Just curious...

[Jboval]

Right handed batter in 1st Inning, hits a screamer down the 1st base line, called foul. After contact the kids bat comes all the way around, he let's go, and the bat bounces off both mine and the catchers shin guards. I warn the coach, and also tell the kid, while handing him back the bat, that he has been warned for not controlling his bat after hitting the ball.

Fast forward to bottom of last inning, same batter, same scenario, same foul ball down the line, bat is let go again, and this time the kid hangs on to the bat so long that when he lets it go, the head of the bat strikes the catcher dead on in the ribs, behind his left arm. I hear it, hear the kid go "ooof!" as the air leaves him and he drops to the ground, and immediately I look at the kid, and eject him.

The coach goes nuts... "You are seriously going to eject a 10 yr old for not holding on to the bat?", "Coach, you were warned, he was warned, and now he has injured another player", as I point to the two coaches tending to the kid laying on the ground in pain, just 10' away from where we are having our discussion. "Seriously? You are ejecting him?", "seriously coach, not better time for him to learn that he has to control that bat, and not put others in harm's way". We then have a discussion about how he can now not put in another player because he has no legal substitutions, and then he just says "Forget, it, we quit - Boys, pack up your gear!". They were down by 2 with one out (the ejection), with the top of the order coming up. You gotta love these guys sometimes.

Side note: I would of just warned him again for throwing the bat, but I just couldn't let it go when he injured someone.

What would you have done? :shrug:

[mstaylor]

Just exactly what you did. Warn the kid and then eject him. You know better than me but it sounds like the coach is against the wall for at least a warning if not an early exit.

[yawetag]

Side note: I would of just warned him again for throwing the bat, but I just couldn't let it go when he injured someone.

Not me. He's already had his warning.

[Big Red]

Not me. He's already had his warning.

X2!

[Umpire in Chief]

I had a similat situation a few years ago in a Pony game.

1st time he slings his bat and it misses everybody. I warn and talk to the coach.

2nd time the same kid slings his bat and nails the catcher. I talk to the coach and the coach removes the kid. I didn't need to eject.

[softballcoach]

Our ground rules in our league call for an out in this situation, not an ejection.

[Jboval]

Our ground rules in our league call for an out in this situation, not an ejection.

I can't see calling an out here. Nothing in the book allows for it, and it's a safety issue, and in my experience, when you warn about a safety issue, and it's repeated, you eject. I am assuming if they throw the bat in your league, it's an out without a warning. I don't agree with that either, unless the thrown bat interferes with the play somehow. Just my thoughts on it...:shrug:

[DirtyDawg]

New question. If you eject a player from throwing a bat who made it to first, are they then out, or do they get a replacement runner?

[Umpire in Chief]

They get to be replaced.

[softballcoach]

I am assuming if they throw the bat in your league, it's an out without a warning.

No, they're warned the first time, then called out the second time, usually the coach will remove them from the game at that point.

[mstaylor]

Our ground rules in our league call for an out in this situation, not an ejection.

That's a terrible rule. You are punishing the entire team for the actions of one knucklehead. Eject him and he will figure it out quickly.