Ball or Strike

Gary,
     It doesn,t matter where the pitch is.  If the batter brought his bat back before the ball reached the plate it is a ball.

Gary, batter must make an attempt to bunt the ball, even if the ball hits the ground. Batter brings the bat back, it's a ball.
Manuel Provedor

Sorry guys, I disagree. Gary clearly states in his second sentence that the batter made and attempt at the ball. Once he makes that attempt he doesnt have the right to pull back and not be penalized. To give an analogy: Say you have a pitcher that throws  a 40mph fastball and the hitter see's the ball released and takes a swing, but before the ball gets  to the plate area the batter pulls the bat back and is in his original stance. Is this considered a strike. Of course it is. There is no difference between a guy making an attempt on a bunt and pulling the bat back than the guy taking a swing and having it back before the ball gets to the plate.

Jacques

You are correct if the batter made an attempt the strike should be called. With a bunt when is it considered an attempt is the real question?

The batter starting the bat in the direction of a pitch is not an attempt by itself. He must continue and actually attempt to hit the pitch.

So he can start towards and still pull back the bat as long as it is before the pitch arrives in the area of the plate. This would not be an attempt.

The act of pulling the bat away from the pitch before it arrives tells you he is not attempting to hit it. Judgment of this is of course up to the plate umpire and should always be responded to by the plate umpire with "no he did not go" if the umpire judges it to not be an attempt to hit the pitch.

So both responses could be correct depending on the perspective.

Dan Blower