1) Batter in box with two strikes. She takes a normal stance and as the pitch comes she slowly (about half speed) brings the bat to the contact point parallel to the front of the plate, stops, never breaks her wrists. The ball hits the bat, goes sharply to the ground and rolls foul about 2 feet up the 1st base line.
Defensive coach politely asks the ump if the batter is out since she "bunted" the ball foul with two strikes. Blue said "she wasn't trying to bunt, her hands were still together!" Do you have to "try" to bunt in order for it to be considered a bunt? It sure looked like a bunt.
Oddly enough, the first pitch she tried to bunt "for a hit" or a "sneaky bunt" as some call it... and it went foul for the first strike. Second pitch was a strike looking (change up).
So... the question is what exactly defines a bunt. I understand the good old "square up and get it down" sacrifice bunt. But what about the "sneaky bunt" or "drag bunt?" How are those defined?
Surely the fact that her hands were still together on the handle of the bat is irrelevant... right?
2) Similar but slightly different. I have seen other scenarios where a batter "checks" their swing and in essence bunts the ball with the bat parallel to the front of the plate. The swing is usually a full-speed swing where they slam on the brakes. In effect on this check-swing hit, the ball that is hit ends up taking the same flight path as a bunt. So is it a bunt... and if that check-swing hit goes foul on strike two is it just a foul ball? or strike 3?
Defensive coach politely asks the ump if the batter is out since she "bunted" the ball foul with two strikes. Blue said "she wasn't trying to bunt, her hands were still together!" Do you have to "try" to bunt in order for it to be considered a bunt? It sure looked like a bunt.
Oddly enough, the first pitch she tried to bunt "for a hit" or a "sneaky bunt" as some call it... and it went foul for the first strike. Second pitch was a strike looking (change up).
So... the question is what exactly defines a bunt. I understand the good old "square up and get it down" sacrifice bunt. But what about the "sneaky bunt" or "drag bunt?" How are those defined?
Surely the fact that her hands were still together on the handle of the bat is irrelevant... right?
2) Similar but slightly different. I have seen other scenarios where a batter "checks" their swing and in essence bunts the ball with the bat parallel to the front of the plate. The swing is usually a full-speed swing where they slam on the brakes. In effect on this check-swing hit, the ball that is hit ends up taking the same flight path as a bunt. So is it a bunt... and if that check-swing hit goes foul on strike two is it just a foul ball? or strike 3?