Editing Hit by pitch (section)

==Tactical use==
[[File:Brushback (4561531461).jpg|thumb|right|Iván Rodríguez (right) of the [[Washington Nationals]] is brushed back by an inside pitch during a 2010 game at [[Wrigley Field]].]]
[[Inside pitching]] is a common and legal tactic in baseball, and many players make use of [[brushback pitch]]es, or pitches aimed underneath the chin, commonly referred to as "chin music", to keep players away from the [[home plate|plate]]. "Headhunter" is a common term for pitchers who have a reputation for throwing these kinds of pitches. However, throwing at a batter intentionally is illegal, and can be very dangerous. When an [[umpire (baseball)|umpire]] suspects that a pitcher has thrown at a batter intentionally, but is not certain, a warning is issued to the pitcher and the [[manager (baseball)|managers]] of both teams. From that point on, any pitch thrown at a batter can cause the pitcher and the manager of the offending team to be ejected immediately from the game. Serious offenses such as a ball thrown at the head (called a [[beanball]]) can result in the immediate ejection of the pitcher, and the manager if he ordered the beanball, even without a warning. If the umpire is certain that the pitcher intentionally hit the batter with the pitch, the pitcher is ejected from the game with no warning. This infamously happened on August 15, 2018, when [[José Ureña]] was ejected from a game against the [[Atlanta Braves]] after hitting [[Ronald Acuña Jr.]] on the elbow with the first pitch of the game, which led to the Braves' and Marlins' [[Bench-clearing_brawl|benches emptying]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bowman |first1=Mark |title=Acuna drilled by 1st pitch, benches clear |url=https://www.mlb.com/braves/news/ronald-acuna-jr-hit-by-pitch-leading-off-game/c-290497832 |access-date=August 16, 2018 |work=MLB.com |date=August 15, 2018}}</ref>

Occasionally, if a player is acting rude or unsportsmanlike, or having an extraordinarily good day, the pitcher may intentionally hit the batter, disguising it as a pitch that accidentally slipped his control. Managers may also order a pitcher to throw such a pitch (sometimes called a "plunking").<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Bissinger |first=Buzz |date=2005 |title=To Bean or Not to Bean |pages=86–93 |magazine=Sports Illustrated |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/17780011 |access-date=June 12, 2022|id={{ProQuest|17780011}} }}</ref> These pitches are typically aimed at the lower back and slower than normal, designed to send a message more than anything else. The opposing team usually hits a batter in retaliation for this act. The plunkings generally end there because of umpire warnings, but in some cases things can get out of hand, and sometimes they lead to the batter [[charging the mound]], [[bench-clearing brawl]]s, and several ejections.