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Hit by pitch
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==Official rule== Per baseball official rule 5.05(b), a batter becomes a [[baserunning|baserunner]] and is awarded first base when he or his equipment (except for his bat): *is touched by a pitched ball outside the [[strike zone]], *''and'' he attempts to avoid it (or has no opportunity to avoid it), *''and'' he did not swing at the pitch.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/official_rules/batter_6.jsp|title=Official Rules|work=Major League Baseball}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/official_rules/ball_in_play_5.jsp|title=Official Rules|work=Major League Baseball}}</ref> In the case where a batter swings and the pitch hits him anyway, the ball is [[dead ball#Baseball|dead]] and a [[strike zone|strike]] is called.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/official_rules/definition_terms_2.jsp|title=Official Rules|work=Major League Baseball}}</ref> If the batter does not attempt to avoid the pitch, he is not awarded first base, and the pitch is ruled either a strike if in the strike zone or a ball if out of the strike zone. Umpires rarely make this call. A famous instance of a non-hit by pitch was on May 31, 1968, when [[Don Drysdale]] hit [[Dick Dietz]] with a pitch that would have forced in a run and ended Drysdale's scoreless innings streak at 44. Umpire [[Harry Wendelstedt]] ruled that Dietz made no effort to avoid the pitch; Dietz proceeded to [[fly out]], and Drysdale's scoreless streak continued to a then-record 58{{fraction|2|3}} innings.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20050629&content_id=1108528&vkey=news_atl&fext=.jsp&c_id=atl|title=Former All-Star catcher Dick Dietz dies|work=Atlanta Braves|access-date=April 30, 2007|archive-date=June 16, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110616144848/http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20050629&content_id=1108528&vkey=news_atl&fext=.jsp&c_id=atl|url-status=dead}}</ref> Another notable example was the first game of the [[2022 World Series]]. In the bottom of the 10th inning, [[Philadelphia Phillies]] pitcher David Robertson was pitching to [[Houston Astros]] pinch hitter [[Aledmys Diaz]]. With 2 balls and no strikes, two out, and two runners in scoring position, Robertson threw a pitch inside that struck Diaz's left arm. Home plate umpire James Hoye ruled that Diaz did not attempt to avoid the pitch and called the pitch a ball. Diaz, who had begun to take first base before Hoye called time, disputed the call, and would go on to ground out to end the game.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/game/_/gameId/401467554 | title=Phillies vs. Astros β MLB Game Summary β October 28, 2022 }}</ref> 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 [[hit (baseball)|hit]] or [[at bat]], but is credited with a [[times on base|time on base]] and a [[plate appearance]]; therefore, being hit by a pitch does not increase or decrease a player's [[batting average (baseball)|batting average]] but does increase his [[on-base percentage]]. A batter was hit by a pitch with the [[bases loaded]] is also credited with an [[Run batted in|RBI]] per MLB rule 10.04(a)(2).<ref>[http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/downloads/y2008/official_rules/10_the_official_scorer.pdf Divisions Of The Code<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> 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. The rule awarding first base to a batter hit by a pitch was instituted in 1887.<ref>[http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/excerpts/rules_chronology.stm Baseball Rules Chronology: 1845β1899 | BaseballLibrary.com<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140829014513/http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/excerpts/rules_chronology.stm |date=August 29, 2014 }}</ref>
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