Umpire Rule 4.04: Defining 'Illness' in Baseball - Fear vs. Injury
Question
Rule 4.04 states in 揘OTE 2?that 搮when a child is injured or becomes ill卼he team will skip over that kid ?without penalty? Is a kid afraid to hit against a particular pitcher constitute 搃ll? What if the kid is afraid to hit against any pitcher? Is the fear enough to rule him being 搃ll?
Answer
David,
If I were asked as an umpire to determine if a kid is ill simply because he's scared of a pitcher, I would probably rule that it doesn't fit the common definition of "ill". However, the league should give a stricter definition, especially if a coach is attempting to use the rule to give his team an advantage.
Base Running Rules: When a Batter Runs to First Without Hitting
Henry Aaron's 1965 Homer Controversy: The Umpire's Call