The term Alabaster Blast is a term used in baseball to describe how the ground ball hits the home plate and suddenly took a big hop over the infielders. This was first described by Bob Prince from the Pittsburgh Pirates when he saw how the ball bounced higher than its normal bounce due to extreme throwing of the ball. This term is also called the "Hit by Pitch."
Official Rule about Alabaster Blast
The "Hit By Pitch" is a struck directly hit by the pitcher and received by the batter. Even if the ball had successfully landed on the home plate yet bounce on the infielder, the judgment will still depend on the umpire's decision. The first base can only be awarded to the baserunner if the ground ball has touched outside the strike zone and if he attempted to avoid the ball. If these conditions are met, the umpire can consider this as "the ball is dead" and the baserunners can advance to another base. However, if the batter didn't attempt to avoid the ball, then he is not awarded the first base.
Memorable Alabaster Blast in the Past
Perhaps one of the most remembered alabaster blasts is when Don Drysdale hit Dick Dietz with a ball that might have led him to run, yet it turned out that Drysdale score became a winning streak at 44. The umpire of their match named Harry Wendeelstedt declared that Dietz didn't make an effort to avoid the pitch, leading him to fly out of the game while Drysdale's scoreless streak made a record of about 58-59 innings.
Alabaster Blast as a Strategy
Inside pitching is very uncommon to many baseball players, yet it can also use as a legal strategy against the opposing team. Many players are utilizing the brushback pitches to keep the opposing team away from the plate. These kinds of players are called "headhunters" because they tend to have a dangerous record for throwing these kinds of pitches. Even so, this tactic is proven effective, especially when deceiving the opposing team. The only danger of this tactic is when it becomes illegal, based on the umpire's judgment.
