Hey Rick: my question- can a player be called out if hit by ball?

by Richard
(Canada)

Richard asked: Bases loaded 1 run game, 9th inning count 3-2.

Batter blattenly leans into ball gets hit.

Can the ump call him out or does he always get a base?


Rick answered: Richard, thank you for your question.

In the situation you described, yes, the umpire can call the batter out.

Since the count is 3-2, if the pitch was going to be called a strike, the umpire can ignore the batter being hit, and call him out on strike three.

If the pitch would have been called a ball, the umpire could ignore him being hit, and call it ball 4. Batter would get on in either case.

Rule 7 Section 3- A batter Shall Not:
Art 4...Permit a pitched ball to touch him.

Penalty: The batter remains at bat(pitch is a ball or strike)unless pitch was a third strike, or ball four.


In the Rule book, Rule 8 Section 1 -When A Batter Becomes A Runner, Art 1...A Batter becomes a runner with the right to attempt to score by advancing to first, second, third and home bases in the order listed when:

d) a pitched ball hits his person or clothing, provided he does not strike at the ball, or

1) He makes no effort to avoid being hit as in 7-3-4 above, or if the umpire calls the pitched ball a strike, the hitting of the batter is disregarded except that the ball is dead. It is a strike or ball, depending on the location of the pitch.

Yours in baseball,

Rick