# Has A Pitcher Ever Charged the Batter's Box? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [April 23, 2010, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-pitcher-ever-charged-the-batters-box/537131 "2010-04-23T18:11:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Spit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/76d3ee/32.png) [@Spit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spit)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2010, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-pitcher-ever-charged-the-batters-box/537131/1 "2010-04-23T18:11:49Z")
A burning question that has been “batted” around the office today. I think a pitcher would be a fool to charge a man carrying a large stick, but who knows- I could see Whitey Ford doing something along those lines. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2010, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-pitcher-ever-charged-the-batters-box/537131/2 "2010-04-23T18:43:00Z")
I can’t think of any instance of this, and there probably isn’t one. I can’t even think of a reason why a pitcher would ever do this, besides the batter verbally abusing him, but in that case the pitcher can just throw fastballs at his head. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2010, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-pitcher-ever-charged-the-batters-box/537131/3 "2010-04-23T18:51:06Z")
I can think of one, but he was batting at the time: [Juan Marichal attacks John Roseboro with a bat, 22 August 1965](http://miscbaseball.wordpress.com/2009/07/21/the-fight-between-juan-marichal-and-john-roseboro/). Not exactly what you were looking for, but there it is. A pitcher has typically retaliated by throwing a brushback pitch, hitting the batter, or in extreme cases intentionally throwing a beanball. With the ability to attack with a high-speed projectile they wouldn’t need to fight unless the batter came out after them. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2010, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-pitcher-ever-charged-the-batters-box/537131/4 "2010-04-23T19:02:39Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > but in that case the pitcher can just throw fastballs at his head. Things are set up so the pitcher pretty much always gets first attack by way of pitching at the batter. Why give up that advantage? ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2010, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-pitcher-ever-charged-the-batters-box/537131/5 "2010-04-23T19:07:56Z")
There was an incident just last week with the pitcher charging the batter-runner along the first-base line, but not charging the batter’s box. This doesn’t meet your criterion of attacking a man holding a bat but is unusual nonetheless. The batter was hit by a pitch (IMHO the batter did not try to avoid being hit but that’s beside the point). The umpire awarded the batter first base, and on his way the batter turned to the pitcher and said something, not completely clear what but certainly unfriendly. The pitcher could be seen saying, “Fuck you” two or three times, and then ran towards the batter-runner. I don’t recall if there was any contact between the two. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2010, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-pitcher-ever-charged-the-batters-box/537131/6 "2010-04-23T19:08:12Z")
A better example is the fight between pitcher [Pascual Perez](http://www.thefreelibrary.com/FIVE+MEMORABLE+BASEBALL+BRAWLS.-a064241017) and Reggie Smith (number 3 in link), although it didn’t involve the batter himself and took place off the field. > [@](#): > > 1. Pirates vs. Dodgers, Aug. 25, 1981. Again, Pascual Perez was in the middle of this bizarre fight. After Perez, then with the Pirates, hit Dodger batters Bill Russell and Dusty Baker with suspicious pitches, Dodger outfielder Reggie Smith, who was sitting on the bench, challenged Perez to fight him. Perez came off the mound and disappeared with Smith into the runway behind home plate, followed closely by the remainder of both teams, the umpires, and photographers. The fight was broken up after a few minutes. “There wasn’t enough room to swing,” Dodger outfielder Rick Monday said. “We just had four feet of room to dance in.” Perez had picked up a bat on his way to the tunnel and later admitted he was intent on hitting Smith, but teammate Bill Robinson restrained him. Perez has the distinction of having been involved in one of the other most infamous brawls in baseball history, number 2 on the list. ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2010, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-pitcher-ever-charged-the-batters-box/537131/7 "2010-04-23T19:45:08Z")
Roger Clemons threw a [broken bat](http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/espn25/story?page=moments/95) at Mike Piazza in the 2000 World Series, but it was probably the steroids that made him do it. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2010, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-pitcher-ever-charged-the-batters-box/537131/8 "2010-04-23T19:51:48Z")
[moderating] Since this is a sports question, I’ve moved it over to the Game Room where the baseball fans hang out. [/moderating] ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2010, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-pitcher-ever-charged-the-batters-box/537131/9 "2010-04-23T19:58:57Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > The batter was hit by a pitch (IMHO the batter did not try to avoid being hit but that’s beside the point). Is he required to? I know the batter can’t actually lean in to a pitch and delibrately get himself hit, but is there any requirement that the batter take action to avoid being hit? That would tend to interfere with his stance in the batters box, thus giving an advantage to the pitcher. (Of course, American baseball is heavily weighted toward the advantage of the pitcher anyway.) ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2010, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-pitcher-ever-charged-the-batters-box/537131/10 "2010-04-23T20:01:16Z")
Dallas Braden almost charged A-Rod as he was leaving the field yesterday for walking over his mound. ---
**Author:** ![Spit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/76d3ee/32.png) [@Spit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spit)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2010, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-pitcher-ever-charged-the-batters-box/537131/11 "2010-04-23T20:11:19Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Dallas Braden almost charged A-Rod as he was leaving the field yesterday for walking over his mound. That was what spurred the OP. Thanks for the responses guys. It’s been a slow day. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2010, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-pitcher-ever-charged-the-batters-box/537131/12 "2010-04-23T20:11:21Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > There was an incident just last week with the pitcher charging the batter-runner along the first-base line, but not charging the batter’s box. This doesn’t meet your criterion of attacking a man holding a bat but is unusual nonetheless. > > The batter was hit by a pitch (IMHO the batter did not try to avoid being hit but that’s beside the point). The umpire awarded the batter first base, and on his way the batter turned to the pitcher and said something, not completely clear what but certainly unfriendly. The pitcher could be seen saying, “Fuck you” two or three times, and then ran towards the batter-runner. I don’t recall if there was any contact between the two. Are you referring to the [Chris Carpenter / Edwin Jackson incident](http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100421&content_id=9480670&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb)? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_the\_Turtle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_the_turtle/32/2926_2.png) [@Fear\_the\_Turtle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_the_Turtle)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2010, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-pitcher-ever-charged-the-batters-box/537131/13 "2010-04-23T20:12:54Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > Is he required to? Yes [QUOTE= MLB Rule Book] 6.08 The batter becomes a runner and is entitled to first base without liability to be put out (provided he advances to and touches first base) when – … (b) He is touched by a pitched ball which he is not attempting to hit unless (1) The ball is in the strike zone when it touches the batter, or (2) The batter makes no attempt to avoid being touched by the ball [/quote] ---
**Author:** ![KennerTheGreat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a8b319/32.png) [@KennerTheGreat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KennerTheGreat)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2010, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-a-pitcher-ever-charged-the-batters-box/537131/14 "2010-04-23T21:18:26Z")
I vaguely recall Hideki Irabu once charging the plate when he pitched for the Yankees against Toronto in 1998. IIRC, Roger Clemens was pitching for Toronto, at Yankee Stadium, and had drilled somebody. Irabu’s first pitch in the top of the next inning was thrown behind the Blue Jay batter, and then for some reason he ran towards the plate. EDIT: I think it might have been [this game.](http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA199809110.shtml) In the bottom of the fourth, Clemens gave up three runs, and after the third run, he plunked Scott Brosius. In the top of the fifth, Irabu got Shannon Stewart with a pitch. I’m pretty sure Irabu charged the plate afterward.