LL Special Runner

[LMSANS]

I was working the Sr-LL Sectional tourney and the following situation came up:

They use the "special runner" rule which allows for a special runner once each inning. The special runner must not be in the line up and the player being run for can only be run for once.

B4 (DH) gets a hit, HC puts in F2 (who the DH is hitting for) as the special runner. The first game this happened, it was allowed after some discussion.

The District UIC gave a different interpretation after the game. The fielder being batted for is "in the lineup" , and technically not eligible to be a special runner.

The rules book uses the phrase "not in the batting order" to describe eligibility for the special runner. The coach says the fielder is "not in the batting order".

Not bad logic by the coach, but my interp is that the field is in the batting order and therefore not eligible. That's the way we went.

Are there any opinions out there? As far as I know this is only a Little League rule.

[semper_fi_72]

Not eligible to be a special runner.

SP must be someone not presently in the game in any aspect.

[Rich Ives]

Not eligible to be a special runner.

SP must be someone not presently in the game in any aspect.

Exactly.

[grayhawk]

Besides, he IS in the batting order. The player being hit for (by the DH) must be listed in the batting order. When there's a DH, there are 10 players listed.