Hilton1

I’m referring to Little League and the rules that apply. All the different ways shared on making the call on situation 1 &2. 1. First, watch the bat, and then 2nd warn and then out & eject. 2. You will lose the protest for calling out. Not according to another. 3. Protested to Williamsport and ruled out not eject. WOW this was interesting. 4. Warn batter and manager. Batter throws bat again eject. Ice the arm. Not sure if he ejected manager too. 5. Warn the batter and the team and ask manager to remove the bat throwing guy until he goes to a clinic. 6. Bat thrown first time, team warning, and then eject the next offender. No out. 7. Situation 1 could be out for interference or nothing. Situation 2. Eject. 8. All kinds of replies with rules from other rule books. 9. Some “funny†suggestions like make the batter put the bat in the rack. 10. “KISS†Keep it simple stupid.. Warn then eject. Most all leagues have rules that address the situations I asked about. Possibly allow for an out for interference in situation 1. It simply was interference and affected the game. (The parent of the catcher was pissed at me for not making a call and I heard it pretty loud.) I should have ejected the batter but the game was over. I do like to keep it simple so I thought I might get some feedback on adjusting an existing rule in the book 6.05 (g) page 72 of the 2013 Little League rule book to address batters throwing the bat directly at the catcher or umpire. Thanks for the candid replies.

Agreed, on the rules of simply throwing the bat but one of the 17 ways to be out is for throwing a bat that hits the ball a second time. Interference, easy call and rule applied. Nothing for hitting the catcher that interferes or umpire. We can debate the unsportsmanlike of throwing the bat but the rule should be clear. The current rule is clear on interference with the catcher on fielding or throwing a ball but not recieving a ball. So, as in situation 1 in above post on page one we have no rule to apply except ejection maybe but the game is over and we had interference on the play. This is not simply throwing the bat. It seems 9.01© could apply.

No such rule exist in LL rule book.

I was trying to brain storm a rule even LL volunteer umpires would be able to call. You could take out the catcher box part but give the umpire judgement on bats that land in fair that cause interference. ( Should be simple judgement on interference or not) I was trying to address the slap hitter that throws a bat into fair territory and hinders a first baseman from making a play. According to LL officials there is no rule for throwing the bat but I quoted a rule that does apply to a thrown bat that is ruled based on what happens to the bat and the ball. I don't think it would be that hard to apply a rule here that doen't always mean ejection. Bats that are thrown away from the play or doesn't hit catcher or umpire is "no harm no foul". You could also issue a warning when a bat hit the catcher or umpire and eject the next occurrence. Obviously, a bat thrown in anger is easy call. I would like to hear some situations if this rule were in place that it wouldn't work. Be the devils advacate and give me some situations you have seen on this. Makes the call easy on the situations in my original post. The post by mstaylor is the call you have to make at this point by rule, so you have to eject or call nothing.

This is correct. Here's the relevant cite: 7.09 It is interference by a batter or runner when - (e) Any batter or runner who has just been put out, or any runner who has just scored, hinders or impedes any following play being made on a runner. Such runner shall be declared out for the interference of his teammate; But there was no throw.......hence no play. Ball + runner = play. To hinder is to hold back and often implies stopping or prevention. Definition. Umpire judgement of being hindered on the play.

So maybe we make the batter stop and put his bat in the bat rack before going to first? Do we make the fielders wait for him to do it? No, we keep catchers and umpires safe from bats that do not need to be thrown in their direction. Batters do not need to throw the bat to perform hitting but catchers and umpires need to dodge those bats just because why? I was commenting on the bolded part. When you played what did you do with your bat after hitting the ball? Ahh, the bolded area. First lets go down memory lane. When I played 40 plus years ago I do not remember throwing a bat at the catcher or umpire. Those that did were warned and then called out. The manager coached this out of the batter. That was then and this is now. The last 15 years of umpiring I have not had to enforce a throwing of the bat penalty until now. The last two years it has happened more often. In the last two years I have seen two catchers leave the game with injuries to their arms from thrown bats and had a bat wrap around my neck. Little League needs a more black and white rule. Have you done a Little League game lately with all the new pitching and catching rules? Have you heard the dreaded words from a manager " Hey blue, I have to try this guy out at catcher, sorry". Now I'm the back stop for pitches and bats. I am making suggestions on addressing this on a rule that most can agree.

So maybe we make the batter stop and put his bat in the bat rack before going to first? Do we make the fielders wait for him to do it? No, we keep catchers and umpires safe from bats that do not need to be thrown in their direction. Batters do not need to throw the bat to perform hitting but catchers and umpires need to dodge those bats just because why?

I find it interesting that there are so many different ways to make the call on throwing the bat (most have ejections) in replies. It seems that in Little League it would be clear. The rule should state that any bat that strikes a catcher or umpire is interference and ruled dead ball out. Just as a bat that ends up in fair territory could cause interference. (depending on what happens after the bat is thrown, hits nothing, "no harm no foul" should apply to this call. In addition, a bat that rest inside the catchers box or in fair territory after hitting a ball and in the judgement of the umpire interferes with a play should be ruled interference and ruled out and dead. No runners advance. I have seen a situation in softball (not baseball yet) when a slap hitter pounds the ball into the ground creating a big bounce and while running up the line throw the bat into fair territory creating a distraction for the first baseman making the play. The at bat is legal and by rule unless the bat hits the ball or the ball hits the bat, I have no call for interference. Little League rules should create this rule. Takes the gray out of it.

You make the call if any and please provide rule you would use. Only one of these is an actual situation. Situation 1: Bases loaded, two outs, bottom of the sixth inning with game tied. Batter hits the ball to third but throws the bat which hits the catcher. The third baseman throws the ball toward the catcher who is down on the ground holding his arm. The ball goes to the back stop and runner on third scores. Game over? Situation 2: Runner on second, one out, top of the fifth inning. Batter, who had been given two prior warnings for throwing the bat is up. Batter hits pop fly to left field which is not caught. The bat is thrown and deflects off the umpires shoulder and goes to the back stop. Batter stops at 1st and runner on second scores. You make the call. Little League does have a throwing of the bat rule already in place. It is Rule 6.05 (g) on page 72 of the 2013 rule book. The rule is enforced if the bat hits the ball a second time in fair territory and judgment of intent is assessed if the ball hits the bat in fair territory. In either case the rule is enforced due to the throwing of the bat. The result of the bat hitting the ball does not mean that the defense cannot make a play and in some cases it may help them as the ball gets to the defense faster. It is not the end result that causes the out but the possiblity of interference that is ruled. The rule 9.01 © is what I use in Little League to enforce this since the rule does not specify the bat hitting the catcher or umpire. Just as in these situations, I believe that if a batter throws the bat and it hits a catcher or umpire than just as the rule states the batter is out and no runners may advance. In throwing the bat toward the catcher or umpire and hitting them with it causes the interference and should be ruled dead ball out. I think ejecting is a little harsh for these situations but could apply.