Is this cheating?

[SandraC]

Saw this during a baseball game last week. I'm going to leave the teams out so you guys can base your opinion on what happened, instead of who it happened to.

A batter fouls a ball off his foot. It rolls toward the pitcher and the batter is jumping around doing his 'ooh my little toe' routine. The announcers start talking about how easy it is to break something in your foot like that, blah blah blah. Then they show the replay, and without question the ball missed the batter's foot by a good 6-8 inches.

Props to the batter for reacting so quickly, but now one of the announcers is annoyed (of course it was a batter on the opposing team who did this), and he basically accuses the batter of cheating. The announcers get into a discussion about whether this is similar to a catcher framing a pitch to try to buy a strike, or an outfielder claiming he caught a line drive when he knows full well he trapped the ball. They basically agreed the batter went over the line, although it clearly bothered one of the announcers more than the other.

Your thoughts? Did the batter go over the line and cheat?


Sandra

 

[salsadancer7]

Saw this during a baseball game last week. I'm going to leave the teams out so you guys can base your opinion on what happened, instead of who it happened to.

A batter fouls a ball off his foot. It rolls toward the pitcher and the batter is jumping around doing his 'ooh my little toe' routine. The announcers start talking about how easy it is to break something in your foot like that, blah blah blah. Then they show the replay, and without question the ball missed the batter's foot by a good 6-8 inches.

Props to the batter for reacting so quickly, but now one of the announcers is annoyed (of course it was a batter on the opposing team who did this), and he basically accuses the batter of cheating. The announcers get into a discussion about whether this is similar to a catcher framing a pitch to try to buy a strike, or an outfielder claiming he caught a line drive when he knows full well he trapped the ball. They basically agreed the batter went over the line, although it clearly bothered one of the announcers more than the other.

Your thoughts? Did the batter go over the line and cheat?


Sandra

Being a current catcher on my baseball team. Yes, it IS cheating just like a catcher stealing a pitch. But remember, the catcher is not framing as much as he 'snatches' the pitch and moves the glove to frame where it supposedly passed by/landed.

But yes, I would consider it JUST AS BAD as a soccer player taking a major dive and pretending he is thriving in pain, when nothing really happening.

But the funny thing is.....when he is on YOUR team and he does it, we all call it a "smart thinking veteran move"....when he is on another team....there are KINDS of words we call him....that ain't really nice.

 

[HD MM]

Yes he cheated. He lied about getting hit on the toe. That was not acting honestly.

Further reason why baseball should allow instant replay. Can you imagine if this was Game 7 of the World Series with 2 outs and a runner on 3rd to win the game? If the batter doesn't hit the ball the way that would score the runner, and he could "fake" his way out of it instead of ending and losing the Game, perhaps more players will use this recent example to add to their arsenal of cheats.

 

[cosmo_kramer]

Yes he cheated. He lied about getting hit on the toe. That was not acting honestly.

Further reason why baseball should allow instant replay. Can you imagine if this was Game 7 of the World Series with 2 outs and a runner on 3rd to win the game? If the batter doesn't hit the ball the way that would score the runner, and he could "fake" his way out of it instead of ending and losing the Game, perhaps more players will use this recent example to add to their arsenal of cheats.

He was definitely acting dishonestly, but did he cheat?? He can try to sell it his way and plead his case, but isn't the burden of responsibility still up to the umpires to eventually make the correct call??

A pitcher doctoring the ball, a batter corking his bat...now that's cheating!!

 

[Derwin0]

He was definitely acting dishonestly, but did he cheat?? He can try to sell it his way and plead his case, but isn't the burden of responsibility still up to the umpires to eventually make the correct call??

sorta like a punter that gets barely brushed and goes down actually like he was gut punched.

Either way, the umpire's responsibility was to see where the ball went and make the call. If he didn't keep his eye on the ball, then it's his fault for a bad call.

 

[HD MM]

He was definitely acting dishonestly, but did he cheat?? He can try to sell it his way and plead his case, but isn't the burden of responsibility still up to the umpires to eventually make the correct call??

A pitcher doctoring the ball, a batter corking his bat...now that's cheating!!

I guess you got a point. I'm sure there's not a written piece of language in the rules that prohibits "acting like you got hit by a ball even though you didn't", but it was a very cowardly and cheap thing to do.

 

[salsadancer7]

He was definitely acting dishonestly, but did he cheat?? He can try to sell it his way and plead his case, but isn't the burden of responsibility still up to the umpires to eventually make the correct call??

A pitcher doctoring the ball, a batter corking his bat...now that's cheating!!

Yep.

 

[salsadancer7]

I guess you got a point. I'm sure there's not a written piece of language in the rules that prohibits "acting like you got hit by a ball even though you didn't", but it was a very cowardly and cheap thing to do.

But when you are in a pennant race....sometimes, you will do anything to give your team a chance to win.

 

[cosmo_kramer]

I guess you got a point. I'm sure there's not a written piece of language in the rules that prohibits "acting like you got hit by a ball even though you didn't", but it was a very cowardly and cheap thing to do.

I agree. I'm sure we can come up with many examples in different sports where athletes try and 'sell the call'. It's still up to the game officials to get it right.

 

[mdonnelly]

But when you are in a pennant race....sometimes, you will do anything to give your team a chance to win.

The "Al Davis" mentality. "Just win, Baby." It ain't cheating if you don't get caught.

 

[riffjim4069]

I won't go as far as to classify the batters action as cheating, however it not behavior we should condone in minor league baseball much less the professional ranks. But I supposed this happens all the time in football where, it seems, that almost half of all injuries happen in the final minute of play not mention professional floppers in soccer and basketball. I'll just label this behavior as dishonest and hope we're coaching our kids to avoid such questionable activies. Hopefully our professional players will learn something from the kids.

 

[Derwin0]

The "Al Davis" mentality. "Just win, Baby." It ain't cheating if you don't get caught.

*cough*Patriots*cough*

 

[riffjim4069]

The "Al Davis" mentality. "Just win, Baby." It ain't cheating if you don't get caught.

Sounds like the EchoStar corporate ethos.

 

[AntAltMike]

In baseball, the players are expected to cheat, and so one would be at a competitive disadvantage if he didn't. The pitcher who throws at a batter, the batter that lets a pitch hit him, the runner who goes out of the line on a take-out slide, the second baseman making a phantom step on the bag during his pivot, and for that matter, any player trying to "steal" the signs sent between opposing teammates are all cheating. Baseball ain't golf (even though I cheat at both).

 

[Will94]

I don't have a problem with it. It's the umpires fault if he falls for it, and he is the one who looks bad to me. I can't blame a hitter for trying. If the pitcher is smart, he makes the throw to first and then tries to get another umpire to "help out" with the call.

Doctoring the ball is another area that I am fine with if you can get away with it. I remember seeing an interview with Gaylord Perry not long after he retired. He went on and on about all of the places that he could hide foreign substances. It was classic old school baseball.

I take a different approach to steroids because it puts men who are unwilling to take dangerous substances at a competitive disadvantage.

I am pretty much okay with guys trying whatever they think that they can get away with though.

 

[mccoyrj]

Saw this during a baseball game last week. I'm going to leave the teams out so you guys can base your opinion on what happened, instead of who it happened to.

A batter fouls a ball off his foot. It rolls toward the pitcher and the batter is jumping around doing his 'ooh my little toe' routine. The announcers start talking about how easy it is to break something in your foot like that, blah blah blah. Then they show the replay, and without question the ball missed the batter's foot by a good 6-8 inches.

Props to the batter for reacting so quickly, but now one of the announcers is annoyed (of course it was a batter on the opposing team who did this), and he basically accuses the batter of cheating. The announcers get into a discussion about whether this is similar to a catcher framing a pitch to try to buy a strike, or an outfielder claiming he caught a line drive when he knows full well he trapped the ball. They basically agreed the batter went over the line, although it clearly bothered one of the announcers more than the other.

Your thoughts? Did the batter go over the line and cheat?


Sandra

When this batter is up next time, bean his a*s and this sh*t will stop. :up

 

[Jimbo]

He was definitely acting dishonestly, but did he cheat?? He can try to sell it his way and plead his case, but isn't the burden of responsibility still up to the umpires to eventually make the correct call??

A pitcher doctoring the ball, a batter corking his bat...now that's cheating!!

Thanks you, thats what I was going to post ....
If the Ump doesn't catch it ....

 

[cosmo_kramer]

I won't go as far as to classify the batters action as cheating, however it not behavior we should condone in minor league baseball much less the professional ranks. But I supposed this happens all the time in football where, it seems, that almost half of all injuries happen in the final minute of play not mention professional floppers in soccer and basketball. I'll just label this behavior as dishonest and hope we're coaching our kids to avoid such questionable activies. Hopefully our professional players will learn something from the kids.

That's why the NFL implemented the changes to the game timing rules a few years ago. Too many "injuries" late in games to try and stop the clock...

 

[Ramy]

He was definitely acting dishonestly, but did he cheat?? He can try to sell it his way and plead his case, but isn't the burden of responsibility still up to the umpires to eventually make the correct call??

A pitcher doctoring the ball, a batter corking his bat...now that's cheating!!

I agree. It is the same thing as a runner saying he didn't get tagged or something like that.

 

[salsadancer7]

Thanks you, thats what I was going to post ....
If the Ump doesn't catch it ....

So....like someone else stated, it ain't cheatin' until you get caught....