Quote:
Originally posted by Ref Ump Welsch
Moving the bat will actually lessen your liability, because you will be negligent in leaving it where it was. By leaving the bat in the basepath, and knowing it was there, you establish negligence.
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Wrong. If you had nothing to do with the bat being there, and you didn't since it was the result of the play, then there is no way that you can be held liable or even considered negligent for not doing anything about it. It is a public field, being used by the public, for the intent that it was designed and established for. Your statement here is akin to saying something along the lines of, there is ice on the street, and if you are aware of it and fail to remove it, you will be liable for any accidents that occur. That is total BS, and you know it. Now, if this was your own private property that you had someone playing ball on, your argument may hold water.
However, it is the legal gurus for the various associations who have for years told umpires not to handle equipment, because if anything happens to a player as a result, then you are liable. By not moving equipment, by not even touching it, there is absolutely no way that you can be liable.