Bunt or not...

[LMSANS]

I was asked this the other day and thought it was interesting...

2 strikes on the batter, batter puts his bat out as in a bunt, he pulls it back because the pitch is inside.  The ball hits the bat for a foul ball.  Is the batter out?

[Nafxos]

I don't have a rule reference or interpretation handy, but if I saw that on the field right now I would say "foul".  I would not rule it a bunt attempt with two strikes.

[maven]

No. He didn't offer, so it's not a bunt. Just a foul ball.

[Rich Ives]

I was asked this the other day and thought it was interesting...

2 strikes on the batter, batter puts his bat out as in a bunt, he pulls it back because the pitch is inside.  The ball hits the bat for a foul ball.  Is the batter out?

​No.

OBR and NCAA Bunt definitions say " . . intentionally met . ." and this surely wasn't. Therefore it isn't a bunt.

The FED definition (2011 book) is so convoluted that one could claim most any non-swinging contact with the bat is a bunt. Fortunately we know one when we see one.

 

[CricketChapman]

Per usual, Maven is correct.

There was a fantastic Jim Joyce ejection of former Astros' manager Brad Mills over this exact play a few years back.  Here's the link:

Edited May 6, 2015 by Umpire in Chief

[Umpire in Chief]

Great question I hadn't thought of this before. But in thinking about it Maven is correct. If you don't have an attempt, you don't have a bunt so it is just foul.

[maineump]

That video really shows the point - nice pick-up! What? The announcers agreed with a call? Pulling the bat back does not make an attempt to bunt - foul ball.