No Substitutes In Lineup Card
 

Are substitutes required by MLB rules to be listed on lineup cards? If so can anyone direct me to the section in MLB rules that states this.

Not in OBR. So long as a player is legally rostered and not on an injured/suspended list he may enter the game as a substitute regardless of being listed on the lineup.

Some leagues do have a rule requiring all subs be listed.

Here is the situation which some of you may get a kick out of. Here is how this question came about.

I had a game the other night I am the head coach of a 9-10 year old team in Pensacola Florida. Before the game as I always do I submit my lineup card to the scorekeeper and the opposing coach with my starting 9. I never list my subs.

The first inning my starting shortstop who is my best overall player gets hit in the head hard with the baseball. He has to come out of the game. I then have to place one of my subs who is not very gifted catching, throwing or hitting, he is really my weakest player. I placed him in my SS batting spot in the lineup and moved my infielders around since my SS was hurt and out of the game.

Since I didnt list him on my lineup card the opposing coach comes over and tells me I cant put this kid in the game because he isnt listed on my lineup card but he is a legal member of my team. I told this coach that he was wrong and he went to the ump and said we are playing the game under protest.


We do not have a League rule that states all players have to be on a lineup card and Dizzy Dean rules dont state this so the next set of rules we revert to is MLB rules which I havent found a rule there that says substitutes have to be included on a game lineup card.

While correct by rule it is considered good manners. There is really no reason NOT to list your subs at the 9-10 age group.

I do question why the league doesn't bat all players with free defensive substitutions at this age.

League bylaws state that each player must play 3 outs in the field and get one at bat per game. As for free substitutions that is not the case. Once a sub comes out of the game that is it they can not return to the game. However starters may come out of the game and return once.

Okay, coach, here's what you do in the future. Put your starting 9 on the lineup as usual then on the back, list the rest of the team. This way you can get past the tunnel vision coaches and the inept umpires in your league, thus allowing your players to get their "time" in.

I hate amateurs who try to use professional rules and agreements in amateur play. None of these people even have an iota of a clue how to work under professional ball yet they think they are the latest Casey Setengel!

What a guy - trying to keep a 9 year-old out of a baseball game. I hope he had an accident on the way home.

This was not the umpires fault, this was the opposing coaches attitude with our team because we beat him the game before. The last game we played them our inept umpires failed to called an infield fly and after my players allowed the ball the hit the ground myself and my other coaches screamed infield fly and the umpire in the field called time which means the ball becomes dead and corrected the situation by calling infield fly rule. This caused the runner of this opposing coach the game before this protested game to have to return to 3rd base with 2 outs and my pitcher struck out the next batter LOL.

Actually, your umpire could have put an end to it all by telling the idiot that substitutes need not be listed. They can be added as long as the players are on the roster. But this, again, requires an official to step up (have some balls) and stop this nonsense in it's place. I applaud you for not loosing your cool in all this. But please, try my suggestion at your next game and list the entire roster on the back (less the starting 9) and see if you can't raise a few eyebrows! :D