More Myths... Misunderstood Rules
This is sort of like Part 2 to my previous post, "Use Two Hands" and Other Myths, in which I challenged some of the common things we've always taught in the game. Those were "coaching" based, and could be subjective according to the situation. In this post I will discuss just a few of the rules-based misunderstandings that commonly arise in games from youth to college levels of play. These are less subjective and are actually identified and explained in the baseball rulebook.
One by one below, we will look at the following rules-myths:
The hands are part of the bat.
If the batter doesn't pull the bat back during a bunt attempt it is a strike.
When running through 1st base a runner must turn to the right.
Tie goes to the runner.
The base runner has to slide.
Let's zoom in on each of these individually and discuss why they are myths.
The hands are part of the bat. MYTH
Let's think practically (and somewhat sarcastically) about this. The price of bats are continually going up each year, but I have yet to purchase one with a set of hands attached to it. Point: your hands are part of your body, not part of the bat. If a pitch hits the batter's hands when he is not swinging, it is a dead ball = HBP. If the batter swings at the pitch and the ball hits his hands, it is a strike (not a foul ball). This is true with any part of the body; for example, the batter could swing and get hit in the leg by the pitch and it would be a strike.
If a batter doesn't pull his bat back when attempting to bunt, it's a strike. MYTH
A strike, by definition, is an attempt to hit the ball. If a batter simply holds the bat in the bunt position in the strike zone, it is not necessarily an attempt to hit the ball. This is an umpire's judgment, of course, so it is recommended to make an effort to pull the bat back.
When running through first base, the runner must turn to the right (foul territory) or he could be tagged out. MYTH
The runner may actually turn to the right OR to the left when running through first base. which way he turns is no issue whatsoever. It's actually recommended that he run straight through the bag. The point of contention when turning toward second base is, did he begin to make an attempt to advance to second base? This is a judgment call by the umpire. The requirement by rule is that he simply return to first base after overrunning the bag.
Tie goes to the runner. MYTH
There is no such thing as a "tie" on the base paths. The umpire must judge the play either "out" or "safe." There is no rule in baseball that states if the runner's foot hits the bag the exact same time the ball hits the fielder's glove it means he's safe. It is simply the umpire's judgment. Although, typically if a play appears to be a "tie" the umpire will more often award the runner. But this is not a rule of thumb.
The base runner has to slide on a close play. MYTH
This one happens almost every game and is the subject of so many arguments on the field. The fact is, in any level of baseball – from Little League to high school to professional – there is no MUST SLIDE rule. When a fielder has the ball in his possession (key point: has the ball in his possession), the base runner has two choices: either slide or attempt to get out of the way of the fielder. In doing either of those things, it is possible that the runner and the fielder may unintentionally make contact with one another. There is no rule that says contact cannot be made (translation: little Johnny may get run into on the baseball field from time to time, it's okay). The rule only states that a runner may not maliciously or deliberately contact the fielder. If the fielder does not have the ball and some contact is made, it should be a no-call (unless contact was intentional). Because this is such a debated rule, I will support my statements with a description directly from the Little League Baseball® website, using a situation and then an explanation of the ruling:
Situation: In the bottom of the second inning, with runners on second and third base, the batter hits a ball to shallow left field. The left fielder is unable to make the catch. The runner from third base scores easily, and the runner from second base runs through the third base coach’s “Stop” sign and attempts to score. By this time, the shortstop has received the ball and the catcher is yelling “home, home.” As the ball is thrown to home plate, the catcher moves in front of the plate and prepares to make a play on the runner. As the ball comes in, the runner ducks his head to avoid being hit with ball, but does not attempt to slide. As the runner crosses home plate, he bumps the catcher with his shoulder. The defensive coach immediately begins to admonish the umpire for failing to call the runner out for not sliding. Is the coach correct to claim that the runner should be “automatically” out for not sliding?
Explanation: According to Rule 7.08 (a) (3) in the Little League Baseball® and Little League Softball® Rulebooks, there is no “must-slide” rule in Little League. When the fielder has the ball and is waiting to make the tag, the runner has two options: 1. Slide; or 2. Attempt to get around the fielder. The runner must NOT deliberately or maliciously contact the fielder, but he is NOT required to slide.
In closing I just want to say that I hope this 2-part article regarding some of the ill-advised teachings and some of the commonly misunderstood rules has been informative and insightful for you. My goal in writing these blog posts is to help us all be a little better as parents, coaches and players so as to be able to enjoy our times together as much as possible. Being as educated as we can be about the little intricacies of the game will go a long way in achieving that goal.
Thanks so much for reading. If you are being blessed by these, please share. I know that these last few posts have been mostly baseball/softball-specific, but I promise there are more to come that are relevant to any sport and many different aspects of life.