Swinging dead ball strike three - I've got an out. Mechanic: "Time" hands up. Indicate swinging strike three (hammer time) and verbalize, "Batters out on strike three, swinging". Uncaught strike three nullified as the ball is dead on hit by pitch.
I think folks here are misunderstanding, and it's the one area where I was a little confused (but now straight). I figured it was strike 3, but I also figured that the runner would have a chance to beat the throw to first since it was a strike 3 that was not caught. But it's a dead ball, so it all makes sense.
This isn't an interpretation of the rule it's the actual rule. If you swing and the ball hits you anywhere it's a strike. If you swing, miss and the pitch hits your head it's a strike.
if you are an umpire with a passion for getting the calls right, I would recommend you rely on reading the rulebook, not some guy on the internet. Even if the guy on the internet is correct.
There is not a single person who knows every rule in baseball and remembers it. MLB players and coaches included. The most important rule is "don't make yourself look like an ass!"
This one drives me so nuts I can't even begin to describe it. *Especially* when coaches don't know the difference, which is infuriating. It's hard to patiently explain to a 13U or 14U coach what constitutes a foul tip, and that the ball is still live, not dead. Honorable mention goes to when a ball hits the ground then hits the batter. It would amaze you how many people don't know that, no, the ball isn't dead because it hit the ground first -- it's still a hit by pitch. They don't even stop to think about why insisting that the ball is dead is an idiotic thing to say. What about a passed ball? Or a ball in the dirt that the catcher blocks? Are those dead balls because they hit the ground, too? (For this one, I've only ever had one coach try to make this claim, but it was a Little League juniors coach, and that's just pathetic.)
1972 Topps Baseball Cards had a series of "You are the umpire" questions on the back of some of them and they had this exact same scenario. I didn't know it at the time -- well, I was 9 -- but I've always remembered it since.
This happened to me in high school and I was able to punch the ball down the 3rd baseline for a painfully ugly infield hit. My teammates razzed me about needing to use the bat to hit the ball and not sacrifice my body in the future. I had always assumed the bat WAS part of the bat and went with it. I have been wrong for over 50yrs until watching this video lesson and reading the below comments. Thanks for the great tutorials.
One additional thing, a batter may not move into the path of the pitch to get hit. The ruling is an immediate dead ball and the pitch judged based on where it was at the time.
Exactly according to the rules. The note that if it hits a part of the body in the strike zone, even if there is not a swing, it is a strike. A painful one, but a strike none the less.
Lots of rules in baseball and softball are misinterpreted or completely not known by too many coaches, low level umpires, fans, and commentators. Folks who's only rules training came from their buddies while playing in the sand lot back in the day get a lot of rules wrong. Knowing rules begins with opening an up-to-date rule book and reading. This is a great video and the different scenario explanations are spot on.
@@prsguitars42 I didn’t know it was a dead ball if it hit the hands. If someone swings and it hits them in the stomach year that would be an out but I thought it was a foul ball.
An old Umpire buddy of mine once told someone, go to the sporting goods store and let me know if you see a pair of hands that come with the purchase of the bat.
You want a good argument, take away a hit when the ball is hit off the hands instead of the bat. It's a dead ball strike even if the ball goes fair and the batter makes it to first.
Yeah I had that happen before. Batter swing hit his hands he dropped the bat and shook his hand. Catcher and pitcher just stared at him and I’m about to call dead ball when the guy jets to first. All hell breaks loose and my partner doesn’t seem me waiving it off and calls him safe at a close play. They didn’t like my explanation they thought I had called time “for no reason” just to screw them over. It wasn’t even strike 3 so he had to get back in the box with a 2-2 count.
I had that in a high school game. 1-2 pitch. Batter ran to first. I killed the play called it hit by pitch and out on the swing.. Head coach of the boys team came out to ask how I made that call. I explained the rule to him. He said, took a lot of guts and the boy's parents hate you now as he chuckled and walked off the field. The coach later said he has had that happen before against his team and the batter got first since he beat the throw. I said, well, now you know. He was a good coach who never yelled, would always talk with the umpire about the call. Even if he disagreed, he was never disagreeable.
Commentators should buy AND READ a rule book. It really doesn’t matter how much you “think” or “feel” that it should be a foul ball - rules say it’s a strike and, in this case, strike three...
And no one has a problem with that pitcher’s glove? I know, unrelated but talk about deception with that WHITE at the wrist area of glove during the delivery on each pitch. Wow.
i played little league baseball for 8 years and 4 high school baseball. It was always played that if the ball hits ur hands while your at bat it was a foul ball. Thats how I had always known that to be. Ive watched baseball my whole life. Ive always been told and taught throught all my years of playing that your hands are part of the bat. It kinda pisses me of that all my years i was lied to about this LOL
The hand is not a part of the bat. It is a part of the body. Is the batter swings at the pitch and it hits his hands, the ball is immediately declared dead and it's up to the umpire to decide if the batter swung or the pitch was in the strike zone. In both latter situations, the ball is a strike (but it's still a dead ball).
Per the Little League Rule book Rule 2.00 - DEFINITION OF TERMS A STRIKE is a legal pitch which meets any of these conditions - (a) Is struck at by the batter and missed; (b) Is not struck at, if any part of the ball passes through any part of the strike zone; (c) Is fouled by the batter when there is less than two strikes; (d) Is bunted foul (the batter is out and ball is dead, if the batter bunts foul on the third strike); (e) Touches the batter’s person as the batter strikes at it (dead ball); EXAMPLE: If, while swinging, the ball strikes the batter, it is a dead ball, strike. (f ) Touches the batter in flight in the strike zone; or EXAMPLE: A batter that leans across the plate is now in the strike zone. If that batter is hit with a pitch that is in the strike zone, it is called a dead ball, strike. (g) Becomes a foul tip. (Ball is live and in play.) Rule 6.05 - A batter is out when (e) that batter attempts to hit a third strike and is touched by the ball; INTSTRUCTOR’S COMMENTS: (from the Little League Rules Instruction Manual) - Hands are not part of the bat, they are part of the body.
@@reidrichter4292 - any time the ball hits the batter (whether he swings or not) it is a dead ball, therefore he can't attempt to reach 1st and any runners on the base cannot advance.
This is funny. The same thing can be said of the infield fly rule. I was helping out with recreational grass-lot baseball a few years ago: 1 out, 2 men on base, and *I loudly called, "Infield fly rule --- Batter's Out!" while the ball was in the air.* The kids and adults were like ... duh, hold on, what's that now?!?
But the force is off if they advance at their own risk if the fielder lets it drop or they “tag” up . The fielder thinks it’s fielder choice and if doesn’t tag the runner he is safe. It’s not infield fly if the runners are on second and third it’s to protect the offense from just dropping the ball to turn two. What about A soft liner does that apply?
What about a runner on first and a base hit or fly ball and the short stop covers the bag at second to fake the tag to get the runner doubled off by sliding into second or keeping them going first to third on a base hit. I’ve seen the SS ejected for doing this and also seen the umpire do nothing and allow the runner to be doubled up on a fly ball. What’s the rule? It’s shady for the SS to do this to me and should be ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct, but I’m not sure what the rule actually is.
@@ch3blazinggospel669 It's not illegal to fake a play that you know you can't make, but you're not allowed to obstruct the runner's path without the ball if there's a chance of (or actual) collision. Whether the ball is dead immediately if obstruction occurs varies between rule sets.
I was actually going to say "Strike Three" batter's out, but dead ball, because it hit him...no one advances if anyone is on base. No one was on base, though, so moot point. I once swung at a nasty curve that ended up hitting me in the bicep...easy call - strike three.
I paused it in order to answer... I think it should be a strike. In the same way if you swing at a pitch and it hits you in any other part of the body that’s considered a strike. The only way that’s a foul ball is if the ball hits the bat and then hits the player while he is still in the batters box. It’s gotta be a strike.
I think the source of this myth is that in the days before video review, most umps would decide that if there was any possibility the ball hit the bat, then they would rule that it hit the bat--whether or not it actually hit the bat. ESPECIALLY with metal bats--if you hear the metal ringing, then it hit the bat (never mind that even a LL fast pitch is enough to transfer energy through the hand to the bat to make the bat ring). So this particular call would be rare because the ump was calling a foul ball on the judgment (which may or may not have been correct) that it hit the bat. But now they can always go to the tape so people are losing their minds. They got it in their heads somehow that "the hands are part of the bat", which was not ever the case.
I could see how someone may think the ball may have hit the bat, then it would be foul. BUT THESE COMMENTATORS JUST BECAUSE THEY HAVE PLAYED SOMEWHERE DOES NOT MEAN THEY KNOW THE NUANCES OF THE GAME. ESPECIALLY THAT WOMAN!!!!
I think that, because it happens so seldom, people don't really apply the rule that often. I've had it happen to me on a couple of occasions, and neither coach understood what I did when I called the batter out. BOTH of them quoted those exact same words, "The hands are a part of the bat"! I had a protest on one of the games where I called this because it was a LL League Southeast Regional game, around 1998 in St. Pete. We stopped the game and Wes (I can't remember his last name, but he was the UIC for the Southeastern Region) said that I got it right!! Most of the time, when a batter swings, people just THINK it is a foul ball. No one questions it hitting the hand(s). Of course, I have had it argued that the batter is hit by a pitch and should get first base, "No, no, no, no, no no, it's a swinging strike!" No ejections though, at least I haven't had to do that. But, in over 5000 games umped, I think it's only happened to me 4 or 5 times, so it really doesn't happen that much.
I understand everything here until the explanation of the last batter in this video. I get that it was a foul ball. If he bunted foul with two strikes, it would be an out. I believe this is not an out only because the batter pulled back and didn't offer at the pitch? Here it was clear he wasn't bunting when he made contact. My guess it would then be the umpire's judgement on whether it would be a bunt attempt or not. Is my logic correct here?
When I first started umpiring, our training guy picked up a bat and asked, "Who ever has heard that hands are part of the bat?" and we mostly raise our hands. He then threw the bat on the ground and asked, "Do you see any hands on that bat now?" Stuck with me that way since.
I've always HATED that example; obviously no one actually believes hands are literally part of a bat, and the rules could easily be written such that hands would be considered part of the bat in the context of a swing, just as the glove is considered part of the body for purposes of a tag, even though clearly there are no bodies attached to gloves in the store, yet the laces are not considered part of the glove for purposes of a tag, even though all gloves actually do have laces, so proving that there are no hands attached to the bat illustrates nothing to me. However, every umpire ever seems to think this is so very clever and completely disposes of the question.
As a coach I had a player get hit in the hand while not swinging and the hands were not in the zone and the ump called foul ball. As an 18 yr veteran umpire I questioned him and he insisted that the hands were a part of the bat. With that statement he admitted that it hit the hand and not the bat. That is when I got a little more agitated with his call. I even explained that I wasn't trying to argue but actually teach him what the right call was and he insisted the hands were part of the bat. My player struck out because they wouldn't swing the bat with their hand hurting.
What I've done in those types of situations is ask the umpire to call and ask his assigner or look it up sometime after the game so he knows for future games. Most umpires are not going to take well to a coach or someone else telling them their wrong in the game. Asking them to look into it after the game from a person or source they trust at least gets them corrected. Of course if this is in a tournament you may have the option of protesting to get a correct ruling.
Good job here getting it right by the umpiring crew. I have to say though, that I have watched a lot of LLWS games, and every year, they are some of the WORST ball/strike umpires I have ever seen.
Dude I Love your videos and one of the videos you made was the smart pickoff to 1st (For a lefty) and so first i stepped off and tried to pick off the runner, next pitch i did my usual pickoff and the RUNNER WAS FROZEN! (thanks so much)
@Kalen Shoot You must not have listened to the video. It cannot be a foul ball because the ball never struck the bat. It only struck the player's hands, which is the same as if the ball hit the player's leg, arm, or any other part of his body. It's an immediate dead ball when the ball hits the player in the batter's box. There is no opportunity for the catcher to catch the pitched ball, as the ball is dead immediately upon hitting the player. Since the player swung, it's strike 3 swinging and immediate dead ball. Done.
@@kgbricks7426 Nope. Ball is dead IMMEDIATELY upon touching the batter, so there is nothing to drop. No different than if the batter swung at a wicked curve bally that ends up hitting the player's ankle. Swinging strike 3 and immediate dead ball. Batter is out and no runners may advance, since it's a dead ball.
Article directly from the Little League site. www.littleleague.org/university/articles/hey-blue-arent-the-hands-part-of-the-bat/ Hands are not part of the bat. It's one of the biggest myths in all baseball.
as an umpire, the best response i was ever taught when a coach says "the hands are part of the bat" was to get a bat, lay it on the ground, and ask the coach, "please show me the hands". yes, it's kind of showuppity, and i try to do it as respectfully as possible, but it makes the point quickly. the most professional way to respond (at least in high school) is probably to refer to nfhs rulebook 1-3-2.b,1-5, where it lists the five "official" parts of the bat. no mention of hands whatsoever. shocker...
Ok, but the pitch would've never hit the batter's hand if he didn't swing at it and subsequently hit it near the handle of the bat. That's different than simply hitting the batter with a pitch. The batter's hands are covering part of the bat, so when it's held, the hands are part of the bat technically. If there's a no swing, then it's hit by a pitch. If there's a swing, that's different, either foul or fair ball.
@@IrrationalBstrd so if i put my hand inside a baseball glove, does that make my hand part of the glove? of course not. "covering" part of the bat does not MAKE it part of the bat. covering a table with a tablecloth does not make the tablecloth part of the table. other relevant examples are numerous...
@@cloudwatcher724 if you are playing defense and you tag the runner with the tip of your glove, which contains the ball, the runner is out. Just the same as tagging the runner with the ball in your throwing hand. The glove became an extension of your hand with it on, did it not? If the batter hit the ball into fair territory off of his hand, would it be a strike, a foul ball or fair play?
@@IrrationalBstrd the glove is NOT an extension of the hand. let's settle the difference between a piece of equipment and an extension of the player's body. NO piece of equipment--bat, glove, cleats, cup--is an extension of any part of the player's body. it is simply a piece of equipment that allows the game to be played better and safer. any baseball rule book you care to read will define each piece of equipment and how it can be legally used in play. never ONCE does ANY rule book define ANY piece of equipment as an extension of the player's body. so that's settled. as for your second question: any completed swing where the BAT (a piece of equipment, mind you) does NOT make contact with the pitched ball is, by rule definition, a strike, regardless of any other contact made or where the ball goes. it is important that these topics are addressed in the rule book(s) and are not subject to hypothetical discussion.
I don’t remember the team or player but in a MLB game the batter didn’t swim and the ball hit the knob of the bat and went into play, the batter played like it hit him but it didn’t and he got a free base. What should have been the call on that play?
I believe that any ball that hits the bat first is considered a hit ball. In the case you talked about the other team should have thrown the ball to first And got the out.
So then I guess if the ball had rolled into field of play and been thrown out at first in ump didnt call it a dead ball the third base manager might then rightfully argue is should have be a dead ball strike and not a fair ball ?
The same thing happened to me this year in high school. There were two outs in the seventh inning and I threw a pitch that the batter swung at and it hit his hand. It should have been a strike out and the end of the game but the umpire called it a foul ball and allowed a pinch hitter to continue the at bat as the previous batter was injured. Thank goodness we still won the game but I was incredibly frustrated at the lack of quality of umpiring.
That is why baseball is life. It teaches so much about life because baseball is an imperfect game. Players, coaches, and umpires make errors and failure is everywhere, just like in life. Those who can move on and still succeed will do well in the rest of life too. You were rightly frustrated, but it didn't prevent you from being able to pitch. You didn't go ask for your "safe space" to suck your thumb. You dealt with it and kept pitching. Glad you still won!
This happened in a tournament. The umpires had 30years of age on me and they completely disagreed with me. I ended up walking away before I got ejected. We ended up losing by 10 runs or something so that one call didn’t matter. But I mean come on. When I was a teenager umpiring I always tried to improve by watching mlb and listening to calls. Reading the book. Etc.
If “Commentators” were right 100% of the time prob wouldn’t need any umps I’m sure it’s frustrating but we don’t really take their calls as final ruling. Calling them Stupid is surly a wrong call. Love your posts keep em coming.
Thanks. I don't think I called them "stupid." And if I did, that would be wrong. Ignorant, yes. But being ignorant is simply not knowing something yet. I'm ignorant of a lot of things until I learn them. That being said, there is really no excuse for commentators to be ignorant of baseball rules that are really simple to learn. Just do a search of "Baseball Rule Myths." That alone would solve 90% of baseball commentator errors in reporting.
@@MJHBaseball - Run time 130 of your video if you want a replay I never put too much stock in Announcers Game calling though. Still a great video and .....thanks for keeping em honest
Okay, but that is saying, "So you don't SOUND stupid." It's like when my kids did something stupid and I told them, "That was a stupid thing to do." and they say, "Mom, dad called me stupid." No, I didn't CALL YOU stupid. I said what you did was stupid. LOL But, yes, I could have used a better word there.
I umpired HS ball for about 30 years and this happens more than you think. Not all the time but if you've spent a lot of time behind the plate, you'll see one. Problem is, you don't have replay and you probably shouldn't ask for help from your crew 90 plus feet away. Here I could tell the kid was showing pain in his hand so my call would be there was the contact and it's strike three. If I don't have that indication, or any other like the sound of ball on wood or metal, I'm stuck for best guess. I'd probably go with the hand by the sound. Strike 3. Then get ready for half the crowd to go nuts and an uninformed coach or two coming at you like you just shot their dog. Ha Know the rules before you lose you mind. A good ump will go to the batsman's coach and explain the rule and what you called/why you called.
The commentators did a good job. They were not sure if the ball "only" hit the batter and not the bat. They were covering their basis because they were not exactly sure.
Right at the end you hear another stupid comment that is made all the time. On that last batter shown the announcer mentions 'foul tip'. This particular call is constantly missed by the announcers. You could make an entire video of announcers from LL to MLB who don't know what it is apparently. Heck, Tim McCarver has been calling this wrong for ages and he was a freakin' MLB catcher! He, more than just about anyone, should know the difference between a 'foul tip' and a 'foul ball'. Now going through the comments below I see several other people picked up on that last item, too!
Maybe it’s just me, but it’s not the crazy that these players of the game didn’t know the in and outs of a common rule. That’s why players argue with umps, they didn’t take the time to learn the common rule
This rule is so simple. I've known since Double AA. I've read the rule book countless of times and I don't understand how they think the hands are part of the bat smfh. Easy call honestly. First kid was out because he swung. If he swings at all he is out even if he is hit. Same scenario as if the kid was hit in the shoulder and swung he still swung so there for it is a strike not a dead ball. The second kid did not swing and was hit so there for its a dead ball.
Did you do a video on batters batting out of turn? Or if a player that is goofing off that’s not the pitcher toes the rubber and throws a warm up pitch he is supposed to become the substitute pitcher. This is just fun to see what people say and think and get the answers on rule interpretations
Haven't done that one yet (batting out of order.) Most baseball people don't understand that rule, so it's worth doing. The player "goofing off" one is technically correct. If the team we played had that happen, I'd argue with the umpire about enforcing it. It's taking a technicality and applying it to a clear innocent act. I never seen it happen, however.
I still remember when I was younger taking a pitch off of the thumb and nearly breaking my finger and the ump straight up told me it was a foul ball because hands were part of the bat and that if I didn't finish off the at bat then I'd be removed from the game due to injury and automatically called out when we were down one with two outs in the last inning. So I should have been on first due to a hit by pitch but instead since the ump got this wrong I either stood in there to take the rest of the pitches not even being able to grip the bat or essentially just forfeit the game for my team.
yet they will scream at your nonsense like "the hands are part of the bat", "he didn't slide", "he was going for the ball", "pitcher was on the mound" and any other countless things that are not a part of the rule they are trying to draw attention to. The ump should have a smart phone and quickly search for the rule and then send it to a monitor facing the crowd. That would be a big improvement at every level of the game.
@@119Agent - My favorite is "he didn't pull the bat back", when the batter is bunting and doesn't move on a pitch that is no where near the strike zone.
I've had a similar experience. The kid swung on an inside pitch. It hit his hands but yet rolled into fair territory. What is the ruling on that? I told our second basemam ( who fielded the ground ball) to throw it to first for the out. The kid was still granted an HBP. I tried pleading my case but it did not work. Still would like to know the actual ruling on this.
So correct me of I am wrong then, that first batter when it hit his hands should have taken off running to first. It would be a strike 3, but a dropped strike 3 and therefore since first base is unoccupied they should have gone ahead and tried to run to first. Idk if the ball hitting him changes that at all.
I think youre being a little hard on the announcers. Karl Ravitch did say that he thought it hit the bat, which would make it a foul ball. He also said if it hit his hand, its a strikeout. My thought is sometimes, you may hear the ball hit the bat and then the hand, obviously the batter will be in pain. But, its possible to have a foul ball if in fact you believe the bat was also hit.
Hey mgh baseball I had a question. I had a game last week and this is what happened. Bases loaded a ball was hit to the outfield. All runners tagged up. So now it's 2nd and 3rd. The home plate umpire calls play. The team in the field appeals to third that the runner took off too early and while that is happening the current runner on 3rd steals home. He gets in safely but the umpire sends him back to 3rd telling him he wasn't allowed to steal. Under my understanding the runner should be safe since the balls in play. What's the correct call?
No absolute professional, but a little leauge umpire. If there was no time called than it is still a live ball. Usually they wait untill the play is dead so the runners can't do that. So if there was time called and then they checked, the umpire is correct
Yes, you are correct joshy hulkower. In the play you explain Time had been called. Therefore the defense needed to have the umpire put the ball in play before they could appeal which they did. If the ball is LIVE for the appeal, then it's LIVE for the stolen base. But, understand that this is such a rare type of situation that expecting lower level umpires to know how do deal with this may be asking too much? The older you get the better the umpiring gets too (usually). Whoever that runner on 3rd was...smart base runner.
@MJH-Baseball Great, to the point, you answered what was asked. However I would have liked to know a couple of other facts: Most importantly at what level of baseball was this game played (i.e. what rules applied). How many outs were there before the fly ball out? Did an umpire call time after the runners reached 2nd & 3rd? Was the appeal made successfully/legally after the steal of home? and what was the umpire's call? I think your advice regarding umpires means that this game was played at a lower level. I also believe that your excellent observation that the runner at third was very smart to advance/steal home. I believe the steal of home would not have been attempted at higher levels of baseball at all. In lower levels of baseball, the head coach is usually the 3rd base coach. He would have known if the runner originally at 3rd left too soon on the fly ball and if an umpire was in a position to know he left too soon. That knowledge and other things may have led him to send the runner. For fun: My questions to your followers are: 1. Why might the coach want to have him steal home on the appeal? 2. How many runs would score in the above scenario (including the steal of home) if before the fly ball out, there were no outs; or one out; and the appeal was successful (runner was called out)? @MJH-Baseball: I know you would know the answers but it might be fun to see what your followers know or can figure out. I just recently found you, liked the content and subscribed. If your followers can come up with the right answers I would encourage them and others to volunteer to become baseball umpires at some level. Men and especially women are needed. Instead of complaining about umpires join them and help improve the quality of umpiring in your area, particularly at the lowest levels to start and thenwork your way up as desired. You will learn the most with the sometimes strange plays that happen at the lowest levels that don't happen at the upper levels. Help the students enjoy baseball/softball, gets some exercise yourself, and some pocket money as you move up. If you like to attend games understand that the rules of baseball are not the same at every level. Demonstrate good sportsmanship. Remember that the players watch how you, the coaches, and the umpires behave. Don't expect the umpires at the lowest levels to know everything. Even the pros mess up. If you want to learn, buy a rule book. Understand that even the rule book does not have all the rules and interpretations in it. Let the umpires umpire, and the fans cheer.
@@MJHBaseball One thing that should be mentioned; why was time called?? One mistake that I see younger kids do is to call time when there is no reason to call time. I've seen on plays like that, that the shortstop may receive the ball from the outfield, several feet back of his position, and call time as he runs in. I will say to him "No, no, no, balls in play". I know why they do that. To keep the runner on third from trying to run home and score. An umpire does not have to call time just because someone asks for it. The player should have either ran it in to the pitcher or throw it in to him. OR, if the coach wants him to appeal the tag up, just take the ball to third base and say, to the umpire, "I appeal that he left the base too soon". A lot of people also think that, to make an appeal, while the ball is in play, they HAVE to go to the mound, put the foot on the rubber, step off and then verbally appeal. No, just throw the ball over to third, or carry it, and make an appeal. If the runner takes off, tag the bag, make the appeal and throw the ball home!! BTW, a tip for the defensive coach. Tell the fielder to not have the ball in the glove, carry it in your throwing hand all the way to the bag. That will give the runner a second thought on running home.
This guy is the best Monday morning quarterback. U need to chill on the announcers. There’s a million rules and this situation is unique. Have u ever thought they never experienced this exact scenario? I’m glad u know the rules bro just check your ego at the door.
The way it was first explained to me, and the way I've since explained this to others: if you were to get hit in the back or the head or the leg or any other part of the body while swinging at that pitch, it would be a called strike. (Even non-baseball fans tend to know this, as has even shown up in video games.) And your hand is no different than any other part of the body when it comes to this rule. By the way, as for the "when you've been commentating on baseball since 1993, you think you'd get most of them right." In defense of announcers, they DO get "most of them right." Remember: this is one rule out of hundreds, and one that probably doesn't surface very often at the higher levels of baseball because experienced players are less likely to swing at such a pitch. For what it's worth, I've been an official scorer for more than 20 years. At least once per season, I'll discover that a seasoned broadcaster, reporter, player, coach or manager doesn't know a certain rule in Rule 9 (formerly Rule 10). It also happens to me as a scorer from time to time. They just never encountered the situation, or never had to apply it, and thus didn't know the rule existed. Point being, there are simply rules that many an otherwise knowledgeable baseball person doesn't know, simply because they never had it come up.
"The way it was first explained to me, and the way I've since explained this to others: if you were to get hit in the back or the head or the leg or any other part of the body while swinging at that pitch, it would be a called strike. (Even non-baseball fans tend to know this, as has even shown up in video games.) And your hand is no different than any other part of the body when it comes to this rule". Excellent and clear explanation.
I'm reminded of that time when Juan Gonzalez was playing for the Rangers and was furiously yelling and throwing his hands up at the scorer over an error call, costing him an RBI. The perfect encapsulation of Juan Gonzalez.
Can someone elaborate on that last part. If the batter does not swing and it hits the bat and that counts as a foul ball. Is that regardless of whether it was in the strike zone or not?
I have 2 questions. 1. What if he swings, ball hits bat AND hands, and ball goes fair? Is that a fair ball? Or is it the equivalent of hitting the ball off your own ankle? 2. This one is random. If you try to bunt on 2 strikes, but pull back the bat in time to avoid a strike, however the ball still hits the bat (maybe it hits the knob or something). Is that an out, since you tried to bunt with 2 strikes? Or is it a foul, since you pulled the bat back far enough?
1) this situation is not possible in baseball. The ball either hit the hand first or the bat first. If the hand first, strike. If the bat first, Foul. 2) If you attempt a bunt with 2 strikes and do not offer at the pitch (by pulling the bat back for example) and the pitched ball hits the bat anyway, it's a foul and not a strike 3 since he didn't offer at the pitch. Technically the batter doesn't need to pull the bat back. The only question the umpire is going to judge is, "Did he offer at the pitch." (it's different in softball rules).
@@MJHBaseball not too sure why you said "this situation is not possible," then followed it up with 2 ways it is entirely possible. But thanks for the response nonetheless
I meant, It's not possible for the ball to hit both the hand and the bat at the same time (according to the rules). The umpire is going to have to pick one or the other.
Something similar happened to me when I was playing little league. The ball hit my hand just like this kids did but instead of fouling off, the ball actually rolled towards the pitcher a few feet. Is that considered a swinging miss or a hit? On a side note, I broke my index finger on that swing and missed the next 6 weeks. uggh.
One situation was left out. If the ball is not in the strike zone and hits the batter, AND the batter makes no attempt to avoid being hit, it is just a ball.
...and MLB blew it a week ago when Conforto was hit by a ball in the strike zone, with two strikes and the bases loaded in extras. They ruled HBP, game over.
@@sebgaming5937 Yes they did...or they just didn't know. In NO league anywhere at anytime have the hands been considered a part of the bat. EVER. Softball or baseball. But you'll still have people insisting they are "in their league."
The crazy Chicken take your bat outside and over grass so you don’t screw up your bat. But drop it. Did the hands go with it? No they don’t. Hands aren’t part of the bat
jack jon yeah but take your hands out of the equation if the bat was just sitting there and it hits the bat it would be a foul ball if it hits where your hands should be on a bat it’s a foul because your hands aren’t there if you put your hands on the barrel and swing and it hits your hands is it a hit by pitch? Edit:No XD XD
@@superstarreviews9937 no, they don't. they have to make their own travel arrangements as well. I don't even know if they get lodging; I assume they get to stay in some bunkhouse at the LL facility just like the players, but I don't know for sure.
Tic Tack I umpired Little League many years, both regular season and tournaments. We didn’t get paid for tournaments. It’s all volunteer. Now during the regular season, we were paid by the local leagues per game. Pay depended on the age level of the game (Little League, Junior League, Senior, etc.).
I like this guy he explains everything. I’m ten and this helps for future. Thanks MJH
I went to Dick's sporting goods yesterday and they had a special, BUY 1 BAT...GET 2 HANDS FREE!!!
Swinging dead ball strike three - I've got an out. Mechanic: "Time" hands up. Indicate swinging strike three (hammer time) and verbalize, "Batters out on strike three, swinging". Uncaught strike three nullified as the ball is dead on hit by pitch.
Perfectly called, mechanic, everything!!
@@mlbhighlights1177 no
@@mlbhighlights1177 wrong, dead ball strike
It can't be a "hit by pitch" if the batter swings.
I think folks here are misunderstanding, and it's the one area where I was a little confused (but now straight). I figured it was strike 3, but I also figured that the runner would have a chance to beat the throw to first since it was a strike 3 that was not caught. But it's a dead ball, so it all makes sense.
I’ve been hearing this argument most of my life. Thank you for doing this video. I only wish more people would watch and listen to it.
Great interpretation of the rule. As an umpire who has a passion for getting the calls right, I really appreciate the work you did on this video.
This isn't an interpretation of the rule it's the actual rule. If you swing and the ball hits you anywhere it's a strike. If you swing, miss and the pitch hits your head it's a strike.
if you are an umpire with a passion for getting the calls right, I would recommend you rely on reading the rulebook, not some guy on the internet. Even if the guy on the internet is correct.
@@gizzyguzzi This isn’t for an umpire but some idiot fan or coach that would scream at you the rest of the game because they don’t know a rule.
I like that the manager was calm about it. He didn’t make a total ass of himself.
There is not a single person who knows every rule in baseball and remembers it. MLB players and coaches included. The most important rule is "don't make yourself look like an ass!"
The manager knew the rule. He had nothing to complain about.
You passed on that last remark "I could see that being called a foul tip." No, a foul ball, another misconception.
This one drives me so nuts I can't even begin to describe it. *Especially* when coaches don't know the difference, which is infuriating. It's hard to patiently explain to a 13U or 14U coach what constitutes a foul tip, and that the ball is still live, not dead.
Honorable mention goes to when a ball hits the ground then hits the batter. It would amaze you how many people don't know that, no, the ball isn't dead because it hit the ground first -- it's still a hit by pitch. They don't even stop to think about why insisting that the ball is dead is an idiotic thing to say. What about a passed ball? Or a ball in the dirt that the catcher blocks? Are those dead balls because they hit the ground, too? (For this one, I've only ever had one coach try to make this claim, but it was a Little League juniors coach, and that's just pathetic.)
@@XXelpollodiabloXX No wonder I didn't recognize the video right away.
@@XXelpollodiabloXX seriously drives me insane when that said foul ball and foul tip= the same its not.
@@critter2 Or if they say "foul tick"...
1972 Topps Baseball Cards had a series of "You are the umpire" questions on the back of some of them and they had this exact same scenario. I didn't know it at the time -- well, I was 9 -- but I've always remembered it since.
This happened to me in high school and I was able to punch the ball down the 3rd baseline for a painfully ugly infield hit. My teammates razzed me about needing to use the bat to hit the ball and not sacrifice my body in the future. I had always assumed the bat WAS part of the bat and went with it. I have been wrong for over 50yrs until watching this video lesson and reading the below comments. Thanks for the great tutorials.
One additional thing, a batter may not move into the path of the pitch to get hit. The ruling is an immediate dead ball and the pitch judged based on where it was at the time.
Loved the "until you get new hands with a new bat"
Exactly according to the rules. The note that if it hits a part of the body in the strike zone, even if there is not a swing, it is a strike. A painful one, but a strike none the less.
Lots of rules in baseball and softball are misinterpreted or completely not known by too many coaches, low level umpires, fans, and commentators. Folks who's only rules training came from their buddies while playing in the sand lot back in the day get a lot of rules wrong. Knowing rules begins with opening an up-to-date rule book and reading. This is a great video and the different scenario explanations are spot on.
And this is why we continue hearing these types of comments. Announcers rarely get it right.
They work for ESPN, what did you expect?
We have a two-fer at the very end. "I could see that being a foul tip. The hands are part of the bat." Totally wrong on both counts.
A few years ago there was a survey of MLB players and coaches on rules of the game. All scored under 50% correct. Most were in the bottom 25% correct.
Would be nice to see that actual survey.
Yeah, get a coach or heaven forbid a parent to understand is just about impossible.
-Think a GIANT brick wall.
With a large mouth.
No ears.
Hahahaha
So many announcers suck.
Hands are hands....bats are bats.
I don't know how umpires can get this call wrong IF they know the ball hit his hands. This is a basic call (for an umpire).
IMMEDIATE dead ball, strike and if if it's the 3rd strike then batter is out.........
It’s just a foul ball
@@letsgobrandoniagree6803 You're only about 10% correct.....read my initial reply one more time......
@@prsguitars42 I didn’t know it was a dead ball if it hit the hands. If someone swings and it hits them in the stomach year that would be an out but I thought it was a foul ball.
The hands are not part of the bat. If the batter swings at a pitch that hits him anywhere it’s a strike.
An old Umpire buddy of mine once told someone, go to the sporting goods store and let me know if you see a pair of hands that come with the purchase of the bat.
You want a good argument, take away a hit when the ball is hit off the hands instead of the bat. It's a dead ball strike even if the ball goes fair and the batter makes it to first.
Yeah I had that happen before. Batter swing hit his hands he dropped the bat and shook his hand. Catcher and pitcher just stared at him and I’m about to call dead ball when the guy jets to first. All hell breaks loose and my partner doesn’t seem me waiving it off and calls him safe at a close play. They didn’t like my explanation they thought I had called time “for no reason” just to screw them over. It wasn’t even strike 3 so he had to get back in the box with a 2-2 count.
I had that in a high school game. 1-2 pitch. Batter ran to first. I killed the play called it hit by pitch and out on the swing.. Head coach of the boys team came out to ask how I made that call. I explained the rule to him. He said, took a lot of guts and the boy's parents hate you now as he chuckled and walked off the field. The coach later said he has had that happen before against his team and the batter got first since he beat the throw. I said, well, now you know. He was a good coach who never yelled, would always talk with the umpire about the call. Even if he disagreed, he was never disagreeable.
thank you for answering random baseball questions i have at 3 am.
Commentators should buy AND READ a rule book. It really doesn’t matter how much you “think” or “feel” that it should be a foul ball - rules say it’s a strike and, in this case, strike three...
And no one has a problem with that pitcher’s glove? I know, unrelated but talk about deception with that WHITE at the wrist area of glove during the delivery on each pitch. Wow.
i played little league baseball for 8 years and 4 high school baseball. It was always played that if the ball hits ur hands while your at bat it was a foul ball. Thats how I had always known that to be. Ive watched baseball my whole life. Ive always been told and taught throught all my years of playing that your hands are part of the bat. It kinda pisses me of that all my years i was lied to about this LOL
Every year, this happens. Every year, someone uses the phrase "fairly unique."
The hand is not a part of the bat. It is a part of the body. Is the batter swings at the pitch and it hits his hands, the ball is immediately declared dead and it's up to the umpire to decide if the batter swung or the pitch was in the strike zone. In both latter situations, the ball is a strike (but it's still a dead ball).
Before the answer is said he swings so strike 3 but dead ball since it hit him. Batter is out and anyone (if went) should return to base.
If the ball doesn’t make physical contact with the bat it’s not a foul ball so if it hits the hands it’s a dead ball
Hah!! I called that one correctly. Why did an umpire have to double check?
The Umpire was checking if the ball hit the batter first or the bat first, he wasn't checking the rules.
He initially called foul ball. Upon review, saw it hit the hands, not the bat and correctly reversed his decision to a swinging strike.
Even if the pitch hits you (anywhere on the body) while you swing and miss, it's a STRIKE.
Per the Little League Rule book
Rule 2.00 - DEFINITION OF TERMS
A STRIKE is a legal pitch which meets any of these conditions -
(a) Is struck at by the batter and missed;
(b) Is not struck at, if any part of the ball passes through any part of the strike zone;
(c) Is fouled by the batter when there is less than two strikes;
(d) Is bunted foul (the batter is out and ball is dead, if the batter bunts foul on the third strike);
(e) Touches the batter’s person as the batter strikes at it (dead ball);
EXAMPLE: If, while swinging, the ball strikes the batter, it is a dead ball, strike.
(f ) Touches the batter in flight in the strike zone; or
EXAMPLE: A batter that leans across the plate is now in the strike zone. If that batter is hit with a pitch that is in the strike zone, it is called a dead ball, strike.
(g) Becomes a foul tip. (Ball is live and in play.)
Rule 6.05 - A batter is out when
(e) that batter attempts to hit a third strike and is touched by the ball;
INTSTRUCTOR’S COMMENTS: (from the Little League Rules Instruction Manual)
- Hands are not part of the bat, they are part of the body.
Does the batter get to run to first since the catcher didn't catch the ball on third strike?
@@reidrichter4292 No, per rule 6.05 (e), the batter is out.
@@reidrichter4292 - any time the ball hits the batter (whether he swings or not) it is a dead ball, therefore he can't attempt to reach 1st and any runners on the base cannot advance.
I tried to upvote this 8 times, but it wouldn't let me do it!!!! WAAHHH WAHHH!
This is funny. The same thing can be said of the infield fly rule. I was helping out with recreational grass-lot baseball a few years ago: 1 out, 2 men on base, and *I loudly called, "Infield fly rule --- Batter's Out!" while the ball was in the air.* The kids and adults were like ... duh, hold on, what's that now?!?
But the force is off if they advance at their own risk if the fielder lets it drop or they “tag” up . The fielder thinks it’s fielder choice and if doesn’t tag the runner he is safe. It’s not infield fly if the runners are on second and third it’s to protect the offense from just dropping the ball to turn two. What about A soft liner does that apply?
What about a runner on first and a base hit or fly ball and the short stop covers the bag at second to fake the tag to get the runner doubled off by sliding into second or keeping them going first to third on a base hit. I’ve seen the SS ejected for doing this and also seen the umpire do nothing and allow the runner to be doubled up on a fly ball. What’s the rule? It’s shady for the SS to do this to me and should be ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct, but I’m not sure what the rule actually is.
All umpires are to point up and yell infield fly batters out clearly so everybody knows runners and fielders and coaches and fans
@@ch3blazinggospel669 There's an intentional drop rule for line drives.
@@ch3blazinggospel669 It's not illegal to fake a play that you know you can't make, but you're not allowed to obstruct the runner's path without the ball if there's a chance of (or actual) collision. Whether the ball is dead immediately if obstruction occurs varies between rule sets.
I was actually going to say "Strike Three" batter's out, but dead ball, because it hit him...no one advances if anyone is on base. No one was on base, though, so moot point. I once swung at a nasty curve that ended up hitting me in the bicep...easy call - strike three.
I paused it in order to answer...
I think it should be a strike. In the same way if you swing at a pitch and it hits you in any other part of the body that’s considered a strike. The only way that’s a foul ball is if the ball hits the bat and then hits the player while he is still in the batters box. It’s gotta be a strike.
I think the source of this myth is that in the days before video review, most umps would decide that if there was any possibility the ball hit the bat, then they would rule that it hit the bat--whether or not it actually hit the bat. ESPECIALLY with metal bats--if you hear the metal ringing, then it hit the bat (never mind that even a LL fast pitch is enough to transfer energy through the hand to the bat to make the bat ring). So this particular call would be rare because the ump was calling a foul ball on the judgment (which may or may not have been correct) that it hit the bat.
But now they can always go to the tape so people are losing their minds. They got it in their heads somehow that "the hands are part of the bat", which was not ever the case.
Strike. And a dead ball. Batter is out. No runners may advance.
I could see how someone may think the ball may have hit the bat, then it would be foul. BUT THESE COMMENTATORS JUST BECAUSE THEY HAVE PLAYED SOMEWHERE DOES NOT MEAN THEY KNOW THE NUANCES OF THE GAME. ESPECIALLY THAT WOMAN!!!!
I think that, because it happens so seldom, people don't really apply the rule that often. I've had it happen to me on a couple of occasions, and neither coach understood what I did when I called the batter out. BOTH of them quoted those exact same words, "The hands are a part of the bat"! I had a protest on one of the games where I called this because it was a LL League Southeast Regional game, around 1998 in St. Pete. We stopped the game and Wes (I can't remember his last name, but he was the UIC for the Southeastern Region) said that I got it right!!
Most of the time, when a batter swings, people just THINK it is a foul ball. No one questions it hitting the hand(s). Of course, I have had it argued that the batter is hit by a pitch and should get first base, "No, no, no, no, no no, it's a swinging strike!" No ejections though, at least I haven't had to do that. But, in over 5000 games umped, I think it's only happened to me 4 or 5 times, so it really doesn't happen that much.
To be fair , in basketball the hands are part of the ball. Frankly I played for years and I was wrong on the call. That's why i'm not an ump.
I understand everything here until the explanation of the last batter in this video.
I get that it was a foul ball. If he bunted foul with two strikes, it would be an out. I believe this is not an out only because the batter pulled back and didn't offer at the pitch? Here it was clear he wasn't bunting when he made contact. My guess it would then be the umpire's judgement on whether it would be a bunt attempt or not.
Is my logic correct here?
When I first started umpiring, our training guy picked up a bat and asked, "Who ever has heard that hands are part of the bat?" and we mostly raise our hands. He then threw the bat on the ground and asked, "Do you see any hands on that bat now?" Stuck with me that way since.
I've always HATED that example; obviously no one actually believes hands are literally part of a bat, and the rules could easily be written such that hands would be considered part of the bat in the context of a swing, just as the glove is considered part of the body for purposes of a tag, even though clearly there are no bodies attached to gloves in the store, yet the laces are not considered part of the glove for purposes of a tag, even though all gloves actually do have laces, so proving that there are no hands attached to the bat illustrates nothing to me.
However, every umpire ever seems to think this is so very clever and completely disposes of the question.
Thats a clear deadball. If you get hit and swing, its a deadball
I was at this game. Since I know most of the Georgia team. I thought it was a dead ball.
It is a dead ball when it hits him, but it's also a strike.
These announcers need to go back to school!!!!
...And these people are still announcing? Unreal!
He’s out. That’s my call. Dead ball batter out no one advances.
Kyle Peterson and the other announcers needs to go back to Little League
As a coach I had a player get hit in the hand while not swinging and the hands were not in the zone and the ump called foul ball. As an 18 yr veteran umpire I questioned him and he insisted that the hands were a part of the bat. With that statement he admitted that it hit the hand and not the bat. That is when I got a little more agitated with his call. I even explained that I wasn't trying to argue but actually teach him what the right call was and he insisted the hands were part of the bat. My player struck out because they wouldn't swing the bat with their hand hurting.
What I've done in those types of situations is ask the umpire to call and ask his assigner or look it up sometime after the game so he knows for future games. Most umpires are not going to take well to a coach or someone else telling them their wrong in the game. Asking them to look into it after the game from a person or source they trust at least gets them corrected. Of course if this is in a tournament you may have the option of protesting to get a correct ruling.
Good job here getting it right by the umpiring crew. I have to say though, that I have watched a lot of LLWS games, and every year, they are some of the WORST ball/strike umpires I have ever seen.
Dude I Love your videos and one of the videos you made was the smart pickoff to 1st (For a lefty) and so first i stepped off and tried to pick off the runner, next pitch i did my usual pickoff and the RUNNER WAS FROZEN! (thanks so much)
Pretty simple actually, and very logical.
Thanks!
I’m at 1:33 I think I should be a foul ball
I’m at 2:40 now and I was wrong so it’s a strikeout since he did swing
@Kalen Shoot drop 3rd
@Kalen Shoot You must not have listened to the video. It cannot be a foul ball because the ball never struck the bat. It only struck the player's hands, which is the same as if the ball hit the player's leg, arm, or any other part of his body. It's an immediate dead ball when the ball hits the player in the batter's box. There is no opportunity for the catcher to catch the pitched ball, as the ball is dead immediately upon hitting the player. Since the player swung, it's strike 3 swinging and immediate dead ball. Done.
@@kgbricks7426 Nope. Ball is dead IMMEDIATELY upon touching the batter, so there is nothing to drop. No different than if the batter swung at a wicked curve bally that ends up hitting the player's ankle. Swinging strike 3 and immediate dead ball. Batter is out and no runners may advance, since it's a dead ball.
@@67L48 you're right. Good point
Article directly from the Little League site. www.littleleague.org/university/articles/hey-blue-arent-the-hands-part-of-the-bat/
Hands are not part of the bat. It's one of the biggest myths in all baseball.
as an umpire, the best response i was ever taught when a coach says "the hands are part of the bat" was to get a bat, lay it on the ground, and ask the coach, "please show me the hands". yes, it's kind of showuppity, and i try to do it as respectfully as possible, but it makes the point quickly. the most professional way to respond (at least in high school) is probably to refer to nfhs rulebook 1-3-2.b,1-5, where it lists the five "official" parts of the bat. no mention of hands whatsoever. shocker...
Ok, but the pitch would've never hit the batter's hand if he didn't swing at it and subsequently hit it near the handle of the bat. That's different than simply hitting the batter with a pitch. The batter's hands are covering part of the bat, so when it's held, the hands are part of the bat technically. If there's a no swing, then it's hit by a pitch. If there's a swing, that's different, either foul or fair ball.
nah it just educating themsleves i done same in rec.
@@IrrationalBstrd so if i put my hand inside a baseball glove, does that make my hand part of the glove? of course not. "covering" part of the bat does not MAKE it part of the bat. covering a table with a tablecloth does not make the tablecloth part of the table. other relevant examples are numerous...
@@cloudwatcher724 if you are playing defense and you tag the runner with the tip of your glove, which contains the ball, the runner is out. Just the same as tagging the runner with the ball in your throwing hand. The glove became an extension of your hand with it on, did it not? If the batter hit the ball into fair territory off of his hand, would it be a strike, a foul ball or fair play?
@@IrrationalBstrd the glove is NOT an extension of the hand. let's settle the difference between a piece of equipment and an extension of the player's body. NO piece of equipment--bat, glove, cleats, cup--is an extension of any part of the player's body. it is simply a piece of equipment that allows the game to be played better and safer. any baseball rule book you care to read will define each piece of equipment and how it can be legally used in play. never ONCE does ANY rule book define ANY piece of equipment as an extension of the player's body. so that's settled. as for your second question: any completed swing where the BAT (a piece of equipment, mind you) does NOT make contact with the pitched ball is, by rule definition, a strike, regardless of any other contact made or where the ball goes. it is important that these topics are addressed in the rule book(s) and are not subject to hypothetical discussion.
It’s a dead ball bud even if he swings because think about it you swing but it hits u it’s considered dead
I don’t remember the team or player but in a MLB game the batter didn’t swim and the ball hit the knob of the bat and went into play, the batter played like it hit him but it didn’t and he got a free base. What should have been the call on that play?
I believe that any ball that hits the bat first is considered a hit ball. In the case you talked about the other team should have thrown the ball to first And got the out.
So then I guess if the ball had rolled into field of play and been thrown out at first in ump didnt call it a dead ball the third base manager might then rightfully argue is should have be a dead ball strike and not a fair ball ?
The same thing happened to me this year in high school. There were two outs in the seventh inning and I threw a pitch that the batter swung at and it hit his hand. It should have been a strike out and the end of the game but the umpire called it a foul ball and allowed a pinch hitter to continue the at bat as the previous batter was injured. Thank goodness we still won the game but I was incredibly frustrated at the lack of quality of umpiring.
That is why baseball is life. It teaches so much about life because baseball is an imperfect game. Players, coaches, and umpires make errors and failure is everywhere, just like in life. Those who can move on and still succeed will do well in the rest of life too. You were rightly frustrated, but it didn't prevent you from being able to pitch. You didn't go ask for your "safe space" to suck your thumb. You dealt with it and kept pitching. Glad you still won!
MJH-Baseball I never thought about it quite that way. Thanks for the great insight!
@ Jessica Mendoza - I have never bought a bat that had hand already attached. :)
This happened in a tournament. The umpires had 30years of age on me and they completely disagreed with me. I ended up walking away before I got ejected. We ended up losing by 10 runs or something so that one call didn’t matter. But I mean come on. When I was a teenager umpiring I always tried to improve by watching mlb and listening to calls. Reading the book. Etc.
Jack what excatly happen i know you posted this two years ago if you still remember it please share with me if you don't mind
Had to rewind 3 times to catch this but it does make sense.
Are we just going to ignore the fact that the kid’s name is Jack Ryan? Awesome!!
I noticed that as well but i think most people are too young to get the reference.
If “Commentators” were right 100% of the time prob wouldn’t need any umps
I’m sure it’s frustrating but we don’t really take their calls as final ruling.
Calling them Stupid is surly a wrong call.
Love your posts keep em coming.
Thanks. I don't think I called them "stupid." And if I did, that would be wrong. Ignorant, yes. But being ignorant is simply not knowing something yet. I'm ignorant of a lot of things until I learn them. That being said, there is really no excuse for commentators to be ignorant of baseball rules that are really simple to learn. Just do a search of "Baseball Rule Myths." That alone would solve 90% of baseball commentator errors in reporting.
@@MJHBaseball - Run time 130 of your video if you want a replay
I never put too much stock in Announcers Game calling though.
Still a great video and .....thanks for keeping em honest
Okay, but that is saying, "So you don't SOUND stupid." It's like when my kids did something stupid and I told them, "That was a stupid thing to do." and they say, "Mom, dad called me stupid." No, I didn't CALL YOU stupid. I said what you did was stupid. LOL But, yes, I could have used a better word there.
He swung so it’s still a strike same if it hits you in the ribs and you swing if he didn’t swing and it hit his hands take your base
Correct! No matter where the ball hits you (including the hands) if you swing it is a strike, if that is strike 3 it's an out.
I umpired HS ball for about 30 years and this happens more than you think. Not all the time but if you've spent a lot of time behind the plate, you'll see one. Problem is, you don't have replay and you probably shouldn't ask for help from your crew 90 plus feet away. Here I could tell the kid was showing pain in his hand so my call would be there was the contact and it's strike three. If I don't have that indication, or any other like the sound of ball on wood or metal, I'm stuck for best guess. I'd probably go with the hand by the sound. Strike 3. Then get ready for half the crowd to go nuts and an uninformed coach or two coming at you like you just shot their dog. Ha
Know the rules before you lose you mind. A good ump will go to the batsman's coach and explain the rule and what you called/why you called.
The commentators did a good job. They were not sure if the ball "only" hit the batter and not the bat. They were covering their basis because they were not exactly sure.
Then they should have said that. Based on everything they actually said, they simply didn't understand the rule.
Unless LL has changed it since 2017, it is a DEAD BALL STRIKE and baserunners may not advance.⚾️
It's a strike, he swung at it. Does not matter if he got hit by the ball if he swung at it.
Right at the end you hear another stupid comment that is made all the time. On that last batter shown the announcer mentions 'foul tip'. This particular call is constantly missed by the announcers. You could make an entire video of announcers from LL to MLB who don't know what it is apparently. Heck, Tim McCarver has been calling this wrong for ages and he was a freakin' MLB catcher! He, more than just about anyone, should know the difference between a 'foul tip' and a 'foul ball'. Now going through the comments below I see several other people picked up on that last item, too!
I heard the same thing!! Thanks, you saved me from typing all of that!
Huh. I would have gone foul ball as well but now I know. To be fair, I don't work for ESPN, didn't play college ball, and didn't play in the MLB lol.
Maybe it’s just me, but it’s not the crazy that these players of the game didn’t know the in and outs of a common rule. That’s why players argue with umps, they didn’t take the time to learn the common rule
This rule is so simple. I've known since Double AA. I've read the rule book countless of times and I don't understand how they think the hands are part of the bat smfh. Easy call honestly. First kid was out because he swung. If he swings at all he is out even if he is hit. Same scenario as if the kid was hit in the shoulder and swung he still swung so there for it is a strike not a dead ball. The second kid did not swing and was hit so there for its a dead ball.
Did you do a video on batters batting out of turn? Or if a player that is goofing off that’s not the pitcher toes the rubber and throws a warm up pitch he is supposed to become the substitute pitcher. This is just fun to see what people say and think and get the answers on rule interpretations
Haven't done that one yet (batting out of order.) Most baseball people don't understand that rule, so it's worth doing. The player "goofing off" one is technically correct. If the team we played had that happen, I'd argue with the umpire about enforcing it. It's taking a technicality and applying it to a clear innocent act. I never seen it happen, however.
I still remember when I was younger taking a pitch off of the thumb and nearly breaking my finger and the ump straight up told me it was a foul ball because hands were part of the bat and that if I didn't finish off the at bat then I'd be removed from the game due to injury and automatically called out when we were down one with two outs in the last inning. So I should have been on first due to a hit by pitch but instead since the ump got this wrong I either stood in there to take the rest of the pitches not even being able to grip the bat or essentially just forfeit the game for my team.
In Little League, if you are missing a batter for any reason, you just skip them. It is NEVER to be an automatic out. Even if a player is ejected.
Kudos to that coach for not being a shithead and freaking out. On that level you kind of need to trust your umpires.
This is why I don’t umpire anymore. The amount of people who can’t be bothered to read the MLB rules and the league rules is probably around 99%.
yet they will scream at your nonsense like "the hands are part of the bat", "he didn't slide", "he was going for the ball", "pitcher was on the mound" and any other countless things that are not a part of the rule they are trying to draw attention to. The ump should have a smart phone and quickly search for the rule and then send it to a monitor facing the crowd. That would be a big improvement at every level of the game.
LostDutchman I think someone said that the Japanese have the umpire give the crowd the ruling over a mic on some of the more controversial calls.
@@119Agent - My favorite is "he didn't pull the bat back", when the batter is bunting and doesn't move on a pitch that is no where near the strike zone.
I remember Gates Brown was hit by a pitch that literally hit him in the stomach. It struck him out.
I've had a similar experience. The kid swung on an inside pitch. It hit his hands but yet rolled into fair territory. What is the ruling on that? I told our second basemam ( who fielded the ground ball) to throw it to first for the out. The kid was still granted an HBP. I tried pleading my case but it did not work. Still would like to know the actual ruling on this.
Deadball strike if he had 2 strikes on him. it would be strike 3
I think he is out because He swung at the pitch and it was not foul because it hit his hands
So correct me of I am wrong then, that first batter when it hit his hands should have taken off running to first. It would be a strike 3, but a dropped strike 3 and therefore since first base is unoccupied they should have gone ahead and tried to run to first. Idk if the ball hitting him changes that at all.
Any time a batter is hit by the ball while in the batters box the play is killed. The ball is dead and no runners may advance including the batter.
I think youre being a little hard on the announcers. Karl Ravitch did say that he thought it hit the bat, which would make it a foul ball. He also said if it hit his hand, its a strikeout. My thought is sometimes, you may hear the ball hit the bat and then the hand, obviously the batter will be in pain. But, its possible to have a foul ball if in fact you believe the bat was also hit.
Hey mgh baseball I had a question. I had a game last week and this is what happened. Bases loaded a ball was hit to the outfield. All runners tagged up. So now it's 2nd and 3rd. The home plate umpire calls play. The team in the field appeals to third that the runner took off too early and while that is happening the current runner on 3rd steals home. He gets in safely but the umpire sends him back to 3rd telling him he wasn't allowed to steal. Under my understanding the runner should be safe since the balls in play. What's the correct call?
No absolute professional, but a little leauge umpire. If there was no time called than it is still a live ball. Usually they wait untill the play is dead so the runners can't do that. So if there was time called and then they checked, the umpire is correct
@@briskorange how can they appeal if time is called?
Yes, you are correct joshy hulkower. In the play you explain Time had been called. Therefore the defense needed to have the umpire put the ball in play before they could appeal which they did. If the ball is LIVE for the appeal, then it's LIVE for the stolen base. But, understand that this is such a rare type of situation that expecting lower level umpires to know how do deal with this may be asking too much? The older you get the better the umpiring gets too (usually). Whoever that runner on 3rd was...smart base runner.
@MJH-Baseball
Great, to the point, you answered what was asked.
However I would have liked to know a couple of other facts:
Most importantly at what level of baseball was this game played (i.e. what rules applied).
How many outs were there before the fly ball out?
Did an umpire call time after the runners reached 2nd & 3rd?
Was the appeal made successfully/legally after the steal of home? and what was the umpire's call?
I think your advice regarding umpires means that this game was played at a lower level. I also believe that your excellent observation that the runner at third was very smart to advance/steal home. I believe the steal of home would not have been attempted at higher levels of baseball at all.
In lower levels of baseball, the head coach is usually the 3rd base coach. He would have known if the runner originally at 3rd left too soon on the fly ball and if an umpire was in a position to know he left too soon. That knowledge and other things may have led him to send the runner.
For fun: My questions to your followers are:
1. Why might the coach want to have him steal home on the appeal?
2. How many runs would score in the above scenario (including the steal of home) if before the fly ball out, there were no outs; or one out; and the appeal was successful (runner was called out)?
@MJH-Baseball: I know you would know the answers but it might be fun to see what your followers know or can figure out. I just recently found you, liked the content and subscribed.
If your followers can come up with the right answers I would encourage them and others to volunteer to become baseball umpires at some level. Men and especially women are needed. Instead of complaining about umpires join them and help improve the quality of umpiring in your area, particularly at the lowest levels to start and thenwork your way up as desired. You will learn the most with the sometimes strange plays that happen at the lowest levels that don't happen at the upper levels. Help the students enjoy baseball/softball, gets some exercise yourself, and some pocket money as you move up.
If you like to attend games understand that the rules of baseball are not the same at every level. Demonstrate good sportsmanship. Remember that the players watch how you, the coaches, and the umpires behave. Don't expect the umpires at the lowest levels to know everything. Even the pros mess up.
If you want to learn, buy a rule book. Understand that even the rule book does not have all the rules and interpretations in it. Let the umpires umpire, and the fans cheer.
@@MJHBaseball One thing that should be mentioned; why was time called?? One mistake that I see younger kids do is to call time when there is no reason to call time. I've seen on plays like that, that the shortstop may receive the ball from the outfield, several feet back of his position, and call time as he runs in. I will say to him "No, no, no, balls in play". I know why they do that. To keep the runner on third from trying to run home and score. An umpire does not have to call time just because someone asks for it. The player should have either ran it in to the pitcher or throw it in to him. OR, if the coach wants him to appeal the tag up, just take the ball to third base and say, to the umpire, "I appeal that he left the base too soon". A lot of people also think that, to make an appeal, while the ball is in play, they HAVE to go to the mound, put the foot on the rubber, step off and then verbally appeal. No, just throw the ball over to third, or carry it, and make an appeal. If the runner takes off, tag the bag, make the appeal and throw the ball home!! BTW, a tip for the defensive coach. Tell the fielder to not have the ball in the glove, carry it in your throwing hand all the way to the bag. That will give the runner a second thought on running home.
Good video. Useless info: In cricket, hands are part of the bat and you can be caught out off the gloves.
And then misuses the term foul tip at the end of the video. A foul tip is a ball that must be caught otherwise it's just a foul ball.
This guy is the best Monday morning quarterback. U need to chill on the announcers. There’s a million rules and this situation is unique. Have u ever thought they never experienced this exact scenario? I’m glad u know the rules bro just check your ego at the door.
The way it was first explained to me, and the way I've since explained this to others: if you were to get hit in the back or the head or the leg or any other part of the body while swinging at that pitch, it would be a called strike. (Even non-baseball fans tend to know this, as has even shown up in video games.) And your hand is no different than any other part of the body when it comes to this rule.
By the way, as for the "when you've been commentating on baseball since 1993, you think you'd get most of them right." In defense of announcers, they DO get "most of them right." Remember: this is one rule out of hundreds, and one that probably doesn't surface very often at the higher levels of baseball because experienced players are less likely to swing at such a pitch.
For what it's worth, I've been an official scorer for more than 20 years. At least once per season, I'll discover that a seasoned broadcaster, reporter, player, coach or manager doesn't know a certain rule in Rule 9 (formerly Rule 10). It also happens to me as a scorer from time to time. They just never encountered the situation, or never had to apply it, and thus didn't know the rule existed. Point being, there are simply rules that many an otherwise knowledgeable baseball person doesn't know, simply because they never had it come up.
"The way it was first explained to me, and the way I've since explained this to others: if you were to get hit in the back or the head or the leg or any other part of the body while swinging at that pitch, it would be a called strike. (Even non-baseball fans tend to know this, as has even shown up in video games.) And your hand is no different than any other part of the body when it comes to this rule".
Excellent and clear explanation.
I'm reminded of that time when Juan Gonzalez was playing for the Rangers and was furiously yelling and throwing his hands up at the scorer over an error call, costing him an RBI. The perfect encapsulation of Juan Gonzalez.
Can someone elaborate on that last part. If the batter does not swing and it hits the bat and that counts as a foul ball. Is that regardless of whether it was in the strike zone or not?
Yes. I've seen pitches behind a batter that hit the bat. That's a foul ball.
I have 2 questions.
1. What if he swings, ball hits bat AND hands, and ball goes fair? Is that a fair ball? Or is it the equivalent of hitting the ball off your own ankle?
2. This one is random. If you try to bunt on 2 strikes, but pull back the bat in time to avoid a strike, however the ball still hits the bat (maybe it hits the knob or something). Is that an out, since you tried to bunt with 2 strikes? Or is it a foul, since you pulled the bat back far enough?
1) this situation is not possible in baseball. The ball either hit the hand first or the bat first. If the hand first, strike. If the bat first, Foul.
2) If you attempt a bunt with 2 strikes and do not offer at the pitch (by pulling the bat back for example) and the pitched ball hits the bat anyway, it's a foul and not a strike 3 since he didn't offer at the pitch. Technically the batter doesn't need to pull the bat back. The only question the umpire is going to judge is, "Did he offer at the pitch." (it's different in softball rules).
@@MJHBaseball not too sure why you said "this situation is not possible," then followed it up with 2 ways it is entirely possible. But thanks for the response nonetheless
I meant, It's not possible for the ball to hit both the hand and the bat at the same time (according to the rules). The umpire is going to have to pick one or the other.
Something similar happened to me when I was playing little league. The ball hit my hand just like this kids did but instead of fouling off, the ball actually rolled towards the pitcher a few feet. Is that considered a swinging miss or a hit? On a side note, I broke my index finger on that swing and missed the next 6 weeks. uggh.
One situation was left out. If the ball is not in the strike zone and hits the batter, AND the batter makes no attempt to avoid being hit, it is just a ball.
Strike 3 Batter is out !!!!
...and MLB blew it a week ago when Conforto was hit by a ball in the strike zone, with two strikes and the bases loaded in extras. They ruled HBP, game over.
Hands are not part of the bat.
I don’t buy a bat with hands
In my league I got hit in the hands and I was told my hands are apart of the bat THEY LIED TO ME
They are because if your hands weren’t there it would be a foul so it would be a foul ball
@@sebgaming5937 Yes they did...or they just didn't know. In NO league anywhere at anytime have the hands been considered a part of the bat. EVER. Softball or baseball. But you'll still have people insisting they are "in their league."
The crazy Chicken take your bat outside and over grass so you don’t screw up your bat. But drop it. Did the hands go with it? No they don’t. Hands aren’t part of the bat
jack jon yeah but take your hands out of the equation if the bat was just sitting there and it hits the bat it would be a foul ball if it hits where your hands should be on a bat it’s a foul because your hands aren’t there if you put your hands on the barrel and swing and it hits your hands is it a hit by pitch?
Edit:No XD XD
To be fair Little League World Series umpires aren’t paid professionals either.
They get paid.
@@superstarreviews9937 no, they don't. they have to make their own travel arrangements as well. I don't even know if they get lodging; I assume they get to stay in some bunkhouse at the LL facility just like the players, but I don't know for sure.
Tic Tack they’re volunteers
Tic Tack I umpired Little League many years, both regular season and tournaments. We didn’t get paid for tournaments. It’s all volunteer. Now during the regular season, we were paid by the local leagues per game. Pay depended on the age level of the game (Little League, Junior League, Senior, etc.).
This is an EASY call! It's a dead ball strike and the batter is out because he had 2 strikes.
So the hands are not part of the bat? When did that rule change?
The call is strike three.
You actually said Jessica Mendoza does a good job.
Uh, no. No she doesn't