The Official Forum - Advice needed on "Hands part of the bat" myth

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- - Advice needed on "Hands part of the bat" myth (https://forum.officiating.com/baseball/44602-advice-needed-hands-part-bat-myth.html)

I saw this happen a long time ago. A batter got hit on the hand and the umpire awarded first base. The deffensive coach came out and pleaded with the umpire "Its foul the hands are part of the bat." The umpire held his ground and the coach pleaded (it was more whining than argiung.) He kept whininh the entire half inning. The ump ignored him completely.

The next inning as the same team took the field, the other coach went out and said something to the umpire. The umpire cracked up but waved the coach off. I later asked the coach (a neighbor) what he said. He told the umpire that he shouldn't allow the entire defense to play the filed while holding part of the bat - safety issue.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gsarosi (Post 605788)

I argued and the home plate ump said that I was right but that he can't overrule the field ump and he was young and new so now he knows the correct rule.

I have a problem with the PU doing this. If he is so experienced, then why did he throw the BU under the bus and use his age to justify it.

I am OK with him informing the BU so he knows the rule for the next time. I am not OK with him telling a coach that his partner blew it and will call it right from now on.

It sucks that the BU didn't know the rule and misapplied it. It is made worse by the PU not knowing when to shut his mouth. Now, he has just made a fool out of the BU and has no clue he did.

Bad partner, bad!!!!!!

Guys,

I had my first "hands are part of the bat" strike three today. Batter swung, the ball went into foul territory, batter was back in his on deck circile in obvious pain. The pitcher was throwing gas -- mid 80's is gas in my neck of the woods. I thought about it for a bit, then called him out on strikes...then from the fans in the stands -- one voice I recognized as a former MN Twin says in a normal voice but loud enough for me to hear it "blue, the hands are part of the bat, that's a foul ball" Then I was probably a bit more of a smarty pants when I said "do you take your bat out to the field with you?" Then he said that "I need to read a rule book. (that was the best part) I just grinned and walked away..internally, it always feels good to get those calls right.

I probably didn't need to use that line since the both teams were actually pretty classy teams, but they are very competitive. So I can add a "hands are part of the bat' story to my jounal. I was getting a bit jealous after hearing all of your other stories

Quote:

I thought about it for a bit, then called him out on strikes...then from the fans in the stands -- one voice I recognized as a former MN Twin says in a normal voice but loud enough for me to hear it "blue, the hands are part of the bat, that's a foul ball"

Who was the former Twin with the funny bat?