EXPLAINER: What exactly is a check-swing?
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — It’s always been one of the most murky areas in baseball: What exactly constitutes a check-swing? Suffice to say, a lot of people were offering their own opinions after San Francisco’s Wilmer Flores was ruled out on precisely that kind of call Thursday night, ending the Giants’ 2-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the deciding Game 5 of their NL Division Series. So how far does a big league hitter have to go with his swing in order for the pitch to be called a strike? Is it when he “breaks his wrists” trying to hold up? Or when his bat crosses the plate? Don’t bother looking for it in the Official Baseball Rules, it’s not addressed. Officially, it’s purely an umpire’s judgment.
