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Originally Posted by danreeves1973
I say all this theoretically though because in 6 years of calling I've never had a batter release it or swing back and hit me or the catcher. Just lucky I guess.
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Well, I'll go ahead and draw sniper fire....
Last year, working the Pony age group of PONY, Inc. (13-14?), I dumped a kid for that. I actually "restricted him to the bench," so I actually used a rule from another code, but he was as good as out of the game.
First at bat, the bat clanged off the catcher AND me - thankfully, mostly shin guards. Spoke to 3B coach "hey coach, he needs to control that bat, please talk to him." Second at bat, the bat hit the backstop with a short hop. Now, the fences at this place are reeeeeall close, but then, so are the openings where players come from the dugout, and that's where that bat was heading (his own bench, even). Again, spoke to the coach "Can't keep doing that, or I'm going to sit him." And I made sure the player knew he had to control the bat. So he and the coach have had two warnings.
Third time up - swings for a base hit. "Clang" does the bat off the backstop. I don't know if the bat hit the ground first, and I didn't care. I waited for the play to end - he was safe at 1B - then I called time, and said to the coach "you need a runner at first. he's restricted to the bench." (Of course, the other coaches wanted an out. Nice try, fellas.)
Is that in the rules? No, it isn't. Is that really a 9.01(c)? No, although I may have referenced it when I wrote it up. I used more the logic that it's a safety issue - a big deal in youth ball - and more importantly, it's a failure to comply with an umpire's directive. So out he went.
Is that a 'righteous' EJ, or correct action? Some here would say no. I was okay with it. The coach didn't have a problem with it, since a) he knew I'd said something twice already, b) he's coached the kid all year, and c) we were near the time limit, so it didn't cost him much.
I told that mostly because you'd mentioned never getting hit, but also to see what the group would say. Fire away, then.....