Quote:
Originally Posted by Tru_in_Blu
[blocked ball rules]
If a thrown ball enters the on deck circle (which the on deck batter has vacated) and contacts one or two bats that the on deck batter left there, do we have a blocked ball?
What if a thrown ball hits the batter's discarded bat?
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This illustrates how the same object is treated differently based upon circumstances. How about a batted ball that strikes a bat in fair or foul territory?
NFHS's rule for an on-deck batter mirrors the blocked ball rule. In both of OP's scenarios, how would you rule if the person hit on the field was the in-the-hole batter, a bench player not currently in the game, the batgirl, or a ball-shagger?
In OP's second scenario, the defense is at fault. In the first, the offense is at fault. Similar actions, same object, different subtleties. Applying a black and white rule to gray areas will create perceived injustices.