HBP - No award

[hit4power]

Playing ASA...

RH batter batting, pitch coming at her. She twists back towards catcher and tries to duck. Ball hits her square in the back. PU declares dead ball, but does not award 1B saying she turned into the pitch. He puts her back at bat, calls a ball, and signals for next pitch. After much discussion, call stands with PU insisting that by twisting (rather than just ducking or jumping or something else) she turned into the pitch despite the fact, which he agreed with, that the ball was no where near the plate. I realize that there is an HTBT component here, but curious if any of you blues have ever made this call or under what circumstances would you make a "dead ball - ball" call?

[tcannizzo]

Maybe if it was a 12 mph change up, but otherwise, no.
I would even award 1B to Chubby Checker for doing the Twist.

[jonriv]

Maybe if it was a 12 mph change up, but otherwise, no.
I would even award 1B to Chubby Checker for doing the Twist.

What about the "Peppermint Twist"

[AlwaysImprove]

but curious if any of you blues have ever made this call?

I have seen this a lot.

[Comp]

If I judge the batter has purposely moved into the path of the ball, they get a bruise and a ball added to their count.

[BearFlagFan]

By rule, his ruling is correct since his judgment was she did not try to get out of the way of the ball. Dead ball, ball.

In a rec tournament final, I had a batter "twist" into the ball, but she twisted right into the strike zone - she didn't need to move but did and she was hit in the strike zone, and it was the 3rd strike. She didn't do it on purpose. Girl goes down in a crying heap. Coach, who doesn't understand what happens to an injured player with lineups (his whole experience was with batting around), asks if he "has" to use a substitute for an injured player. I look at him and say "Yes, normally, but I'm sorry to tell you this coach, but she got hit in the strike zone. It's dead ball strike 3, she's out." Pandemonium ensues, lots of yelling. I end up ejecting head coach, assistant coach (who was her dad) and two fans. Protest by other assistant. UIC upholds my ruling, extra tourney officials are brought in to sit in stands to restore order. Afterward, UIC says "By rule, you made the right ruling. But common sense says you should have just put her on base since they were already losing by 5 runs. In a HBP situation, unless you really know she was trying to get hit, just give her the base." Since then there's been a few times I have not given a player 1B on an HPB, but in every case she either didn't move or moved just slightly to get into the way of the ball, and was old enough to know better.

[MTR]

Afterward, UIC says "By rule, you made the right ruling. But common sense says you should have just put her on base since they were already losing by 5 runs. In a HBP situation, unless you really know she was trying to get hit, just give her the base."

What if they were only losing by 3 runs? Or 1 run? Or not losing at all! The "in the strike zone" HBPs are the easiest for the PU to determine since that area is their focus on the pitch. Outside the strike zone, sure you give the batter the benefit of any doubt. But in the zone? I think you got it right and I'm not just talking by "by the book".

The umpire doesn't make the rules, only enforces those which the teams agreed to use.

[HugoTafurst]

By rule, his ruling is correct since his judgment was she did not try to get out of the way of the ball. Dead ball, ball.

In a rec tournament final, I had a batter "twist" into the ball, but she twisted right into the strike zone - she didn't need to move but did and she was hit in the strike zone, and it was the 3rd strike. She didn't do it on purpose. Girl goes down in a crying heap. Coach, who doesn't understand what happens to an injured player with lineups (his whole experience was with batting around), asks if he "has" to use a substitute for an injured player. I look at him and say "Yes, normally, but I'm sorry to tell you this coach, but she got hit in the strike zone. It's dead ball strike 3, she's out." Pandemonium ensues, lots of yelling. I end up ejecting head coach, assistant coach (who was her dad) and two fans. Protest by other assistant. UIC upholds my ruling, extra tourney officials are brought in to sit in stands to restore order. Afterward, UIC says "By rule, you made the right ruling. But common sense says you should have just put her on base since they were already losing by 5 runs. In a HBP situation, unless you really know she was trying to get hit, just give her the base." Since then there's been a few times I have not given a player 1B on an HPB, but in every case she either didn't move or moved just slightly to get into the way of the ball, and was old enough to know better.

.
I would be if I had to work for that UIC.