Batters Wants OUT
 

I am new to umpiring and have started doing midget league (9-10) games. My first game...batter with 2-1 count turns and says his arm hurts and want to stop. He has recently had minor surgery and has stitches in his arm.

Came out of game...is he out? We thought since it was the first game of the season and they are 9-10, we would just skip him, move on with no penalty. Both coaches were fine with that.

BUT...what is the actual rule?

Depending on the rule set you are using, it is a simple substitution - not a out.

What the hell is a kid doing playing with stitches in his arm, anyway? Parents must be morons!

Does the count stay with the next batter or there a fresh count?

The new batter assumes the replaced batter's count.

FYI...this league has a continuous batting order, so there was not a sub, just moved on to next in the order. Does that matter for the count?

Without some explicit provision in league rules, I would allow it. Think of it this way: if your league is like most, they'll allow kids who arrive late to be tacked on to the end of the order. This move is similarly flexible, in reverse.

This is really a league question, properly addressed to your umpire-in-chief.

It's going to be hard for anyone here to provide a definite answer. Without knowing which rule book your league uses, and not knowing what modifications or special league rules are in place, it is impossible for us to "give you a rule".

Just to give you some idea of the range of answers you might get, I have worked in leagues using the continuous batting order that would say:

- This is an out by the batter who cannot complete his at-bat.

- Replace the batter with some other designated spot in the line-up (like the last recorded out, or last batter in the order).

- Just forget about it and let the kid leave without penalty.

This is really something that the folks running your league need to answer. You would hope that, as a new umpire, they would have provided you with a copy of the league rules well before you ever stepped foot onto the field!

The count should remain the same for that at bat...if it's 0-2 it's 0-2, if it's 3-0, it's 3-0 if it wasn't that way, coaches could just substitute and get a new count. these kids are 9 and 10 years old...the league should have a rule set as others have stated.

9 & 10 years old? Continious batting order?

"My arm hurts"

Coach, your player says his arm hurts get a new batter up here please.

Next. Lets move on please.

But I guess you could look at it as training for next year, when the kids start playing in MLB. If thats the case, tell the kid there is no whinning in baseball, suck it up and get in the box.

That's quite a jump from LL to the bigs!:rolleyes:

As you very well know, some parents think it's a possibility by the way they act:p

-Josh

Depending on your rule set, you may have to invoke OBR 9.01c or FED 10-2-1g. To paraphrase, both rules state the umpire in chief as the authority to rule on matters not mentioned in the rule books. Since you aren't going to find a continuous batting order rule in either of those books, you have a case to rule any way you choose if these are local league rules.

When you play by whiffle ball rules, you gotta make up whiffle ball rules.

agreed.....
 

Now thats funny......and when the leagues institute these made up rules, its perfectly ok for you to make up a fix....IMHO.... (at 9 years old even.....):)