10 thoughts on “Play At The Plate”

  2. Play of the day! If a batter swings at a pitch that hits him it is a strike. If the batter is hit by a pitch in the strike zone it is a strike. Dick Dietz was hit by a Don Drysdale pitch in the strike zone with the bases loaded during Big D’s 58 inning scoreless streak in 1968. The umpire ruled it a strike and the streak continued.
    The second hit by pitch would be out of the strike zone and not swung at. A thousand ways to die: if the catcher stands up quick and hits the runner’s feet the flip could be increased to where the runner lands on his back and becomes a quadraplegic. Kids don’t do this at home!

  4. The play by play guy said he batted around, so apparently he actually reached base via HBP twice, rather than being hit twice in one at bat.

  5. According to the play-by-play from the Fordham website, Kownacki actually came to the plate three times, and reached base via HBP each time, twice in the Fordham eighth.

  6. No, the guy HBP twice was not the batter. He was the guy from first who dove over the catcher (a legal move in all major rule classifications – NCAA, pro – except for High School Federation rules). He was a pinch hitter who, because the team batted around, actually got a 2nd AB as a pinch hitter. Very rare.
    The Drysdale play to which you refer, if I remember correctly (which isn’t necessarily true), was not called a strike. I believe the batter was not given 1B due to his not attempting to get out of the way. The umpire has discretion to call the pitch a ball and keep the batter at the plate (if it is not ball 4). Your basic premise, that a HBP on a pitch that is otherwise a strike (swung at or passes through the zone), is correct in that it is a dead ball, and a strike, with no bases being given.

  7. DS, you are absolutely correct! My bad! I dusted off an old copy of “Once a Bum, Always a Dodger” by Don Drysdale and Bob Verdi and checked the index for “Dick Dietz.” On page 142 it states that Dietz was hit on the left elbow by the 2-2 pitch with no outs and the bases loaded. Dietz did not make an attempt to get out of the way of the pitch and it was called a ball. After fouling off the first 3-2 pitch Dietz hit a shallow fly to left field and the runners held. Ty Cline then hit into a 3-2 fielder’s choice force-out at the plate and Jack Hiatt popped up to Wes Parker at first base to end the game. The Dodgers won 3-0 and Drysdale had his fifth consecutive shutout. I was keeping score at home.
    Sorry for the delay in replying to your post. I was in Spokane, Washington over the weekend visiting my son’s boarding school. I woke up yesterday (Monday) in Spokane and arrived at Anaheim Stadium in time for the first pitch of an Angels 5-2 victory over the Indians. I felt like I had been called up to the major leagues! Spokane used to be the Dodgers triple A farm team. If you visit Spokane, try to stay at the Spokane Club. Their athletic club has a nice view of the Spokane River. The food is good too!

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