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I am the plate umpire -- Here's the situation: Williamsport 12-U fastpitch tourney. Bases laoded, 1 out. Batter comes to the plate who, in her two previous at bats in the game, threw the bat out of her hands -- once flying against the backstop and once hitting me in the leg. First time I warned her that she has to hold the bat tighter and drop it, not let it fly straight back. Second time I told her, and let both coaches know that it is dangerous and I would have to call the batter out if it happens anymore.
Well, anyway, she comes up to bat and I remind her to hold the bat tight. She hits the ball to second and the bat comes flying out of her hands AGAIN and this time hits the catcher and myself. I immediately call "batter is out!! Ball is dead" about 7 times, but with the screams of the fans, only a few heard me. I have the dead ball signal up, and my partner also puts his hands up. The kids keep on playing out this play, however, and it results in a force at second (or so they thought) I pointed to the batter runner who now stood on second base and I said "batter is out for throwing the bat and the ball is dead." The defense, now thinking the play at second stood, thinks there is 3 outs and comes off the field. I turn to the official scorers who say to me "you called her out for throwing the bat??? How do you score that?? Umpires call???" Another umpire (who was doing a baseball game just before and was watching our game) kept saying to me "that was a horrible call How do you call that You're ridiculous!!!!" The scorer got angry with me because we rightfully (I feel) had to nullify everything that ensued on that play and get all scorebooks correct and accurate.
My question is this -- was I right in making that call?? What is the ruling on it? Is it a dead ball? What does the scorer write down in the book on that play?
On a sidenote, I was MAD that a fellow umpire would question my call -- right or wrong -- and thought he was extremely umprofessional.
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