GIMNEPIWO wrote:
If you are lucky to live long enough you will see most everything ... Then when you think you've seen everything you see something new ... As rare or ridiculous as it may be, if the pitch hits the batter before she starts her swing and it wasn't in the strike zone, HBP. ... Even if it is one in a million.
The approximately 2000 times i have seen this happen, every single one of them the kid was swinging then struck by the pitch. I would say about 10 times the ump called dead ball strike. 1990 they gave the kid first base.
I only asked the umpire 5 or 6 times. A couple times they claimed the kid altered her path to defend herself. As Comp, MTR, UmpSteve have pointed out, and it is clear in the rules, these umpires got it wrong. Other times they mumble or state, no coach the kid was hit by the pitch she gets her base. Again wrong call.
This call is gotten wrong so routinely that coaches rarely even ask umpires when they get it wrong. It is to the point where the wrong call is largely considered the correct call.
You want to go with far fetched, and lame, meta physics to create some possible explanation this routinely incorrect call on the part of many umpires, feel free. At that point, why not reference the Heisenberg uncertainty principle to claim the ball was not where it was observed? That is a great one for far fetched rationalize of scenarios that did not happen.
I will say based on this thread, it is going to be easy to trap these wrong headed umpires in protest that they will loose. Umpire, yes or no, did you see the kid swinging a bat? Umpire, yes or no, did you see the pitch hit the kid? Umpire, yes or no, did you see the pitch hit the kid before or after she swung the bat? A yes, yes, after, we will end up with a dead ball strike and an overruled and mad umpire.
He wants to take your out on the last question, he creates another issue for himself. Other umpires and TD's largely dislike lame umpires with bad judgement. They create endless issues on the field. So if the other umpires, and the rest of the stands mostly believe she swung and was hit by the pitch, and stuck on wrongheaded blue now wants to claim in is judgement she was hit then swung, he is not going to be seen as very smart.