Statement Analysis Quiz: Did Pitcher Hit Batter Intentionally?

Here is a short quiz for readers.

Did this pitcher hit this batter intentionally?  Caution:  Don't vote until you read the entire entry!

Did the Pitcher Hit Him Intentionally?
	No, it is a reliable denial
	Unreliable Denial, but I still cannot tell
	Yes, unreliable denial plus sensitivity
pollcode.com free polls

Please keep in mind that we call an "unreliable" denial this very thing because in some circumstances, it just takes a few more questions to bring out a reliable denial.

Here is an example.  The accusation:  driver smoked pot last Thursday while transporting children.  The union will not allow the private transport company to drug test him.

Q.  Did you drive last Thursday under the influence of marijuana?
A.  No

Q.  A child has reported seeing you smoke marijuana early that day.  How do you speak to this?
A.  I would never smoke marijuana and drive.

This is an unreliable denial.  The word "never" is not a substitute for "did not" and is more likely to be used in a question where one is asked if he "ever" had smoked marijuana.  

The word "would" is future/conditional tense and is not connecting the denial to a past tense event.  Notice that in the questioning, "Thursday" is a specific day. 

Q.  Okay, but he is saying you did and that another child also saw you and even described the "funny cigarette" to your supervisor.

A.  I never smoked marijuana.

This is not a reliable denial.  "Never" is an indiscriminate or non-specific answer that avoids "Thursday."  "Never" is less stressful for liars.  See Lance Armstrong.  He "never" doped, nor did Marion Jones.  Neither could ever say "I didn't", but both could say "I never."  It is an interesting difference that should always be carefully noted. 

Q.  Is there anything else you want to say?
A.  No.  I didn't smoke pot last Thursday.  I don't care what kids thought they saw.

Here is the reliable denial.  It took a few questions to get it from him but now that he has given it, the odds that he did not smoke marijuana have increased greatly. 

Q.  Why would this kid say he saw you?
A.  I don't know.  Go ask him. I didn't smoke marijuana last Thursday.

Q.  You said, "I didn't smoke marijuana last Thursday." Why should we believe you?
A.  Because I told the truth.  Can I go now?

He has now moved into statistically innocence.  "I told the truth" is clear:

1.  The pronoun "I"
2.  The past tense "told"
3.  the inclusion of "truth" regarding his denial. 

He didn't smoke marijuana but buys cheap tobacco and  rolls his own cigarettes.   For some, it just takes a little time to get the denial, but it must come from the subject and now our own words. 

Here is the article and the quote for you to analyze on your own.  The Pitcher and this batter have an ugly history, and the batter has a reputation for being hit by pitches.  

NY Post:

Greinke, who signed a six-year $147 million contract with the Dodgers this offseason, hit Padres outfielder Carlos Quentin with a pitch in the sixth inning, causing the slugger to charge the mound where Greinke lowered his shoulder as the fight erupted.

The two players have a history as Greinke had plunked Quentin twice prior when the two were in the American League (Greinke with Kansas City and Quentin with Chicago).

Still, Greinke remained adamant that he did not mean to hit Quentin on purpose.

"I never hit him on purpose," said Greinke, who had his left arm in a sling and appeared shaken after the game. "I never thought about hitting him on purpose. He always seems to think that I'm hitting him on purpose, but that's not the case. That's all I can really say about it."

The fight did not end there however, as Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp nearly came to blows with Quentin after the game as the two were leaving Petco Park and had to be separated by police and security.

"I think Carlos Quentin went to Stanford, something like that?" Kemp said. "I heard there's smart people at Stanford. That wasn't too smart. Greinke didn't do anything wrong. That stuff happens in the minor leagues. It doesn't happen in the big leagues."

Quentin has developed a reputation as a hitter who is frequently hit by pitches. The outfielder has led the majors in hit-by-pitches in each of the past two seasons and has the seventh-highest total among active players with 116.

It is unclear how much time Greinke will be forced to miss after the incident.