I don’t know squat about baseball. In this article they talk about someone being ejected from the game for “throwing behind” what I assume is the batter. I assume the pitcher simply threw the ball literally behind the batter. Why is this bad? Why is it bad enough to eject the pitcher? Why would it cause a bench-clearing brawl?
Throwing behind the batter pretty much implies that the pitcher was trying to hit the batter intentionally and missed badly.
Whether or not it causes a brawl is subject to what sort of intent on the part of the pitcher is perceived.
Also, if an umpire thinks a pitcher was trying to hit a batter, he may give the pitcher a warning. That warning also applies to the opposing team.
Therefore, if the opposing team (who had not hit a batter) throws a pitch at a batter, that pitcher will be ejected.
Moreso, throwing behind the batter is considered to be especially dangerous, because the batter’s first reaction is probably to jump backwards, not forwards to dodge the ball.
Correct. Batters are used to seeing pitches come in off the plate and then break toward it. Many times a good slider will look like it’s coming right at you, then bend and cross over the plate just as pretty as you please.
Having seen pitches that come toward you and then become strikes, if you saw a pitch that was behind you, you would instinctively think it was going to turn in the same fashion as above, which would result in it hitting you. Instinct tells you to back up, allowing the ball to pass harmlessly in front of you.
Or course, if the pitch is a fastball, rather than a slider, it won’t bend at all, and you’ll back right into the pitch and get hit. By a rock going 90 or more miles an hour.
Throwing behind a batter (intentionally) is frowned upon even more than actually hitting one. (Exception: Throwing at the head is frowned upon the most.)
Also, as Redsland pointed out, getting hit with a baseball is not an insignificant thing. Depending on where you’re hit you could potentially be badly hurt.
Sammy Sosa had his helmet actually broken this year by a pitched ball.
Does anyone else remember Ron Cey taking one off the helmet from Goose Gossage in the World Series? Scary.