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Originally Posted by UmpireErnie
OK, so this is a very interesting discussion.
Irish, your story about your Navy fastpitch days made me reread your post. I am getting the point you are driving at. I was thinking of a batter who sees the pitcher drop the pitch and knowing it's ball four decides to get to 1B asap and see what else she can get. Her discarded bat comes to rest in fair territory and the ball rolls into it.
But in your scenario you don't really care what the count is, you are talking about a batter who, seeing a dropped pitch rolling to the plate intentionally places the bat in the path of the ball and takes off to 1B.
Crazy idea but I would agree that by rule this is contacting the ball with the bat with one foot out of the batters box and so a dead ball out.
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Like is said, TWP.
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So if she tries to hit the ball in this manner but the ball rolls past the bat, is it a swing and a miss? She made an attempt to hit the ball even if it while the bat was not in her hands...
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I would say no. see below
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Is it a bunt attempt? If the ball rolled into the bat before the batter got her foot out of the box and the ball rolled foul with two strikes is she out for bunting foul?
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This probably would be perceived as a "bunt" as the only possible positive result would be that the bat tapped slowly in the infield. However, that means that for the purposes of determine if the batter "offered" at the pitch, the bat not being withdrawn has no bearing, and even if it did, the bat isn't in the strike zone.