[greymule]

Yes, there was an earlier thread on this, too.

Everything in the "clarifications" makes sense to me, including:

"EXCEPTION: If the incorrect batter is called out as a result of their time at bat and is scheduled to be the proper batter, skip that player and the next person in the line-up will be the batter."

I read this literally, as applying only when the batter who batted out of order and made an out happens to be the next proper batter. I don't see anything in the clarifications or the rules indicating that any batter who bats out of order and makes an out (and BOO is appealed) is skipped over if he is to come to bat later in the inning.

But if this is indeed the case, then a rule should be written to reflect that fact, e.g., "If an improper batter makes an out and the defense appeals, the out made by the improper batter counts, the batter who failed to bat when he should have is called out, the next batter in the lineup becomes the proper batter, and the improper batter who made an out is skipped over the first time he comes to bat later in the inning."

Otherwise, we're expanding the exception, which clearly applies in one specific case, to everybody in the lineup.

But again, let's see a case play or get a ruling from ASA. In fact, I'll see if I still have Bob Mauger's e-mail address.