Quote:
Originally Posted by robbie
I'm well aware of the myths surrounding an out for a thrown bat.
Obviously some town balls implement such a rule. 
Is there such a silly provision specifically in any LITTLE LEAGUE rule sets?
Thank you in advance |
I think this is a local "safety" rule many local leagues have put into place to protect players and umpires from injuries. The local league I have worked previously has had a rule in place which says for a thrown bat (that does not interfere) it is a warning to the batter. If the act is repeated the offender shall be ejected.
I can say I have dodged a lot of bats while umpiring these games, and have never ejected a player. I also will call time, walk down to first base (or third base) and have a little chat with the batter and the coach regarding controlling the bat. Normally that handles the situation pretty quickly.
I actually did have one ejection from a flying bat situation. A defensive coach was tossed for arguing the thrown bat rule with me. The catcher had been repeatedly warned for creeping up too close to the batter (by myself and the defensive / his coach). A batter had taken a spot in the front of the box for the first couple pitches, which caused the catcher to move forward. For the next pitch the batter was in the very back of the box. On the swing, the batter swings and hits a ball to the outfield, but on the follow through, the bat catches the catcher's helmet, knocking him to the ground. As the bat his the helmet it knocks the bat from the batters hand. I had immediately called him when this happened (I would award the bases later) because this was a potential injury situation. The catcher ended up with a concussion. The DC absolutely went ballistic saying I had to eject the batter for throwing the bat at his players head. Obviously a complaint was filed with the league office regarding this. Thankfully for me, a parent from one of the teams had videotaped the play, and it clearly showed the play exactly as I had described it. The player ended up being ok, but that game (and treatment from coach / parents, plus a few issues with the league were why I stopped working that league.