Rules Question

When a batter, while holding the bat with his hands, is hit by a pitch on the hand, shall the pitch be ruled "a strike" or is the batter entitled to first base as a "hit batsman" ? 

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Response:
If the ball is in the strike zone when it hits the batter's hand, (or if the batter is attempting to hit the ball when the ball hits his hand) the pitch is ruled a strike and the ball is dead, with no runners allowed to advance.  If the ball is outside of the strike zone when it hits the batter, (and the batter is not attempting to hit the ball and is attempting to avoid being hit by the ball) the batter becomes a "hit batsman" and is awarded first base, the ball is dead and runners may only advance if forced to do so by the hit batsman becoming a runner.  Further, if the batter makes no attempt to avoid being struck and the ball is outside the strike zone when it hits him, the pitch is called a ball, the ball is dead and no runners can advance.
mjw