"Hands are Part of the Body"
There are some who still operate under the impression that the hands are part of the bat and that if the ball is hit fair from contact with the hands that the ball is live and can be played
The HANDS are part of the ARM. The ARM is part of the BODY . There are no human body parts that are part of the BAT
If a legally pitched ball hits a batter's hand(s) that are gripping the bat as the batter swings or makes an offer, even if the ball goes fair, it is called a dead ball and becomes a STRIKE. No runners advance
If the ball makes contact with the hands while in the strike zone without a swing, it is a STRIKE.
If the ball contacts the hands that are not in the strke zone and no offer is being made, that is a "hit batter" and he advances to 1st Base.
