Hit by pitch
In baseball, hit by pitch (HBP) is an event in which a
The rule dates from 1887; before that, a pitch that struck the batter was merely a
Official rule
Per baseball official rule 5.05(b), a batter becomes a
- is touched by a pitched ball outside the strike zone,
- and he attempts to avoid it (or had no opportunity to avoid it),
- and he did not swing at the pitch.[1]
If all these conditions are met, the ball is dead, and other baserunners advance if they are forced to vacate their base by the batter taking first. Rule 5.09(a) further clarifies that a hit by pitch is also called when a pitch touches a batter's clothing.[2]
In the case where a batter swings and the pitch hits him anyway, the ball is
A hit-by-pitch can also be called on a pitch that has first touched the ground before hitting the batter. Such a bouncing pitch is like any other, and if a batter is hit by such a pitch, he will be awarded first unless he made no attempt to avoid it (and he had an opportunity to avoid it).
A batter hit by a pitch is not credited with a
The rule awarding first base to a batter hit by a pitch was instituted in 1887.[7]
Tactical use
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/74/Brushback_%284561531461%29.jpg/220px-Brushback_%284561531461%29.jpg)
Occasionally, if a player is acting rude or unsportsmanlike, or having an extraordinarily good day, the pitcher may intentionally hit the batter, disguising it as a pitch that accidentally slipped his control. Managers may also order a pitcher to throw such a pitch (sometimes called a "plunking").[9] These pitches are typically aimed at the lower back and slower than normal, designed to send a message more than anything else. The opposing team usually hits a batter in retaliation for this act. The plunkings generally end there because of umpire warnings, but in some cases things can get out of hand, and sometimes they lead to the batter charging the mound, bench-clearing brawls, and several ejections.
Records
Korea Baseball Organization third baseman Choi Jeong holds the Korean Baseball Organization hit by pitch record with 328. It is also the world record. The all-time record for a player being hit by a pitch in MLB is held by Hughie Jennings, who was hit by 287 pitches between 1891 and 1903. The modern-era[clarification needed] record is held by Craig Biggio of the Houston Astros, who had 285 as of the end of the 2007 season when he retired. Prior to Biggio, the modern-era record belonged to Don Baylor, who was hit 267 times.
The all-time single-season record also belongs to Jennings, who was hit 51 times during the 1896 season. Ron Hunt of the 1971 Montreal Expos was hit 50 times during that year, the modern-era record. The single-game record is three, held by numerous players.[10]
The all-time record for pitchers is held by Gus Weyhing with 277 (1887–1901). The modern-era career pitching record for most hit batsmen is 205 by Hall-of-Famer Walter Johnson. The season record is 54 by Phil Knell in 1891, and the game record is six, held by Ed Knouff and John Grimes.[11] Brady Anderson was the first player to be hit by a pitch two times in the same inning in an American League game. On April 25, 2014, Brandon Moss became the second when he was hit twice in the top of the 9th inning by Houston Astros pitchers. Five players have been hit by a pitch twice in the same inning in the National League. On September 1, 2021, Austin Adams became the first pitcher hitting batters 20 or more times with 120 or less IPs in a season. Ed Doheny hit batters 22 times in 133.2 IP in 1900.
Three times has a perfect game been broken up by the 27th batter being hit by pitch. Hooks Wiltse, Max Scherzer, and Joe Musgrove hold this rare feat. All three finished with no-hitters after the hit by pitch. Scherzer's team was leading 6–0 and Musgrove's 3–0 when they pitched their no-hitters, but Wiltse's team was scoreless through 9; he pitched a 10-inning 1–0 no-hitter. The record for most hit batters in a no-hitter is three, held by Chris Heston of the San Francisco Giants for his 2015 effort against the New York Mets.[12]
Postseason career records are held by Greg Maddux and Tim Wakefield—each of whom hit 9 batters—and Shane Victorino, who was hit by pitch 11 times.[13]
Dangers
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/67/Lane_Thomas_%2848327188887%29.jpg/220px-Lane_Thomas_%2848327188887%29.jpg)
One major-league player died as a result of being struck by a pitch:
Serious injuries may result from being hit by a pitch, even when wearing a
Other notable injuries include:
- National Baseball Hall of Famein 1947.
- Kirby Puckett of the Minnesota Twins was struck in the cheek by a Dennis Martínez fastball on September 28, 1995,[21] breaking his jaw and loosening two teeth. It was Puckett's last regular-season game; during spring training the following year he developed glaucoma, which ended his career; he was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 2001.
- Mike Piazza, then with the Mets, was hit in the head by a pitch from Julián Tavárez of the St. Louis Cardinals on September 10, 2005.[22] Piazza's helmet shattered and he suffered a concussion; he went on to play in MLB through 2007 and was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 2016.
Other comparably minor injuries that are possible include broken fingers or hands, broken feet, broken ribs, injuries to the knee, or groin injuries.
Legal interpretation
Since inside pitching is a legitimate tactic in baseball, courts have recognized that being hit by a pitch is an inherent risk of the game, so that players cannot sue for any resulting injuries. On April 6, 2006, in a case arising from a game involving
References
- ^ "Official Rules". Major League Baseball.
- ^ "Official Rules". Major League Baseball.
- ^ "Official Rules". Major League Baseball.
- ^ "Former All-Star catcher Dick Dietz dies". Atlanta Braves. Archived from the original on June 16, 2011. Retrieved April 30, 2007.
- ^ "Phillies vs. Astros – MLB Game Summary – October 28, 2022".
- ^ Divisions Of The Code
- ^ Baseball Rules Chronology: 1845–1899 | BaseballLibrary.com Archived August 29, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Bowman, Mark (August 15, 2018). "Acuna drilled by 1st pitch, benches clear". MLB.com. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
- ProQuest 17780011. Retrieved June 12, 2022.
- ^ "Hit by a Pitch Records by Baseball Almanac". baseball-almanac.com.
- ^ "Hit Batsmen Records by Baseball Almanac". baseball-almanac.com.
- ^ Casella, Paul (June 11, 2015). "The Most Unconventional No-Hitters". Sports on Earth. Retrieved June 24, 2017.
- ^ "Postseason Pitching Event Finder: From 1903 to 2017, All Teams, Hit By Pitches". Baseball Reference. Retrieved June 19, 2018.
- ^ "Cleveland Indians 4, New York Yankees 3". Retrosheet. August 16, 1920. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
- ^ "Beaned by a Pitch, Ray Chapman Dies". The New York Times. August 17, 1920. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
- ^ Wancho, Joseph. "August 16, 1920: Ray Chapman suffers fatal blow to his skull on pitch from Carl Mays". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
- ^ "Boston Red Sox 3, California Angels 2". Retrosheet. August 18, 1967. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
- ^ Mendonca, David. "August 18, 1967: Tony Conigliaro's career, and life, threatened by beaning". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
- ^ "Chicago Cubs 7, New York Mets 0 (1)". Retrosheet. June 26, 1966. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
- ^ "New York Yankees 4, Detroit Tigers 3". Retrosheet. May 25, 1937. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
- ^ "Cleveland Indians 12, Minnesota Twins 4". Retrosheet. September 28, 1995. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
- ^ "St. Louis Cardinals 4, New York Mets 2". Retrosheet. September 10, 2005. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
- ^ Avila v. Citrus Community College Dist., 38 Cal. 4th 148 (2006).