No matter how good you are at baseball, sooner or later you are going to be hit by the ball. It is such a part of the game that it can have the same effects on gameplay and scoring as a hit or an error. In fact, there are several different rules and outcomes possible for when a player, whether at the plate or in the field, gets hit by the baseball.
Batter Hit By Pitch
The official "hit by pitch" ruling in baseball applies to when you are hit by a pitched ball during the batting process. You have to be standing in the batter's box and attempting to swing at the ball or trying to avoid it. Under these circumstances, if you are hit by the pitch, you are awarded first base. However if the ball hits your bat first and then hits you, it is considered a foul ball. If the ball deflects off the ground, the umpire, or the catcher and then hits you it is a dead ball. If you are standing over home plate and get hit by the ball, it may be called a strike at the discretion of the umpire.
Runner Hit By Ball
Base-runners can also be hit by baseballs, too. If you are hit by a batted ball in fair territory while running the bases, you are out unless you are still touching a base. If the infield fly rule is called and the ball touches you while running, both you and the batter are out. If you are hit by a batted ball that has first touched a fielder, or if you are hit by a ball that the fielder has thrown, you are not out and the ball is still considered in play. The exception to this rule: If as the base-runner, you intentionally try to position yourself in the path of a thrown ball, you may be called out for interference at the discretion of the umpire.
Fielder Hit By Ball
If you are playing the field, the ball may hit you with different rulings that apply. If you are attempting to catch a fly ball in fair territory and the ball hits off your body or glove and goes over the outfield fence or wall, it counts as a home-run. If a ball hits you in fair territory but then lands in foul territory, it is considered a fair ball. If a foul ball in the air touches you in foul territory, but then lands in fair territory, it is considered a fair ball. If a fly ball in fair territory hits you and is then caught by another fielder before it touches the ground, it is an out.
Injuries
In some cases, if you are hit by a baseball, you may receive an injury. In most cases, the result will be a bruise and swelling with possibly some pain. A ball can be thrown or hit hard enough to cause a serious injuries: In 1920, Ray Chapman of the Cleveland Indians became the only Major League Baseball player to die as a result of being hit by a baseball. During an at bat against New York Yankees pitcher, Carl Mays, Chapman was hit in the head and died the next day as a result of the head injury. This was before batting helmets became a rule in baseball. Today all players not only wear helmets, many wear protective gear on their arms, legs, and feet to protect themselves from serious injury as well.
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