What does batting around mean?

[Redskins Rick]

That's how I see it. And when the phrase is used, it's usually when you recognize the batter and go "Oh, him again. We've batted around this inning."

We had this happen way too often to us as the defensive team on the field in that 14 year period of heck, when the team stunk.

[Creamsicle]

On your first birthday you are starting your second year of life. So, the second lap is really the first?

No. On your first birthday, you have finally batted around.

[ledzepp8]

Each batter in the order is not a single point on the circle, but 40 degrees of the circle. 9 batters times 40=360 degrees, you are at the starting point, you have done one rotation. Now, let's discuss the "fair pole".

It's not about degrees on a circle. There's a gap between the 9th batter in an inning and the guy that led off. If that 9th batter makes the 3rd out, you haven't filed that gap back to the 1st batter until the team comes back up. If it gets back to him in the same inning, they have batted around.

[ledzepp8]

Okay, auto racing: one lap equals crossing the start/finish line TWICE.

Exactly right.

[ledzepp8]

On your first birthday you are starting your second year of life. So, the second lap is really the first?

It hasn't been a year until that 365th day is complete. You haven't batted around until the next year starts (day 1 of the year).

[foxfield]

I will say first that I think both could be argued as correct. However, I think it would be easier to look at this using a scorebook. If a team bats 9 batters, there is no issue with the scorebook. You simply pick up the next inning. I would consider this batting through the lineup. However, if a 10th batter reaches the plate, you must continue to score the inning by starting a "new" line in the scorebook and draw a line through the number above to indicate it is the same inning. To me if this does not occur, a team has not "batted around". Of course that is my opinion.

[Woody Held]

But I didnt say ends with the 9th guy up. Said ALL 9 have batted.

The ninth guy makes the 3rd out then it is full circle. The ten guy starts the next circle.

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[Palmoripken]

I always took it to mean that the guy who lead off the inning got another AB in the inning.

[SpinJr]

I always thought that the "around" part meant at least one batter gets two attempts.

Was always how I understood it.

[harp6]

It's not about degrees on a circle. There's a gap between the 9th batter in an inning and the guy that led off. If that 9th batter makes the 3rd out, you haven't filed that gap back to the 1st batter until the team comes back up. If it gets back to him in the same inning, they have batted around.

UpStateMYFan is correct. He beat me to it. Some people here are using the clock as an example. Each number on the clock is 1/12 of the circle or 30˚. If you start at 12 and complete 1 hour, the hour hand is now at 1 or 30˚. You continue this until you have completed the 12th hour and the hour hand is back at the 12, because it has rotated 12X30˚ to get there. Any time beyond the twelve hours is overlap and is beyond the point of going around.

If you are looking at the baseball line-up, once the 9th batter has completed his at-bat, then you are now at the beginning of the circle. The 10th player is now overlap of the circle.

Another example is a card game. You have gone around the table when everyone has played exactly one card. If one player has played two cards, then you have gone around the table plus one.

Some people seem to not like the circle concept, but it is correct way of examining the situation. If you go around something, it is to make one full rotation or revolution, which is 360˚. To go through the line-up (9 hitters) is one full rotation.

[TonySoprano]

1-9 you've gone down the lineup. On the 10th batter, then you've gone back around where you started.

[El Gordo]

When the guy who started the inning comes to bat again the announcer says they have batted around. He doesn't say that when the 9th guy comes up in the inning.

[ledzepp8]

When the guy who started the inning comes to bat again the announcer says they have batted around. He doesn't say that when the 9th guy comes up in the inning.

I agree with you, but I did hear one of our announcers (can't remember if it was Gary or Jim) say it during a game last week when the Orioles got to the 9th hitter of the inning.

[ledzepp8]

UpStateMYFan is correct. He beat me to it. Some people here are using the clock as an example. Each number on the clock is 1/12 of the circle or 30˚. If you start at 12 and complete 1 hour, the hour hand is now at 1 or 30˚. You continue this until you have completed the 12th hour and the hour hand is back at the 12, because it has rotated 12X30˚ to get there. Any time beyond the twelve hours is overlap and is beyond the point of going around.

If you are looking at the baseball line-up, once the 9th batter has completed his at-bat, then you are now at the beginning of the circle. The 10th player is now overlap of the circle.

Another example is a card game. You have gone around the table when everyone has played exactly one card. If one player has played two cards, then you have gone around the table plus one.

Some people seem to not like the circle concept, but it is correct way of examining the situation. If you go around something, it is to make one full rotation or revolution, which is 360˚. To go through the line-up (9 hitters) is one full rotation.

Look I don't think anyone is going to agree on the circle/clock thing apparently. Like I said earlier in an earlier example, if you go to take your dog for a walk around the block, have you gone around the block if you don't make it back to your house?

Say you walk out your front door to walk around your house. Have you made it around your house if you don't make it back to the front door? Someone used a race track as an example. When does the car make a lap around the track? Once it crosses the start/finish line again.

[OFFNY]

o

This topic reminds me of a discussion that I once had with Paul Folk.

Ever since I was a little kid, when a team scored in the top of the 1st inning, the announcer(s) would always say that the score is, "Indians 1, Tigers coming to bat."

If they scored 2 runs, then they would say, "Indians 2, Tigers coming to bat", and so forth.

In between every half inning after that, they would always give you the score of both teams (Tigers 3, Indians 2, etc.)

So I wondered ...... if a team scores a run(s) in the top of the 1st inning, and the other team has not batted yet, is it necessarily a "comeback" win if they tie the score or take the lead in the bottom half of the first inning, and wind up winning the game without falling behind again ???

In a literal sense, yes, it is a comeback. The team that won the game was behind on the scoreboard, even if it was only for half an inning in between the top half and bottom half of the 1st inning, and the team that "came back" had not even gotten one offensive chance yet.

On the other hand, baseball is different than a sport such as football, in that the defense cannot score when they are on the field ...... hence, the (possible) argument that a team is not truly "behind" until at least one full inning of play has been completed.

For myself, it's an interesting subject to ponder.