[Rita C]

Originally Posted by Manny A

This situation has been debated within LL circles for many years. There is a document entitled "Little League Umpire School Rules Instruction Manual" (RIM) that provides additional guidance to instructors at the various LL umpire clinics beyond what is found in the LL rule book and case book.

Under rule 9.01(c) in the RIM, there is this Instructor Comment:

Situations such as throwing the bat and other potentially unsafe actions should be covered as follows: Warn the player and warn the other members of this player’s team. After the warnings highly recommend to the manager of the offending team that it is time to substitute for the offender until they are properly schooled in the proper method of discarding the bat after the ball is hit. While there is no easy solution to this problem ultimately the responsibility rests with the team manager for teaching the players the proper way to discard a bat.

That "guidance" causes a lot of angst amongst LL umpires. After all, what if the manager tells the plate umpire, "I don't want to substitute for my kid, Blue. He's my best hitter"? Should the umpire then eject the player or the manager?

Or suppose the manager does remove the player, but then the manager wants to re-enter him to bat in a critical point in the game? What authority does the umpire have to disallow that? The answer: None.

If Little League is anything, they are sticklers for safety. They have more rules dealing with the well-being of players (pitch count limits, headfirst slide prohibitions, etc.) than just about any other youth organization. But they continue to put their head in the sand when it comes to this problem. I have often advocated for something similar to the FED bench restriction to deal with thrown bats, but to no avail.

I've warned and ejected. I hate doing it. But I explain at the warning that it's my only option. Though last time, I came up to the coach with my lineup and asked him if he had a sub before I ejected. He quickly subbed.

Rita