Bunted ball hits bat in fair territory.

Hoover's Dad · Oct 16, 2011

I have heard two different explanantions about a ball that rolls into a bat in fair territory. Intentional or un intentional. What are the correct rules?

I saw a ball bunted yesterday that had back spin on it, when it hit the ground the ball spun backwards 3 feet and hit the batters bat that was laying in fair territory. The HPU called the batter out and made a runner go back to 2b.

Comp · Oct 16, 2011

The batter is still responsible for the bat as long as it is moving. Once the bat is stationary, it becomes part of the field. The question that has to be answered is, did the ball hit the bat, or did the bat hit the ball? If in the umpires judgement the bat hit the ball, the batter would be called out. If in their judgement the ball hit the bat, it is nothing, live ball.

Hoover's Dad · Oct 16, 2011

If he calls the batter out, do base runners have to go back to original base?

MTR · Oct 16, 2011

Hoover's Dad said:
If he calls the batter out, do base runners have to go back to original base?

They return to the last base touched at the time of teh INT.

Ajaywill · Oct 17, 2011

Comp said:
The batter is still responsible for the bat as long as it is moving. Once the bat is stationary, it becomes part of the field. The question that has to be answered is, did the ball hit the bat, or did the bat hit the ball? If in the umpires judgement the bat hit the ball, the batter would be called out. If in their judgement the ball hit the bat, it is nothing, live ball.

To add to this, if both the bat and the ball are moving when they contact each other, then the bat has hit the ball, interference, batter/runner is out.

shagpal · Mar 1, 2012

Top

each runner returns to last base at "Time of Pitch"

MTR said:
They return to the last base touched at the time of teh INT.

MTR · Mar 1, 2012

shagpal said:
each runner returns to last base at "Time of Pitch"

Not if I am enforcing 8.2.F.5&Effect based upon 1.Batter-runner

shagpal · Mar 6, 2012

why, irish? OP never mentioned any fielder making a play on the ball.

MTR said:
Not if I am enforcing 8.2.F.5&Effect based upon 1.Batter-runner

MTR · Mar 6, 2012

shagpal said:
why, irish? OP never mentioned any fielder making a play on the ball.

Because it is a fair batted ball which means there is no longer a batter (rule 7), but a batter-runner (rule 8). It is a fair batted ball which means there is no longer a batter, but a BR.

7.6.K dictates the batter hits the ball a second time. The notation involving the dropped bat is an exception noting the ball ball remains live, not when it becomes dead due to interference.

8.2.F.5 is more inclusive. Would not a discarded bat hitting a fair batted ball be interfering with the defense's attempt to make a play on that ball? Also, if you check 8.6.C, it states that when a batter, batter-runner or runner is called out for interference, all other runners return to the last base touched at the time of the interference.

I will grant you the point that 7.6.K is the most often cited in such a case, but what are you going to tell the coach who wants to raise the issue that if there is a fair batted ball, by rule, there is no longer a batter?

shagpal · Mar 7, 2012

whichever, TOP or TOI, placement of runners would most likely come out to be the same.

but whatever you smoking, I'm not buying.

MTR said:
Because it is a fair batted ball which means there is no longer a batter (rule 7), but a batter-runner (rule 8). It is a fair batted ball which means there is no longer a batter, but a BR.

7.6.K dictates the batter hits the ball a second time. The notation involving the dropped bat is an exception noting the ball ball remains live, not when it becomes dead due to interference.

8.2.F.5 is more inclusive. Would not a discarded bat hitting a fair batted ball be interfering with the defense's attempt to make a play on that ball? Also, if you check 8.6.C, it states that when a batter, batter-runner or runner is called out for interference, all other runners return to the last base touched at the time of the interference.

I will grant you the point that 7.6.K is the most often cited in such a case, but what are you going to tell the coach who wants to raise the issue that if there is a fair batted ball, by rule, there is no longer a batter?

Bunted ball hits bat in fair territory.

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