Ball hits bat dropped in fair territory

[alabama_lowlife]

So how about a situation in which a batter reaches to bunt a low pitch, and the ball goes straight down from the bat, hits the ground, and bounces up and hits the bat. Is that ball hits bat, dead ball foul? Or is that considered bat hits ball a second time, dead ball out?

Happened exactly like this to us this weekend. Called her out.

 

[Comp]

Happened exactly like this to us this weekend. Called her out.

If the batter is still in the box and the bat is still in the batters hands it is just a foul ball. If it happens to be a bunt attempt with 2 strikes the batter would be out.

 

[alabama_lowlife]

It bounced up off the plate and right back into the bat.

 

[Umpireernie]

It bounced up off the plate and right back into the bat.

Right.. Dead ball. Foul.

 

[CPEM]

The catcher then got her feet tangled in the bat trying to pick up the ball.

In the later it is play on--unless the bat itself interferes with a fielder trying to field the ball.

ASA 8-2-F-5:
BATTER-RUNNER IS OUT when the batter-runner interferes by discarding their bat in a manner that prevents the defense from making a play on the ball.

Does the above apply in the scenario presented by the OP?

 

[Ajaywill]

ASA 8-2-F-5:
BATTER-RUNNER IS OUT when the batter-runner interferes by discarding their bat in a manner that prevents the defense from making a play on the ball.

Does the above apply in the scenario presented by the OP?

My initial thought would be probably not.

The rule implies that the batter discards the bat to deliberately prevent or hinder the defense from making the play. Simply dropping the bat after a bunt doesn't necessarily qualify. It's very much a judgement call and one of those plays that you really need to see to make a judgement on it.

 

[CPEM]

My initial thought would be probably not.

The rule implies that the batter discards the bat to deliberately prevent or hinder the defense from making the play. Simply dropping the bat after a bunt doesn't necessarily qualify. It's very much a judgement call and one of those plays that you really need to see to make a judgement on it.

I would think that if the rulemakers wanted this to apply to only instances where the bat was discarded to intentionally prevent or hinder the defense from making a play, they would have used "intentional" as they have in other parts of the book. I think the rule was meant to cover those scenarios where a catcher has to evade a thrown bat while trying to make a play on the ball. Thrown bats could be intentional or unintentional, thus they didn't include the word "intentional" in the rule. However, the way it is written may leave it open to interpretation. Rule Supplement #17 states "official equipment which may be in live ball territory with no penalty includes the batter's bat..." So that one tells us that it's ok for the bat to be there.

 

[Umpireernie]

I think to invoke 8-2-F-5 the discarded bat needs to be still moving as a result of being discarded by the batter. A bat simply laying on the ground after being discarded that a fielder later trips over would not be INT. A bat dropped on a bunt that bounces/rolls into F2 and causes her to be unable to play the batted ball would be INT. I don't need to judge "intent".

 

[MT 73]

The rule implies that the batter discards the bat to deliberately prevent or hinder the defense from making the play
If the rule does not say deliberate than we cannot assume it is implied.

I think to invoke 8-2-F-5 the discarded bat needs to be still moving
Does the rule state the bat must be moving??

A bat simply laying on the ground after being discarded that a fielder later trips over would not be INT.
It would if it landed in fair territory and hindered a fielder from making a play--a discarded bat has no business being in fair ground.

 

[BretMan]

It would if it landed in fair territory and hindered a fielder from making a play--a discarded bat has no business being in fair ground.

Can you give us any rule, interpretation or guideline that says a discarded bat shouldn't be in fair territory?

What if...batter hits a high pop up behind the plate, discards the bat in foul territory, then the catcher trips over it in foul territory?