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Originally Posted by CecilOne
Ejected ?? - for an illegal, not altered bat??  |
Did you read the rules clarification? Remember, we're not talking about altered bats here, we're talking about non-approved.
In 2008, ASA had a huge list of 100+ bats that were "non-approved." This included bats with stamps that were later rescinded, as well as bats that never had the stamp to begin with (ie., USSSA/NSA bats). Therefor, the definition of a non-approved bat was listed as:
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NON-APPROVED BAT: A bat that does not meet ASA specifications and is on the current non-approved bat list.
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So in 2008, stepping into the box with a USSSA (non-approved) bat was an out + ejection, because all those NSA/U-Trip sticks WERE on the list.
In 2009, ASA changed rule 3-1 slightly to require the stamp on all 2000-or-newer bats. This eliminated the need to put all those NSA/U-Trip sticks on the non-approved list. However, they forgot to modify the rulebook definition of a non-approved bat. So by the strictest reading of the rules, a batter stepping into the box with a U-Trip bat was given a lesser penalty under the illegal bat rule: automatic out, no ejection.
ASA did not intend to lessen the penalty for bringing a bat that ASA never approved into the box, which is why they provided this month's clarification.