|
I think that on a delayed play, even moreso than on a normal one, the batter has the responsibility to remove herself from the path of a play. If the ball gets away, as in your 2nd scenario, she SURELY can't absolve herself of responsibility by simply remaining in the area (and out of the box) while adjusting her bat. If there's a reasonable chance that SOMETHING might be going on, she needs to be more aware than this girl.
In your OP, while I think your actual ruling was unique, it certainly isn't unsupportable, and was probably the most equitable solution.
I agree that there are situations that fall into the category of "rulebook right, ballpark wrong", but I would submit that a majority of them would not be supportable if protested.
__________________
"Many baseball fans look upon an umpire as a sort of necessary evil to the luxury of baseball, like the odor that follows an automobile." - Hall of Fame Pitcher Christy Mathewson
|