HBP Sitch

[ElkOil]

15U select ball.  I'm PU.  Sweeping curve starts at the batter's head and he ducks.  The pitch, however, curves toward the plate and nails the poor kid in the head as he's bent over trying to avoid the pitch, but inadvertently gets in its path.  His bell gets rung but he's okay.  I award him 1B.

HC comes out and says that while he feels bad about the kid, the pitch was a strike and he should remain at the plate.  I countered that I couldn't be sure the pitch was in the zone and given such a situation, I'm going to give the benefit of the doubt to the batter and award a base.  The kid went on to score and his team subsequently won a close game in the bottom of the 7th.  The coach made sure I knew that.

Thoughts?  Similar experiences?  Criticisms?

[Nafxos]

I wouldn't say anything to the HC about not being sure or "giving the kid the benefit of the doubt".   I'd just say "I didn't have it in the zone" or something like that.  And if you thought it WAS in the zone, you should call it a strike. And be prepared for a conversation with the other HC.

Edited July 15, 2015 by Nafxos

[noumpere]

If you call it a strike, the Offense coach is going to exclaim "no one would put his *head* in the path of the pitch."

 

So, you're going to talk to someone either way.

[Mudisfun]

...Sometimes you just have to umpire.

Damned if you do and damned if you don't.

[Majordave]

@Mudisfun has it right. Your judgment. Your set of cajones. Your game management and how you deal with fallout from your calls is what "sometimes you just have to umpire" means to me. 

Do what you feel is right for the situation according to the rules and your judgment. That's it.

Curve balls can almost always make somebody upset. Especially those loopy ones. 

[cp9]

I had this same sitch last week, but I was POSITIVE the ball was a strike.

HS summer league game, 0-2 pitch.  The first pitch of the at bat was similar, only the kid didn't put his head so far down and the ball didn't hit him.  0-2 pitch was a looping curve, kid puts his head directly over the plate, eyes looking straight down.  Ball hits him on the back of the helmet.  As for my mechanics, I called "Dead Ball", pointed and said "That pitch was a strike, you're out" and gave the hammer.  Not sure I did that correctly, or would have been ready for that sitch if he hadn't ducked the first pitch.  Not a word from the OC.

[Tksjewelry]

I had this same sitch last week, but I was POSITIVE the ball was a strike.

HS summer league game, 0-2 pitch.  The first pitch of the at bat was similar, only the kid didn't put his head so far down and the ball didn't hit him.  0-2 pitch was a looping curve, kid puts his head directly over the plate, eyes looking straight down.  Ball hits him on the back of the helmet.  As for my mechanics, I called "Dead Ball", pointed and said "That pitch was a strike, you're out" and gave the hammer.  Not sure I did that correctly, or would have been ready for that sitch if he hadn't ducked the first pitch.  Not a word from the OC.

Try to use "Time!" instead of "dead ball", dead ball is softball verbiage. In baseball, it's a status not a call. Since I started in softball, I find myself saying it too but I'm getting better about not using it. 

[Richvee]

We've had similar conversations here before. I had this happen a few weeks ago. Curveball comes inside a touch, but has a good chance of breaking late and catching the inside corner. Before it breaks, batter puts his left elbow out and the ball hits his elbow pad. I called time and kept him in the box with a ball. I had thoughts of calling a strike, but the ball wasn't in the zone when the batter stuck out his elbow. Had he let the ball go by, there's a good chance it breaks and catches the inside corner. 

Anyone grabbing a strike on such a play? Or would that be the proverbial "wrong in of the stick" 

[urout17]

This makes me laugh.  I love how a coach can tell the pitch was in the strike zone on a hanging inside curveball from his dugout with a terrible angle, or should I say no angle.  If/when the coach comes out, I agree with NAFXOS, "Sorry coach, I didn't have it in the zone"....done.

[alan2703]

I mentioned this before batter turned his shoulder into breaking ball, called a ball and kept batter in the box it would not have been a strike . Offensive team coach came out of course told what I saw and ended it. Turns out the coach told the player he needs to keep his shoulder in on the ball for breaking pitches he misunderstood what the coach meant me think. JV baseball makes you wonder no.