[ozzy6900]

Originally posted by Dave Hensley
6.05(h) A batter is out when after hitting or bunting a fair ball, his bat hits the ball a second time in fair
territory. The ball is dead and no runners may advance.

and this caseplay in the JEA:

One out...runner on second base. The batter bunts the ball in front of home plate. The batter drops his bat and it accidentally hits the ball. The catcher fields the ball and retires the runner advancing to third. The batter is safe at first. What's your ruling?
RULING: The runner returns to second. The batter is out. The ball becomes dead immediately when a thrown
bat hits a fair ball a second time.

More black-letter rule:

7.09(b) It is interference by a batter or a runner when after hitting or bunting a fair ball, his bat hits the
ball a second time in fair territory. The ball is dead and no runners may advance.

This play from the JEA:

Situations: One out...runners on first and second. The batter bunts the ball in fair territory. He throws the bat down and it touches the bunted ball a second time; however, the catcher is able to field the ball. He throws to second to retire the runner from first. ..and...the relay to first beats the batter-runner.
RULING: The ball is declared dead the moment the bat strikes the ball the second time. The batter is out and all
runners return. No double play.

and this one:

One out...runner on second base. The batter bunts the ball in front of home plate. He drops the bat and it strikes the ball in fair territory. The catcher fields the ball and retires the runner attempting to reach third. Does this play stand?
RULING: When the bat struck the ball the second time...the ball became dead and the batter is declared out. The
runner must return to second.

The previously cited MLBUM ruling.

This statement in the PBUC Manual:

4.16 BATTED BALL STRIKES HELMET OR BAT
If after hitting or bunting a fair ball, the batter's bat hits the ball a second time in fair territory, the batter is out and the ball is dead.

and finally, this Jaksa/Roder citation:

It is interference by a batter-runner if:
(iii) his bat strikes his batted ball a second time over fair territory.
However, it is not interference if;
(a) his batted ball bounces and immediately comes up and hits the bat a second time while the batter is still in the batter's box (foul ball), or
(b) his bat is lying stationary on fair territory and his batted ball rolls up against it, or
(c) his broken bat strikes his batted ball, or hinders a fielder.


Perhaps one or more of these citations will persuade Ozzy that if a batter's moving bat hits a ball in fair territory a second time, the batter is out and there is no requirement that the interference be intentional.

Perhaps not.

Thank You, Dave. I did miss 4.16 in the PBUC. I opened the damn thing up just now and there it was starring me in the face. OBR 6.05(h) & 7.09(b) have only come into play for me when I used to do younger players. We all seen the youth batter trying to bunt or taking the lazy swing and contacting the ball twice. Might I add that neither rule have any mention of a released bat. Most of us assume that the batter is still holding the bat. But the PBUC (at least for me) is the best explaination. Now after 20 years of plate work, I've never seen a released bat contact a fair batted ball, but when I do, I'll rule with confidence!

This is a great example of how to answer a question. Dave didn't just sit there and say "it's in the MLBUM", a book that most of us are not privy to. He sited material that most of us have. Yes, I missed it and now I am more educated. Yes, I'm a stubborn old fart and I admit it. Thanks again, Dave!