Throwing the bat

[BaltimoreUmpire]

My league uses OBR with some ammendments. Unlike most leagues I have worked for they do not have an ammendment that says throwing the bat is an out, my question is this: Is there an OBR rule that says throwing the bat is an out? I didn't see one but maybe I missed it. I had a kid throw a bat in this league it hit nobody(if it had I would have called him out because of safety) but the DHC was whining that it should be an out, I said that this league lacks that amendment. Am I correct that OBR itself has no rule on this?

[Jocko]

Fed rules it ejectionable. Not sure MLB has one. Ive seen plenty of bats fly into the stands and no out called.

[JaxRolo]

Same for OBR . All you can do is eject.

[DVA7130]

No no no no no no!!!!

No outs ever (barring no legal subs and you can play with 8 in some leagues).

Warn once per team then eject! This is a safety and liability issue.

I've actually had this protested before....

... like stealing money from a baby. :biggrin:

[BaltimoreUmpire]

Just clarify this isn't intentional bat throwing, this is accidental after hitting the ball into play I'm adding this to clarify this situation not sure if it changes anything .

[DVA7130]

Its called slinging the bat.

It is a warning and ejection.

I am Very tired of this myth.

[BigUmpire]

In USSSA Georgia you can restrict to dugout. Great use of this penalty. Ejections carry post game penalties.

[BaltimoreUmpire]

Its called slinging the bat.

It is a warning and ejection.

I am Very tired of this myth.

Here its not a myth its a rule in 99% of the leagues add in a rule that it is an out.

[DVA7130]

In USSSA Georgia you can restrict to dugout. Great use of this penalty. Ejections carry post game penalties.

True. I have never given the hook for this infraction or told the coach his player was "ejected". Just that he was removed from the game.

Its called slinging the bat.

It is a warning and ejection.

I am Very tired of this myth.

Here its not a myth its a rule in 99% of the leagues add in a rule that it is an out.

There is a special place in hell for local rules.

Damn them all.

[mjr_2013]

Our local rule is a "safety ejection"... Umpires can use it for any repeat violation of safety, i.e. not wearing a helmet, swinging a bat in the dugout, etc.

 

One team warning is given, upon the next violation the offender cannot hit for the rest of the game. They still must field their minimum play, and have no restrictions doing such, but the lineup is squeezed. It's basically an ejection without the automatic postgame consequences.

[BaltimoreUmpire]

In USSSA Georgia you can restrict to dugout. Great use of this penalty. Ejections carry post game penalties.

True. I have never given the hook for this infraction or told the coach his player was "ejected". Just that he was removed from the game.

Its called slinging the bat.

It is a warning and ejection.

I am Very tired of this myth.

Here its not a myth its a rule in 99% of the leagues add in a rule that it is an out. There is a special place in hell for local rules.

Damn them all.I get what you mean, although here anything not in the OBR code is a "local rule" given we are independent of a national or state organization. So technically our inning limit, our time limit, our field sizes are all local rules.

[CricketChapman]

Absent a local rule, there is no penalty for "slinging" the bat in OBR unless the "slinging" interferes with a defensive player.

[Forest Ump]

The rulebook (all codes) states every way an out can be made. Slinging the bat is not in there.

[ricka56]

The rulebook (all codes) states every way an out can be made. Slinging the bat is not in there.

 

Some local rule codes do call for an out for a thrown bat (they do not want umpires ejecting Johnny Batslinger).

 

Do you call it the way the facility wants it to be called or call it the way the rules purist wants it called.  

 

Or is the solution to throw the baby out with the bath water and not accept games with such a rule.

[BaltimoreUmpire]

The rulebook (all codes) states every way an out can be made. Slinging the bat is not in there.

Some local rule codes do call for an out for a thrown bat (they do not want umpires ejecting Johnny Batslinger).

Do you call it the way the facility wants it to be called or call it the way the rules purist wants it called.

Or is the solution to throw the baby out with the bath water and not accept games with such a rule.If by that last part you mean don't take games with an out for throwing/slinging the bat rule that would leave you almost out of work here, only 1 league doesn't have such a rule.(I know you probably were joking though).

[ricka56]

 

The rulebook (all codes) states every way an out can be made. Slinging the bat is not in there.

Some local rule codes do call for an out for a thrown bat (they do not want umpires ejecting Johnny Batslinger).

Do you call it the way the facility wants it to be called or call it the way the rules purist wants it called.

Or is the solution to throw the baby out with the bath water and not accept games with such a rule. If by that last part you mean don't take games with an out for throwing/slinging the bat rule that would leave you almost out of work here, only 1 league doesn't have such a rule.(I know you probably were joking though).

 

No joke, if someone felt strongly about it and had no intention of calling the game per local rules, then he shouldn't take the gig. If that leaves him without games, then at least he has his principles to feel good about.

[MadMax]

There is nothing in the OBR penalizing unintentional / repeat / habitual bat-slinging. One has to _intentionally_ fling / sling / hurl his bat at someone, and the penalty is an Ejection.

 

That's not to say that a bat-slinger won't get a fine from the Commish's office later. Also – this is another one of those things about MLB's "skeletons in the closet" that no mom (I'll be fair, parent) or insurance agent want to hear about – if you pull that stunt in the Majors, and cream a catcher with a flung bat, unless it was completely accidental, you, or one of your teammates, is going to be wearing a pitch at the next AB. I was a catcher for 16 years, and I've gotten whacked by bats more times than I can count, and on some occasions, even in Babe Ruth ball, I would make my displeasure known somehow to the offending party. Call one high-and-tight next time he was up, or if he was on base, snap-throw a pickoff from my spot behind the plate at his body so that even if my F3 caught it, he was going to feel it.

 

I like to share my feelings.

 

This whole nonsense about "Outs" and "Ejections" for ballplayers under the age of 18 is only because we, as a society, cringe at confrontation and retaliation. Yeah, it's a safety thing, I get that completely. But to go right to Defcon 1 ("You, 12-year old ballplayer, are Ejected!") because a bat leaves a batter's control is ludicrous. Sure, I've had to chastise / warn a batter-runner about his bat-flinging, "Hey! Don't do that again!" and usually (especially from me, Mad Max) it gets the message across. But I'm also sure there are players out there – and worse, _coaches_ – who will retort with "Or else what? So what?". These are the dipsh!ts these "local rules" were written for. Because Heaven forbid we (any ballplayer) educate them on the ramifications of bat-slinging, Via Earhole*.

 

* = I'm not a violent person, nor an advocate for violence. I am very non-confrontational, mostly because I know, first-hand, that confrontations of any kind have these things called "Consequences"... which is something today's generations are sorely lacking knowledge and respect of.

[JaxRolo]

I got hit by a bat for the first the other day. (Ribs) not a good feeling.

 

Next time a batter wants to be that careless = BYE_BYE

[FleasOf1000Camels]

Local leagues that want to make up their own silly rules deserve to get the bottom of the barrel umpires.

[SoCal Lurker]

 I didn't see one but maybe I missed it. I had a kid throw a bat in this league it hit nobody(if it had I would have called him out because of safety) but the DHC was whining that it should be an out, I said that this league lacks that amendment. Am I correct that OBR itself has no rule on this?

 

No!!!!!!!!!!!!  Don't make stuff up!!!!!  If the league wanted a stupid rule like that, they would adopt it.

 

 

 

Here its not a myth its a rule in 99% of the leagues add in a rule that it is an out.

 

Sad.  Truly sad.  (Though I am impressed that you have 100 local leagues so that the one league that does it righ is only one percent.)

[Rich Ives]

I got hit by a bat for the first the other day. (Ribs) not a good feeling.

 

Next time a batter wants to be that careless = BYE_BYE

 

Basis?

[JaxRolo]

 

I got hit by a bat for the first the other day. (Ribs) not a good feeling.

 

Next time a batter wants to be that careless = BYE_BYE

 

Basis?

 

Stupidness!

[BigUmpire]

 

 

I got hit by a bat for the first the other day. (Ribs) not a good feeling.

 

Next time a batter wants to be that careless = BYE_BYE

 

Basis?

 

Stupidness!

 

Basis? Yes. He is obviously unsafe to all people inside the fence.

[JaxRolo]

Don't hit me with the bat and there will be no problem!

[BigUmpire]

Decision tree

1. Bat slingers are unsafe.
2. First responsibility of the umpires is to ensure safety.
3. Eject unsafe people.
4. See #s 1&2 above
5. End.