wording). That implies the batter must attempt to get out of the path of the ball, which happens to be the NCAA and pro wording. NFHS rules state a plunked hitter is awarded first base unless he permits the pitch to hit him. Although the wording differs among the codes, an umpire would not be wrong if they were to judge hit batsmen the same regardless of the rules under which the game was being played. If the pitch is not a strike, there is one additional condition that must be met before the umpire should allow the batter to trot off to first base. In either case, the ball is dead, no runners can advance and a strike is called. That occurs when either the batter swings at the ball as he is hit or the pitch is in the strike zone when it hits the batter. The scenarios that are least problematic are when the pitch is a strike. Except where noted, the material applies equally to NFHS, NCAA and pro rules. Modern umpires have a greater challenge, especially since each of the major codes has its own wording on when a struck batter goes to first or stays home. A pitch hitting the batter’s hands, as well as his forearm, was simply a dead ball with no award of first base. The earliest umpires didn’t have much of a decision to make when a batter was hit by a pitch. ![]()
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