Strike 4! No wait, ball 5! Err...

August 6, 2007 7:48 PM

BaseballFilter: If a batter has a full count and then fouls off the next few pitches, do those pitches go as a ball or a strike in the pitcher's pitch count for the game?
posted by phaded to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (7 answers total)

Best answer: Strikes. Every ball with which the bat connects (including ones sent into play), or is called a strike by the umpire, is counted as a strike for pitch count.
posted by cerebus19 at 7:55 PM on August 6, 2007

That should be "Every pitch with which..."
posted by cerebus19 at 7:56 PM on August 6, 2007

The pitch count just counts the pitches, without regard to whether it is a ball or strike. Unless you are using pitch count differently? A foul ball is a foul ball.
posted by geoff. at 7:56 PM on August 6, 2007

Best answer: I think the OP means when they show those displays of balls/strikes/total when they say "pitch count." So yeah, they get counted as strikes for those purposes.
posted by heresiarch at 7:58 PM on August 6, 2007

Response by poster: Fastest answer yet. Thank you, hive mind.
posted by phaded at 7:59 PM on August 6, 2007

If you look at a box score (like this one from tonights yankees game - look towards the bottom under the pitchers stats) it just breaks down strikes vs total pitches. Note - I believe this is the "official" box score from the mlb, so it's possible that they omit a breakdown of balls vs strikes for this very reason, to allow for foul balls.
posted by jourman2 at 8:01 PM on August 6, 2007

I would like it if box scores and telecasts somehow included foul balls. A 10 pitch at bat that results in a single is different than a bleeder on the first pitch. Maybe something like 3-2/7 (balls-strikes/pitches). Needless wishful thinking, I guess.
posted by dirtdirt at 5:52 AM on August 7, 2007