Quote:
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Originally Posted by BigGuy
The bat hitting the ball in and of itself is not automatically INT if it does not actually interfere with a fielder's ability to make a play.
From 7-3-6
ART. 6... If the bat breaks and is hit by the ball or hits a runner or a fielder, no interference shall be called. If a whole bat is thrown and interferes with a defensive player attempting a play, interference will be called.
You as umpire have to judge that there was in fact INT.
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I'm not sure, but I think the intent of the rule you quoted involves bats that go
flying out of a batter's hands; not simply a dropped bat.
If a batter hits a slow roller in front of the plate and simply drops his bat (in a normal manner), and the catcher stumbles over the bat as he goes out to field the ball, I would probably not call interference on the batter as I would if the bat went flying out of his hands and the shortstop had to be concerned with getting clobbered while trying to field a grounder.
The batter is under no obligation to discard his bat in a
certain location. What he
cannot do, however, is:
1)
Fling his bat (whether intentional or not) in such a way as to complicate a fielding attempt, or
2)
Drop his bat in such a way as to
intentionally complicate the catcher's attempt to make a play on a batted ball, or
3)
Drop/throw his bat and make
direct contact with a fair ball.
David Emerling
Memphis, TN