Ball Hit a Second Time

[mcrowder]

I'll try to completely avoid anything that looks like an attack, and my apologies for making you feel like you were under attack in that thread - it was not my intent.

I believe the key difference here is the difference between a moving bat hitting a ball, and a ball hitting a stationary bat. I've always been taught (and this is backed up by the word STATIONARY in the MLBUM) that the rule you quote applies to a moving ball hitting a stationary bat. If a moving ball (in all 3 codes, plus the two softball codes I work - ASA and FED) hits a discarded stationary bat, then, barring intent by the batter, you indeed have "play on..".

However, in all 3 codes (and in softball), if a moving bat hits the ball (regardless of whether the ball was stationary or not), you have an out regardless of intent.

Feel free to educate me.