[RKBUmp]

Ok, and how about this play I had completely forgotten about until today. A game my daughter played in years ago, opposite side of the coin.

Runners on 1 & 2, slower runner on 2nd. Batter drives the ball over F7's head and base runners are on the move. F7 gets the ball at the fence just as lead runner is touching 3rd base with trailing runner almost on her heals. Plate umpire decides to clear the bat laying on the 3rd base line and bends over to pick it up. At same moment, pitcher for whatever reason runs across the 3rd base line colliding with the lead runner, knocking her flat on her butt and causing the trailing runner to pass her on the base path. Base umpire has seen nothing as he had the batter runner going into 2nd base. Plate umpire saw nothing because he was too busy clearing the bat and looked up just in time to see the lead runner laying on the ground with trialing runner passing her. Of course he can only call what he witnessed, which was to call the trailing runner out for passing another runner, and then the tag out of the lead runner still laying flat on her back.

Now tell me how you explain to the offensive coach how you completely blew the call and not only screwed him out of 2 runs but also called 2 outs on him? All because instead of watching the play like you are suppose to, you decided to "clear the bat for the safety of the players".

Leave the bat alone which by the rules becomes a part of the field once it is out of the batters hands and do your job by watching the ball and action on the field.