legal warm-up bat per NF 1-3-3
 

An increasing tendency at some schools in my area is to take a 3-4 foot steel rod and weld a knob on the end of it to use as a warm-up bat in the the on-deck circle.

I believe this was a case book play several years ago (or possibly a rules interp from NF website) but I can not find it.

My opinion is it is illegal equipment and can not be used. It seems I am the only umpire not allowing it.

What is your opinion? Legal per NF 1-3-3 or not?

Am I justified or just too picky?

in my opinion, too picky...some might call it "over umpiring" that being said, if your assn' is consistently enforcing it (which is appears they are not)...I'd let it go...just my op

It's illegal per 1-3-3. You don't need a case book, it's plain as day.

Now, if you enforce this then I expect you to be ever diligent on all the other little stuff OOO's worry about (gorilla arms, batters stepping out of the box, coaches attire in the boxes, etc.).

This is one case where it might be better to be more diligent. If this was a manufactured weighted bat used specifically for warmup, I'd let it go. However, it being a steel rod with a knob welded on it, I would tend to disallow it - basic reason is this, lets say the metal shop teacher did this, and lets for argument sake it fails and someone gets hurt. Everyone here is in deep sh|t. The shop teacher for fabricating, the coach for allowing it, and the umpire for not disallowing it, not to mention the school itself, and the district. I don't want any part of it. We have standards for all equipment used, including bats. There is no reason to lower the standards for convenience. Call me OOO, but that bat will not find the light of day on any field I officiate. Especially since I'm the last person in line who is or is not going to approve this for use.

Hey, look there, BigGuy... we do have some common ground after all. :)

I agree with every word BG said, and don't think you're being an OOO if you disallow the use of these homemade devices. Letting this go is just asking for trouble.

This is what the pregame equipment check is for
 

In FED, kick the thing out of the dugout during your pre-game equipment inspection. Literally, put it out of the dugout before the game starts, then if you have to hammer someone for using it in the game, they have no excuse. that's why you inspect equipment before a game, don't you?

Not only that, the coaching staff will complain before the game, instead of during it when they decide they have to take a piece out of your hide.

The kicker is probably you are the only guy who worries about it in your area. Few, if any, other umpires worry about it in your area, so you will get portrayed as the bad guy in all this. And more than likely you are one of the few who checks equipment before a game too. I'm sorry for you, you will be labeled as a jerk for doing so, but inspect the equipment, throw the bar out of the dugout before the game, and don't worry about it.

And I say that because I was the bad guy who always checked equipment before a game when nobody else did, and I knopw coaches didn't like it come voting time. But too bad.

Yes, think of the children and their safety.
Come to think of it, why hasn't anyone banned the sale of bullets?
After all, guns don't kill very many people.

I know you are joking but
 

SA,

Look, we all know FED writes the rules so that FED and affiliates don;t get sued:eek:.

But if it is a safety rule, we have to enforce it

I suppose your internal alarm goes berserk when an offensive player steps out of the dugout for any reason without a helmet when the ball is live?

You're kidding, right?
 

DG,

I would prefer not to play nursemaid as FED rules make us do, if you have not figured it form other psots I've written.

But unless you want some ying yang parent to own your house, spouse, and indicator if someobdy does something stupid, I'l follow FED rules in this case.

No More Donut?
 

Ah nuts. I never knew or even heard of anybody who ever had any trouble using a baseball donut the way it was meant to be used. Smokeless tobacco, yes, a baseball donut, NO. Have you seen or used the long contraptions that have replaced the traditional batting donut? I never swung a metal pipe until I played MSBL and now I rather swing the pipe than use the donut replacement on my aluminum bats. Something must have went terribly wrong, but I doubt it.

Look, if some underage moron buys a donut larger than 2 and 1/4 inches in diameter and attaches it to a bat and swings the bat and the thing goes flying off the end and strikes somebody with such force that it results in ONE critical injury and ONE major lawsuit in over 100 and something years; I would NOT classify the use of a batting DONUT as a dangerous activity to vanished entirely from the game.

Edited to add: By the way, although I hate the rule, I do not allow the traditional donut to be used in the ballpark. :p

Smokeless tobacco and a real donut is more my style!:)

I was almost there, but no one is getting my indicator. ;)