Kinkade Getting Hit

He crowds the plate. I saw him get hit twice against Yokohama, and both times I wasn't sure that he should have been awarded first.

The first time, Kinkade had his left elbow way out over the plate, took the pitch on the inside part of the strike zone in the elbow, and ran up the first base as though it was staged that way. He made no effort at all to get out of the way of the ball. (He wears an elbow pad, like leggers, on his arm for protection.)

The second time, last evening, Kinkade's back (right) leg was right up there on the line. He started to swing, then the ball hit the back leg. Katoh, pitching for Yokohama, protested that he swung, as did Yamashita-kantoku. It was clear that Kinkade made no move to get out of the way of the pitch which may well have gotten the inside corner for a strike.

Getting hit by pitches appears to be one way that Kinkade uses often to get on base. He almost looks eagar to take one for the team.

What does the rule book say about this? If it's allowed, then he has a right to do it. If not, then the umpires should be enforcing the rule - and then he'll stop doing it.

... Or until he gets taken to hospital after being hit in the head, which is what happened last night. I didn't see it, but was it deliberate? Or just a wayward pitch?

I was at that game, but unfortunately I was eating a Koshien Curry under the stand at that exact moment! Having seen it on TV a thousand times now, I don't think it was intentional.

Either way, Kinkade almost stands on the plate. That, plus the fact that pitchers know he's not too good at handling pitches close in to him mean they're going to throw that line a lot.

Oh well, if it gets him on base it gets him on base, but I don't think he was scouted for his ability to get beaned.

I agree with Westbay on this. Two of the three games I've seen him in this year he has been hit. Deliberate or not, there wasn't much on both pitches. As long as they're not aiming for his head, I can't see much foul in them trying to straighten him up a little.

Over the last 2 years, Kinkade had 251 plate appearances and was hit 22 times, so this is really nothing new with him.

Here's an update: 10 plunks now. Second in the league is Yoshinobu Takahashi with 3. This seems to be about the only talent the man has.

SanSpo reports today that Okada-kantoku is instructing Kinkade to take a more open stance.

[Westbaystars: Same article in Nikkan Sports. Kinkade looks "open" to the idea - especially considering he has 10 HBP compared to 6 base hits.]

Watching the Yokohama vs. Hanshin game on April 29, I saw Kinkade raise his right leg to get hit by one of Miura's pitches and take a free pass to first for the 11th time this month. The replay on TV made it clear, he deliberately kicked the ball to recieve a hit by pitch first base. Unbelievable!

The umpires, on objection by Miura and Yamashita-kantoku, gathered to discuss the incident. I thought that this was a good sign - get a concensus, similar to how it's done in Sumo. That way they have a better chance at making the right call. But they didn't. The hit by pitch was upheld, and Kinkade got first base, "at the objection of Yamashita-kantoku." (I don't think the umpire said that it was under protest - it didn't sound that serious.)

Today's newspapers say that dead ball was because Kinkade was getting used to a new stance, so it was an accident. That didn't look like an accident to me.

Yeah, I was actually shocked at that call, too.

But you know, if you watch Kinkade closely, his stance is the same with every pitch, no matter where the ball is - even pitches way outside. So I don't think he was trying on that particular occasion to deliberately "kick" the ball in order to get the free pass. It's just that his leg always ends up there at the end of his swing. It looked deliberate on the replay, but it's just the way he swings.

And I don't really think he's crowding the plate all that much either. At least where he stands is as close to the plate as many other batters.

Is it just me or has there been a drop-off in the number of Kinkade "dead balls" in the past few games? I can't remember one after the one mijow-san discusses above.

Oh, the irony, the irony!

Kinkade has stopped crowding the plate and has picked up in form recently. Then night before last he gets hit with a "dead ball" (which he didn't try and get hit by), and he has his arm broken!

Ah yes, but he didn't try to get out of the way either. It was a slow loopy pitch and he had plenty of time to avoid it, but he stood his ground. This one was preventable.

He would be called a "robohitter" as suggested in the following article on Yahoo! MLB News [Link].

I know that many Japanese players are wearing protective elbow guards.