Good vibes J.A. Happ's way

[The Third Man]

Hernandez would rule the pitcher dead.

Pack it up, everybody. This wins.

[lukethedrifter]

Hernandez would rule the pitcher dead.

Even after reply showed him breathing.

[cardinalkarp]

Another question from my Twitter friend: Should the Rays players have scored on that play? They did, I know that, but she wants to know why the ball wasn't declared dead.

Have to admit this crossed my mind. The first run might've been ok; the runner's coming around 3rd with his eye's on the 3rd base coach. Then he realizes what happened/where the ball is, after he's home. The second scorer must've had a clearer field of view of what had transpired.

IIRC, by rule the ball is dead only if it hits a baserunner, not a fielder.

This is what I find weird.

Of all the unwritten rules in baseball, there's not one to cover human decency which would suggest stop playing when a pitcher just took a liner off the noggin?

Obviously, there's not a rule in the rulebook though. JMon is right there.

That's it - and that's why, when you see a pitcher or fielder hit by the ball and in obvious pain and/or distress, still try to make the play - he knows the ball is still live.

There is kind of an unwritten rule, though - if a batter lines balls up the middle a little too often, the pitcher may just send him a little reminder not to do that. Gibson (of all people), for all his fielding prowess, did not take kindly to batters taking aim at him on the mound.

There's a dead-ball rule involving umpires, too, but it only applies if the umpire is within the baselines, IIRC (it could be the other way around).

Aiming at him? There is no unwritten rule on that. No pitcher in their right mind thinks that. Gibson, if he did that, was looking for an excuse to plunk a guy.

Incorrect. It is not unusual for a batter to go out of his way to try to line one up the middle - and not just because he wants a base hit, he wants to hit (or, at least, intimidate) the pitcher.

Lol, I think it's pretty safe to assume you've never tried to hit a baseball going anywhere between 85-95mph. Those guys sometimes have the ability to hit the ball in general areas, but have the ability to hit a ball on a line right at the pitcher....not really. They're up there trying to hit the ball hard, but unless its a certain situation they likely aren't trying to aim the ball anywhere. When you try to start aiming where you want the ball to go, it's going to create problems with your swing.

If they could hit one up the middle every time why not do it?