Bat Removed From Game

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Jul 14, 2010
716
18
NJ/PA
Scenario: 18U ASA Tournament last weekend, DD's first plate appearance in the semifinal game. She hits a double to left field, after the play is over the plate umpire calls time and removes the bat from the game, stating that it made a "rattling sound". The bat is a couple month old Louisville LXT and has no rattles.

I go out to the umpire to discuss with him, and state that all LXTs and Xenos make a distinctive "clack" sound when they are hit. I demonstrate this with her bat by hitting it against my hand, to no avail. Bat is clearly not broken. Opposing coach agrees. Umpire disagrees, stating that ASA rules demand that he remove the bat from play if he hears it making a rattling sound.

DD has to finish the game using a teammate's bat, which is a different size/weight than hers, because nobody else on the team uses the same size bat (33/24). Is there any way we could have handled it differently to keep the bat in play? The game was on a satellite field so no TD or UIC was available.
 
Mar 1, 2013
396
43
A bat with audible rattles or clicks is not legal and must be removed (ASA 3.1). If the umpire heard it rattling, even if "they all do that", then it should be removed from the game.
 
Oct 3, 2011
3,478
113
Right Here For Now
A bat with audible rattles or clicks is not legal and must be removed (ASA 3.1). If the umpire heard it rattling, even if "they all do that", then it should be removed from the game.

The Xenos in particular make a very distinctive sound when hit. It's hard to describe but the closest I can come is it almost sounds like glass breaking. Some umpire's who are unfamiliar with the bat and it's distinctive sounds when hit will often declare them broken and remove them from play. Just because they don't know these bats does not mean they are correct. In this case, "they all do that" is valid.
 
Last edited:
Dec 7, 2011
2,368
38
The Xeno in particular make a very distinctive sound when hit. It's hard to describe but the closest I can come is it almost sounds like glass breaking. Some umpire's who are unfamiliar with the bat and it's distinctive sounds when hit will often declare them broken and remove them from play. Just because they don't know these bats does not mean they are correct. In this case, "they all do it." is valid.

C'mon - what umpire working ASA would not be familiar withy the Xeno story (sound/rattles/etc). This one sounds fishy to me. Was this on the heels of some argument your team might have started with the blue?
 
Mar 1, 2013
396
43
OP said it rattled when struck against his hand. That umpire determined that to be a rattle and removed it per the rule. The OP didn't say whether they shook the bat to see if it had a rattle in it, just struck it against his hand. Since I wasn't there and we only have the OP's side of it, I can't tell you if the bat truly had a rattle making it illegal.

Rule 3.1 says that the bat must be free of rattles. The umpire in the game there heard a rattle and was correct in removing the bat based on his judgement that the bat rattled.
 
Oct 3, 2011
3,478
113
Right Here For Now
C'mon - what umpire working ASA would not be familiar withy the Xeno story (sound/rattles/etc). This one sounds fishy to me. Was this on the heels of some argument your team might have started with the blue?
I agree with you RB...it does sound a little strange to me also...no pun intended. They have been around awhile. That's not to say that it might have been a new ump who just got their patch. Any more to this story ScottyDont?
 
Jan 20, 2010
139
0
My DD LXT was deemed unsafe for play at ASA State as well due to a wobble. I was unaware of the wobble at the time and the umpire took the time to show me what he felt and saw. Mailed it off on a Monday. New bat 2015 model arrived on a Thursday. Louisville Slugger has some good service and stand by their products. The bat was less than a year old prob had less than 500 game hits on it, not used in a batting practice. Bat had serious pop before the wobble was discovered. Prior weekend looked like what I thought were well hit balls just dying thought something was up with the bat at that time but forgot after the game to grab it from her to check it out. Umpire actually did me a favor.
 
Mar 1, 2013
396
43
As for wobbles, those purple Easton Stealth's were famous for "lighting up" about the time they started to wobble. That wobble makes them illegal, though, and should properly be removed.

This pic was floating around another board from a national tournament where several were removed from play for just that reason:

6015369069_0b3e25da81_z.jpg
 
Jul 14, 2010
716
18
NJ/PA
I agree with you RB...it does sound a little strange to me also...no pun intended. They have been around awhile. That's not to say that it might have been a new ump who just got their patch. Any more to this story ScottyDont?

Honestly, no more to the story at all. She is the 2 hitter and it was the top of the first inning. No past history with the ump, we had just arrived at the satellite field for our first game there after playing in another location all day.

The ump did say he didn't care if they all made that sound. I would have shown him another bat that did it, but I didn't want to get two bats removed from play. I was as surprised as anyone that he wouldn't have past knowledge of that distinctive sound.
 
Nov 15, 2013
175
0
The Xenos in particular make a very distinctive sound when hit. It's hard to describe but the closest I can come is it almost sounds like glass breaking. Some umpire's who are unfamiliar with the bat and it's distinctive sounds when hit will often declare them broken and remove them from play. Just because they don't know these bats does not mean they are correct. In this case, "they all do that" is valid.

No umpire that is working an ASA tournament should be unfamiliar with the sound of a Xeno or LXT hitting the ball.
 

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