Strike

This page refers to the playing term strike. For the labor action, see strike (labor).

A strike is a pitch that is considered to be hittable. A batter who is charged with three strikes is out, except in the event of a dropped third strike. The opposite of a strike is a ball.

A legal pitch is a strike if:

1. The batter attempts to hit it but misses;
2. Any part of the ball passes through any part of the strike zone;
3. With fewer than two strikes, the batter hits the ball foul;
4. The batter bunts the ball foul;
5. It hits the batter as he attempts to hit it;
6. It hits the batter in the strike zone;
7. The batter hits a foul tip.

See Also Strikeout

Further Reading

• Connelly Doan: "Caught Looking: How Responsible Are Pitchers For Called Strikes", Baseball Research Journal, SABR, Volume 51, Number 1 (Spring 2022), pp. 102-106.
• Christoph Kreinbucher: "Are Baseball Players Superior to Umpires in Discriminating Balls from Strikes ?", The Baseball Research Journal, SABR, Volume 41, Number 1 (Spring 2012), pp. 28-31.