[BretMan]

Speaking of "changes", I ran across a couple of them last week.

Questions came up about two different subjects and, coincidentally, both of these involved "undocumented" (I suppose "editorial") changes to the 2006 ASA rules.

Sometimes I have my old 2005 ASA book with me when away from home. The 2006 book is usually either next to my home computer or in my gear bag at the field. If I check something in my 2005 book, I double-check with the 2006 book when I get the chance.

The first involved the definition of a "blocked ball". The 2005 definition says that a blocked ball is either a "batted or thrown" ball. The 2006 definition has slipped in a "pitched ball", without a noted rule change or comment.

The other change involved a hit batter.

The 2005 rule (8-1-F) had a note that "it does not matter if the ball strikes the ground before hitting the batter".

This sentence has been removed for 2006. Of course, the rule is the same, but since this comes up fairly often it was nice to have that black-and-white disclaimer to head off any arguments.

In the same rule, the notation that "the hands are not to be considered a part of the bat" has been retained. In lower level play, I seem to get about an equal number of questions about either of those points on hit batters. Funny that one "myth" is still debunked, while the other clarifying point has been removed!