Calls from yesterday

[Amy in AZ.]

I was watching a LL Major's baseball game. Batter for Orioles is almost hit by a hard pitch. He gets tall, turns the wrong way and twirls all the way around. Ump calls ball - "bat did not leave the shoulder and batter was protecting himself." Yankees coach is yelling "it's a strike!"

Yankees batter, swings at strike and gets hit hard in the hands. He immediately starts toward the dugout (I thought he broke his hand) but, then, goes to 1st. The ump says "Not so fast, you were hit swinging at a strike." Yankees coach yells "It is the exact same thing as the Oriole's batter."

Uh, no.

As the mom of 2 former pitchers, I hated it when a batter would stick his/her hands out in the strike zone, get hit and get their base.

Someone else can talk about the first call, because my first thought was "strike."

 

[Comp]

The bat on the shoulder is one of those I would have to see. I have seen players spin to try and get out of the way and never take the bat off their shoulder, yet the barrel of the bat did go through the strike zone.

If a batter is swinging at a pitch and gets hit in the hands, it is a dead ball strike. If it is the 3rd strike, the batter is out. If a batter sticks their hands out in the strike zone and gets hit in the hands, the umpire should rule it a dead ball and a strike on the batter.

 

[Damiansports]

If the bat was on the shoulders.That is not an attempt to swing and I would not call a strike.

 

[BretMan]

On the first one...umpire may have got it right, but his explanation was a little off. No need to explain anything about "the bat on the shoulder" or "protecting himself" as it just muddies the water. The bottom line on a "swing/no swing" call is did the umpire judge whatever the batter did as an effort to contact the pitch. If yes, then it's ruled a swing. If not, then it's not. Ump should have just said, "In my judgment, the batter did not offer at the pitch"....end of story!

On the second one...what Comp said...

 

[MTR]

The bat on the shoulder is one of those I would have to see. I have seen players spin to try and get out of the way and never take the bat off their shoulder, yet the barrel of the bat did go through the strike zone.

Not possible.

If a batter is swinging at a pitch and gets hit in the hands, it is a dead ball strike. If it is the 3rd strike, the batter is out. If a batter sticks their hands out in the strike zone and gets hit in the hands, the umpire should rule it a dead ball and a strike on the batter.

Absolutely correct.