# (Possibly-Sociopathic) Baseball Rules Question **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [October 15, 2008, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-sociopathic-baseball-rules-question/468072 "2008-10-15T19:14:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-sociopathic-baseball-rules-question/468072/1 "2008-10-15T19:14:46Z")
An acquaintance turned to me last night and asked (after a runner was ruled safe): “Why didn’t the guy just throw the ball really hard and hit him in the [testes]?” I couldn’t come up with a good answer other than, that must be against the rules (probably also criminal battery). But I checked the rules quickly and lazily, and am not finding the one that prohibits it. > **[01\_objectives\_of\_the\_game.pdf](https://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/downloads/y2008/official_rules/01_objectives_of_the_game.pdf)** > > 43 B Am I missing it? ---
**Author:** ![WF\_Tomba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d9b06d/32.png) [@WF\_Tomba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WF_Tomba)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-sociopathic-baseball-rules-question/468072/2 "2008-10-15T19:20:33Z")
> [@Huerta88](#): > > An acquaintance turned to me last night and asked (after a runner was ruled safe): “Why didn’t the guy just throw the ball really hard and hit him in the [testes]?” > > I couldn’t come up with a good answer other than, that must be against the rules (probably also criminal battery). > > But I checked the rules quickly and lazily, and am not finding the one that prohibits it. > > [MLB.com | The Official Site of Major League Baseball](http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/downloads/y2008/official_rules/01_objectives_of_the_game.pdf) > > Am I missing it? 1. Baseball players wear a cup. 2. You don’t get an out by hitting a runner with the ball. (In the early days of the game, you did.) 3. What happens after the ball hits him and rolls away? The runner could get up and run to the next base! 4. What happens when the fielder comes up to bat in the next half inning? ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-sociopathic-baseball-rules-question/468072/3 "2008-10-15T19:33:21Z")
> [@Huerta88](#): > > But I checked the rules quickly and lazily, and am not finding the one that prohibits it. > > [MLB.com | The Official Site of Major League Baseball](http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/downloads/y2008/official_rules/01_objectives_of_the_game.pdf) > > Am I missing it? Rule 9.01d: Each umpire has authority to disqualify any player, coach, manager or substitute for objecting to decisions or for \*\*unsportsmanlike conduct \*\*or language, and to eject such disqualified person from the playing field. If an umpire disqualifies a player while a play is in progress, the disqualification shall not take effect until no further action is possible in that play. ---
**Author:** ![troub](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troub/32/14802_2.png) [@troub](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/troub)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-sociopathic-baseball-rules-question/468072/4 "2008-10-15T19:40:58Z")
You’re looking at the wrong part of the rule book. > **[MLB.com | The Official Site of Major League Baseball](https://www.mlb.com)** > > Coverage includes audio and video clips, interviews, statistics, schedules and exclusive stories. Rule 7.04 > [@](#): > > Each runner, other than the batter, may without liability to be put out, advance one base when— > . . . > (d) While he is attempting to steal a base, the batter is interfered with by the catcher or any other fielder. That’s apparently for stealing, I imagine interfering with a runner in another may fall under “obstruction” in rule 7.06. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-sociopathic-baseball-rules-question/468072/5 "2008-10-15T19:58:53Z")
I’m not sure why the catcher interfering with the batter (7.04d) would be relevant to what’s going on with another baserunner, or with this discussion. (I guess 7.04d is there to cover a runner on 3rd with a squeeze play on.) But other than that, WF Tomba has it covered. You don’t needlessly throw the baseball around. ---
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-sociopathic-baseball-rules-question/468072/6 "2008-10-15T21:29:04Z")
Got it. His objective was not to score an out, but pretty much just to clock the baserunner in the groin because he was P.O.'d at the team at bat, and he wanted to know what rule prohibited the consummation of this desire that he so devoutly wished for. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-sociopathic-baseball-rules-question/468072/7 "2008-10-15T21:55:30Z")
Of course the runners’ teammates would retaliate, probably immediately and en masse. ---
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2008, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-sociopathic-baseball-rules-question/468072/8 "2008-10-15T22:28:43Z")
> [@Manduck](#): > > Of course the runners’ teammates would retaliate, probably immediately and en masse. Oh, I think he’d have been okay with a sore-loser-melee at that point. ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-sociopathic-baseball-rules-question/468072/9 "2008-10-16T00:09:38Z")
Also, he might [miss and hit a fan in the face](http://www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/pro/dragons/2008/07/25/ddn072508pitcherweb.html). ---
**Author:** ![John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Carter_of_Mars)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-sociopathic-baseball-rules-question/468072/10 "2008-10-16T00:41:00Z")
> [@WF\_Tomba](#): > > 1. Baseball players wear a cup. > 2. You don’t get an out by hitting a runner with the ball. (In the early days of the game, you did.) > 3. What happens after the ball hits him and rolls away? The runner could get up and run to the next base! > 4. **What happens when the fielder comes up to bat in the next half inning?** As someone who played the game above the high school level, I bolded this one because it’s the REAL BIG answer. ---
**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:** [October 16, 2008, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-sociopathic-baseball-rules-question/468072/11 "2008-10-16T03:12:56Z")
> [@John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](#): > > As someone who played the game above the high school level, I bolded this one because it’s the REAL BIG answer. If someone did that he wouldn’t be playing in the Majors for a long time, let alone the next half inning. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-sociopathic-baseball-rules-question/468072/12 "2008-10-16T03:30:40Z")
> [@Huerta88](#): > > An acquaintance turned to me last night and asked (after a runner was ruled safe): “Why didn’t the guy just throw the ball really hard and hit him in the [testes]?” > > I couldn’t come up with a good answer other than, that must be against the rules (probably also criminal battery). As others have already said, that’s just not the way the game is played. It could certainly, by the umpire’s discretion, be ruled as interference. ---
**Author:** ![Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dread_pirate_jimbo/32/3897_2.png) [@Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dread_Pirate_Jimbo)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-sociopathic-baseball-rules-question/468072/13 "2008-10-16T04:17:03Z")
It is not illegal to throw at a runner. However, as Reggie Jackson once demonstrated by willingly taking a throw in the chest to break up a double play, hitting a runner with the ball can have dire consequences for the defensive team as they have to go recover the ball while other runners continue to circle the bags. ---
**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:** [October 16, 2008, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-sociopathic-baseball-rules-question/468072/14 "2008-10-16T04:20:05Z")
Moving to The Game Room. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2008, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-sociopathic-baseball-rules-question/468072/15 "2008-10-16T14:41:50Z")
> [@Number](#): > > Also, he might [miss and hit a fan in the face](http://www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/pro/dragons/2008/07/25/ddn072508pitcherweb.html). Wow. How the hell does a _pitcher_ miss by “a **few** rows”? ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-sociopathic-baseball-rules-question/468072/16 "2008-10-17T12:38:54Z")
> [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](#): > > Wow. How the hell does a _pitcher_ miss by “a **few** rows”? Fog of war? ---
**Author:** ![Madd\_Maxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Madd\_Maxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Madd_Maxx)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2008, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/possibly-sociopathic-baseball-rules-question/468072/17 "2008-10-17T17:09:09Z")
😃 Ok, that was funny.