Hitting a batter with a pitch is common in baseball. It can be accidental, semi-intentional ("brushback") or intentional (illegal). According to the Official Rules of Major League Baseball, being hit by a pitch or becoming a hit batsman is "a batter or his equipment (other than his bat) being hit in some part of his body by a pitch from the pitcher." Or secondly, when the batter "is touched by a pitched ball which he is not attempting to hit unless the ball is in the strike zone when it touches the batter or the batter makes no attempt to avoid being touched by the ball."
Elaboration
Under these circumstances, the rule book states, the ball is dead and other baserunners advance if they are forced to vacate their base by the batter taking first. "In the case where a batter swings and the pitch hits him anyway, the ball is dead and a strike is called," the book states. "If the batter does not attempt to avoid the pitch, he is not awarded first base, and the pitch is ruled a strike if in the strike zone and a ball if out of the strike zone."
Ball or Strike
Rule 608b continues: "If the ball is in the strike zone when it touches the batter, it shall be called a strike, whether or not the batter tries to avoid the ball. If the ball is outside the strike zone when it touches the batter, it shall be called a ball if he makes no attempt to avoid being touched. Approved ruling: When the batter is touched by a pitched ball which does not entitle him to first base, the ball is dead and no runner may advance."
Scoring
In your scorecard, a batter hit by a pitch is not credited with a hit or time at-bat. Rather, he receives a plate appearance and is scored as a base runner. Though HBP has no effect on a player's batting average, it does increase his on-base percentage. A batter hit by a pitch with the bases loaded is also credited with a run batted in. According to Baseball-Reference.com, "A pitch ruled a hit by pitch is recorded as a ball in the pitcher's pitch count, since by definition the ball must be outside the strike zone and not have been swung at."
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