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Originally Posted by DeRef
Had something happen during a recent tournament (luckily not on my game) that I can not find a rule to cover. ASA SP rules.
Pitch is thrown and called illegal but batter swings and bounces the ball back to the pitcher. However, the batter remains stationary in the batters box. For some unknown reason, the pitcher pitches the ball again which the batter hits for a single.
How should this have been handled. I have had people say that you should rule the now B-R out for not going to first, that the runner should have been awarded first since the fielder failed to make a play, and that the B-R is now out for hitting the ball twice. I have searched the book without finding anything that would cover this situation. Thanks for your help.
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Speaking ASA
IP became irrelevant the moment the batter attempted to hit the ball.
The umpire should have been out from behind the plate when the batter put the ball into play. That would (or should have been) an indication to the pitcher that there was a live ball in play and to NOT pitch it again.
Since a fair batted ball is in play and the play has yet to reach a conclusion or resolution, whatever the pitcher does cannot be considered a pitch. Since there is no prohibition on how the pitcher gets the ball to 1B, he is allowed to throw it to the catcher to relay it to 1B. I know it's a stretch, but there is nothing to prohibit such action.
I guess the question of who is dumber, the batter-runner or pitcher should be considered, but if protested, I would have to rule the BR out for interfering with the defense's ability to complete a play.
As previously stated, if the umpire is hustling and doing his job, I think it is likely this wouldn't have happened.