In baseball why does the pitcher...?

Question

sometimes tag the batter with the ball. I don't understand it...if they don't want to pitch to him, just walk him. They didn't do anything to you. It just starts fights for no real reason. And lets say it was not intentional, just apologize...that's what I would do... (or maybe that's because I play tennis) Someone please explain this practice to me?

Answer 1

it's not on purpose

Answer 2

I assume you mean "hit the batter with a pitch". ("Tag the batter with the ball" generally would mean to touch the batter with the ball in your glove, but that doesn't sound like what you're talking about.)

Most times when a batter is hit by a pitch, it's unintentionally - the ball simply went further inside than the pitcher had intended. When it is intentional, it is to send a message to the batter or the other team. Sometimes, it's retaliation after the player or someone else on the team hit a home run. Sometimes it's because the player was acting unsportsmanlike - for example, Lastings Milledge was plunked in a game against the Pirates earlier this year because he'd been showboating after hitting a homer. Sometimes it's because the pitcher thinks the other team is stealing signs. There are many reasons.

Answer 3

Let's face it, when a pitcher hits a batter, it's for a reason. OK, if he catches the batter on the hands or on the arms, it might be an accident, and if it's in the head or face, it's simply because he threw an absolutely wild pitch, but if it's to the body or legs, it's ALWAYS for a reason. Usually, it's because the player has done some stuff to other players (threatened a player, acted like a butthole in general, or has himself beaned other players). There was a guy awhile back that came up from the minors only to get plunked four times in one game because he was a complete a$$hole.

Unless it's to the head, hands, or arms, it's almost ALWAYS for a reason, and that reason is to teach the batter to show some respect.

Answer 4

In most cases, a hit batter is unintentional. Imagine throwing a baseball at a target as hard as you can about 90 times -- you have to imagine you'll miss your target at least once. As far as apologizing, pitchers are competitors in a tense situation and don't want to get too emotional which is why you will never see them out right apologize. But, there is sort of an unwritten code that you tip you cap as a sort of apology.

Really, the only time a fight starts is when the batter knows the plunking was intentional, otherwise, they shake it off and realize its all just part of the game.

But look close next time, you may see the pitcher tip his cap when he hits a batter... unless hes just a jerk.

Answer 5

It is not normally intentional. The pitcher has to own the inside of the plate. When the batter crowds the plate the pitcher will tell him that that is his plate by throwing inside. As Bob Gibson said, if he had the kind of control that he could hit a batter at will no one would ever have gotten a hit off of him.
On the other hand, ballplayers do sometimes carry a grudge. It could be something that goes back years. Or the batter has done something to one of his team mates or the opposing pitcher threw some chin music at one of HIS batters.
Its all part of the game.

Answer 6

Well most of the times its by accident and if a pitcher does it on perpuse you can definetly tell by taking the situation and the history of the two players into consideration, the pitcher usually gets ejected by the home plate umpire. If it was a plain accident the game just goes on with no hard feelings and I have never seen a major league pitcher apoligize for hitting someone by accident, it would look very "macho" infront of thousands of people, and most pitchers have a reputation to keep up.

Answer 7

Go to the tennis forum. That was a stupid question. Just the part of you referring to beaning a player as tagging the batter with the ball made me throw up.

Answer 8

sometimes managers tell the pitcher to bean the batter for a number of reasons. maybe a batter from the apposing team taunted on a home run or the other team hit a batter the previous year and sometimes its just accidental. i actually liked to see a batter get hit like u said it creates fight and enhances rivalries.

Answer 9

Well can you control exactly where you wanna hit the ball everytime in tennis? They dont do it on purpose, although I am sure they have a few times but sometimes it just by sheer accident

Answer 10

It is an unwritten rule that if you believe one of your teammates was hit on purpose, you hit someone from the other team to retaliate. It's been that way for 100 years.

Answer 11

Most of the time it is unintentional. However, if someone shows up your team, usually by stealing signs, they will throw at them to send a message. The most recent example is A-rod. He yelled at a Toronto player, to distract him, and got beaned.