Ball/Bat/Batter contact around home plate

[goody14]

I have never seen information about this topic all put into one place. So, I am going to try and summarize this with my understanding of the rules. I am asking that people give this a look and correct me where needed. For some reason, I find all the usual manuals/books/etc lacking when describing these sorts of plays.

• Play - Batter throws bat and it interferes with fielder
  • FED - Out
  • NCAA - Out
  • OBR - Out
• Play - Ball rolls into bat lying on ground in fair territory (ball hits bat)
  • FED - Nothing
  • NCAA - Nothing
  • OBR - Nothing
• Play - Batter drops bat which hits a ball that is in fair territory (bat hits ball)
  • FED - Nothing unless intentional
  • NCAA - Interference and out
  • OBR - Interference and out
• Play - Ball in fair territory hits batter or bat in batter's hand when he is in the box
  • FED - Foul
  • NCAA - Foul
  • OBR - Foul
• Definition - What does it mean to be "in the box"
  • FED - At least one foot on the ground in the box (does not matter where any other foot is at)
  • NCAA - No feet completely on the ground outside the box
  • OBR - Both feet have to be on the ground and in the box

Do I have these right?

[Rich Ives]

OBR:  Says legal position is with both feet within the box but doesn't say on the ground.  

(5) (6.03) The batter’s legal position shall be with both feet within the batter’s box.
APPROVED RULING: The lines defining the box are within the batter’s box.

 

 

[stl_ump]

In a semi related question...

OBR - Batter drops the bat after an uncaught 3rd strike and the bat (unintentionally) hits the ball.  Nothing?

[Mad Mike]

@Goody14 nailed it. Bat hits the ball--all codes you have an out, even if unintentional. Why? Because this will hinder the fielder making a play.

[stl_ump]

3 minutes ago, Mad Mike said:

@Goody14 nailed it. Bat hits the ball--all codes you have an out, even if unintentional. Why? Because this will hinder the fielder making a play.

Is this a reply to my semi off topic question?

[beerguy55]

21 minutes ago, Mad Mike said:

@Goody14 nailed it. Bat hits the ball--all codes you have an out, even if unintentional. Why? Because this will hinder the fielder making a play.

If you're answering the question about the dropped third strike, my understanding is that since this is not a batted ball it would require intent to be INT.

I know I benefited from it once - I K'd on a curve ball, it bounced, hit the catcher, and it came forward as I was dropping my bat - the bat was moving backwards as I dropped it and hit the ball back to the backstop.   Ump ruled it nothing.

[Stk004]

On 4/12/2017 at 10:57 AM, stl_ump said:

In a semi related question...

OBR - Batter drops the bat after an uncaught 3rd strike and the bat (unintentionally) hits the ball.  Nothing?

If the batter interferes with the catcher and his attempt to field a dropped third strike he's out for interference. Throwing the bat which hits the ball and knocks it away from the catcher would easily qualify. This applies to OBR, I think FED has different requirements. 

[MT73]

On 4/12/2017 at 2:31 PM, Mad Mike said:

@Goody14 nailed it. Bat hits the ball--all codes you have an out, even if unintentional. Why? Because this will hinder the fielder making a play.

Actually he is out because the bat hit the ball a second time.

Hindering a fielder has noting to do with it because if this were true then he would also be out if the ball rolled into the bat as opposed to vice versa.

[Nafxos]

I had one of these plays yesterday and may have kicked it.

HS varsity, but we play under OBR here in Massachusetts.  I'm PU. R1. Righthanded batter bunts and runs into the ball in front of home plate. His trailing right foot was still on the ground in the box but most of his body was in front of the plate and the ball was clearly in fair territory.  No intent to interfere.  I ruled it foul.  DHC wanted an out.

I was pretty sure of myself when I made the call, but after re-reading the rules last night I began to think I should have grabbed the out.

I ran it by some other umpires this morning and the consensus was foul, but I just don't see that based on the actual language in the rules. 

[noumpere]

Foul under old interpretations of the rule.  Out under the current interpretations of the rule.