Show Me Your Hands By Alex Pufhal ([email protected])

One of the questions that arise most often be it on the field or in coaches clinics is always “Are the hands part of the bat?” The short is answer is the hands are part of the body.

This is perhaps the most repeated rule myth out there. The situation is pretty basic. Batter gets jammed by an inside pitch that hits him/her on the hands. What do you have?

Well, 6.08 says the batter becomes a runner without liability to be putout when: (a) four balls are called by the umpire (b) The batter is touched by a pitched ball which the batter is not attempting to hit unless: (1) the ball is in the strike zone when it touches the batter, or (2) the batter makes no attempt to avoid being touched by the ball.

The case notes go on to say that that: If the ball is in the strike zone when it touches the batter, it shall be a called a strike, whether or not the batter tries to avoid the ball. If the ball is outside the strike zone when it touches the batter, it shall be called a ball if the batter makes no attempt to avoid being touched.

Whenever the batter is hit, the ball is dead and no runners may advance.

Since for the most part, the batter will place his hands in strike zone, if he is hit on the hands while swinging or attempting to swing the bat, you will have a strike. The body can never be used as a bat.

A ball that hits off a batter’s hands is neither fair nor foul: it is dead. The plate umpire shall immediately declare “dead ball” which should also be echoed by the base umpire(s).

It is then the umpire must determine where the batter was hit and if there is an award or not. Anytime the pitched ball contacts any part of the hand, the ball is dead and the pitch is judged accordingly. The ball may hit both the hand and the bat simultaneously but, the bat hitting the hand takes precedence.

Take a situation I had recently: batter has 2 strikes on her, 2 outs in the inning, pitcher throwing fairly hard. Pitch comes inside, hits the batter on the hand and off the bat while she is swinging at the pitch. I call dead ball, strike 3, inning over. Manager wants to talk about the call. I tell him what I saw, he said “but, blue, the pitch hit her” I said the hands are not part of the bat and he didn’t believe me. Since most people are visual learners at some level. I pointed to the bat lying on the ground and asked him to show me the hands attached to it. He said, “I forgot that part”

Don’t get talked into making this call, it is used by managers trying to get an advantage. It is true that the rulebook does not specifically say the hands are not part of the bat, but, common sense says they’re not. The case notes cover this; if the batter has their hands in the strike zone you have a strike. It’s not an award. Having said that, if a batter is backing away from the plate attempting to avoid a pitch and it is clear that is their intent, and they are hit in the hand, then you have an award. However, if the ball hits off the bat first, you have whatever it is be it fair or foul.

If you have a ball hitting a bat and hand situation, be sure that’s what you have. If you have a ball that goes completely off the bat without touching the hand, you have a live ball that is most likely going to be ruled foul but could land in fair territory. You may have a batter who is quick enough to react as though they were hit in the hand as well. Use all your senses as you would normally, ask yourself what you saw and heard and process that.

Be proactive, call it before it becomes an issue. As with all your other calls, as soon at this type of hit-by-pitch situation occurs. Come up loudly with “dead ball, strike” and then give the count. You’re probably still going to get the questions but if you show you’re on top of the situation, you’ll be better off.