Foul ball to groin and then strikes out on pitch clock

[ArchAngel72]

https://x.com/JomboyMedia/status/1947462218695823574?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1947462218695823574%7Ctwgr%5Ea20b8444d7ba4140bd16ac614e7e5c8afbdf755a%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.outkick.com%2Fsports%2Fseiya-suzuki-pitch-clock-violation-foul-ball-off-crotch-cubs-royals

 

This seems a bit wrong.  the guy took a nut shot, doesn't this stop the pitch clock for him?

[BLWizzRanger]

Moral of the story is that if you get hit in the nuts, bend over immediately, gasp for air and cry like we all know we want to do.  But we aint soccer, are we?

Right or wrong, the batter made it look like a minor inconvenience by picking up the ball, adjusting his cup, taking a few deep breaths - normal actions after a batted ball hits a batter in the box.  (hopping a little bit would be/was unusual) From the umps location, he doesn't see the ball off of the nuts - only off of the foot - and doesn't read the player needs more time to get ready. 

 

[ArchAngel72]

Still he walked away from the box and adjusted him self and hopped up and down.  As an ump I would ask "You Ok?"

Just cause I did not see it does not mean he did not get it.

[Velho]

8 minutes ago, BLWizzRanger said:

Moral of the story is that if you get hit in the nuts, bend over immediately, gasp for air and cry like we all know we want to do.  But we aint soccer, are we?

 

Slowing down to read everything and get the HBP/Foul right is a major development area for me.

Biggest one that stands out is 12U inside pitch, hands pulled into avoid, off the hand/knob. I got the sound. It hit something. If hand first, it was a lot of bat. Batter simply turns away. One foot in the box, looking at 3B coach. I'm just watching him. He's no selling it, giving me nothing. I finally call Foul. 3B coach comes down to discuss. I tell him Foul. He says, batter is crying. I feel stuck. Held to foul ball.

Another, 12U again. Inside pitch, no swing started, ball comes across hands. I have sound but no bat. I'm thinking it scraped the knuckles, and go with Time and HBP mechanic. Again, kid no sells it, stares at me defiantly. Now I'm confused. "Did it hit you?" "NO" (with attitude). I was in a mood apparently: "Fine. FOUL BALL!". It's possible it got the velcro strap of the batting glove that was hanging lose. I didn't grok that in the moment but realized during post game with partner.

I hate to go the soccer route but... Sell it kid. Sell it!

[ArchAngel72]

Also to your point. Players see this there will be batters flopping around in the box after taking a slight nick off a foul ball going fwd cause they saw this example of what happens when you get smacked and dont get a bit of time.

 

I do know if my catchers caught one I would step around and dust off the plate for him

[Velho]

24 minutes ago, ArchAngel72 said:

Also to your point. Players see this there will be batters flopping around in the box after taking a slight nick off a foul ball going fwd cause they saw this example of what happens when you get smacked and dont get a bit of time.

From the bases side, there are too many times to count that I've thought it went down off the batter's foot but waited, waited, and I was the only one in the whole place - batter included - that thought that.

This is why I struggle with "if it had gotten him my base umpire would have called it" hardliners. On one of those that I think it likely did, BR runs, no ones else says boo, BR comes all the way through first, is Out, and then protests it hit him. What do I, as BU, do now?

[BLWizzRanger]

1 hour ago, ArchAngel72 said:

Still he walked away from the box and adjusted him self and hopped up and down.  As an ump I would ask "You Ok?"

Just cause I did not see it does not mean he did not get it.

I don't disagree with you, but, I don't know if the ump was looking at him at that point.  Obviously, the ump didn't see the need to give him more time AND the batter was distracted enough to not call time for himself.

[SeeingEyeDog]

2 hours ago, ArchAngel72 said:

I do know if my catchers caught one I would step around and dust off the plate for him

A glancer or one where F2 appears otherwise ok? Yeah, that's a plate dust break...

Cup shot to F2? That's a slow, slow walk out to the mound and telling F1 that F2 took a cup shot and you are just giving him a moment to reset. THEN...you are dusting the plate. THEN...you are verbally confirming he is ok and telling him to take an extra moment if he needs it.

~Dawg

[ArchAngel72]

6 minutes ago, SeeingEyeDog said:

A glancer or one where F2 appears otherwise ok? Yeah, that's a plate dust break...

Cup shot to F2? That's a slow, slow walk out to the mound and telling F1 that F2 took a cup shot and you are just giving him a moment to reset. THEN...you are dusting the plate. THEN...you are verbally confirming he is ok and telling him to take an extra moment if he needs it.

~Dawg

I always dusted 1st to check on them so I could face them if they got up and walked away then I would walk the ball out

[MadMax]

Please consider these circumstances: 

1. In the Pro (uppercase for sure) game, as soon as the pitcher receives a new ball, and engages the rubber, the ball is Live (and the clock begins, IIRC). Clock aside, with the ball Live, all Umpire eyes (all 8 of them) fixate on the pitcher. It takes effort to draw PU’s attention away, especially. 
2. The Batter (in this case, Suzuki) has a Time Out available to him. I was listening to the game, and I don’t remember Suzuki taking that Time Out (or if he did, Pat Hughes didn’t note it). Now, if he had already used it, sure, I can see him being upset for not being afforded extra leeway for getting chocked… but if he had his Time Out, why not use it?

[834k3r]

On 7/22/2025 at 9:53 AM, ArchAngel72 said:

I do know if my catchers caught one I would step around and dust off the plate for him

I'll walk a ball out to the pitcher, then dust off the plate...but yeah.

[834k3r]

On 7/22/2025 at 10:21 AM, Velho said:

From the bases side, there are too many times to count that I've thought it went down off the batter's foot but waited, waited, and I was the only one in the whole place - batter included - that thought that.

This is why I struggle with "if it had gotten him my base umpire would have called it" hardliners. On one of those that I think it likely did, BR runs, no ones else says boo, BR comes all the way through first, is Out, and then protests it hit him. What do I, as BU, do now?

I had one instance this season where I was on the bases and the PU didn't catch the foul off the BR. I held up my hands (I was in B) with the foul mechanic, but it caught the PU by surprise. Since that point, I've been deliberate about pre-gaming this--telling my partner to come up loud if I miss it, and I'll come up loud if I see it and they don't.