Batter throws bat

[IAUMP]

I am mainly a football and basketball official, but I have been helping our local Little League for the last several years. I had this happen last night, and I would like advise for how to handle it in the future.

Top of the fourth and V1 hits the ball. On his follow through he lets go of the bat (not a drop) and the bat flies directly into my arm. I have reviewed the rule book and there are no rules that address a batter that throws the bat in this way. Is there anything that and Umpire can do (other than let the coach know) to address batters unintentionally throwing the bats?

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by IAUMP

I am mainly a football and basketball official, but I have been helping our local Little League for the last several years. I had this happen last night, and I would like advise for how to handle it in the future.

Top of the fourth and V1 hits the ball. On his follow through he lets go of the bat (not a drop) and the bat flies directly into my arm. I have reviewed the rule book and there are no rules that address a batter that throws the bat in this way. Is there anything that and Umpire can do (other than let the coach know) to address batters unintentionally throwing the bats?

"Coach ... please tell your batters not to throw their bats."

Given that MOST coaches believe it's an automatic out (in 99% of the rulesets, it's not), they will usually be insistent with their kids after that, and they will think you're doing them a favor by not tossing their kid or calling them out.

[Manny A]

This situation has been debated within LL circles for many years. There is a document entitled "Little League Umpire School Rules Instruction Manual" (RIM) that provides additional guidance to instructors at the various LL umpire clinics beyond what is found in the LL rule book and case book.

Under rule 9.01(c) in the RIM, there is this Instructor Comment:

Situations such as throwing the bat and other potentially unsafe actions should be covered as follows: Warn the player and warn the other members of this player’s team. After the warnings highly recommend to the manager of the offending team that it is time to substitute for the offender until they are properly schooled in the proper method of discarding the bat after the ball is hit. While there is no easy solution to this problem ultimately the responsibility rests with the team manager for teaching the players the proper way to discard a bat.

That "guidance" causes a lot of angst amongst LL umpires. After all, what if the manager tells the plate umpire, "I don't want to substitute for my kid, Blue. He's my best hitter"? Should the umpire then eject the player or the manager?

Or suppose the manager does remove the player, but then the manager wants to re-enter him to bat in a critical point in the game? What authority does the umpire have to disallow that? The answer: None.

If Little League is anything, they are sticklers for safety. They have more rules dealing with the well-being of players (pitch count limits, headfirst slide prohibitions, etc.) than just about any other youth organization. But they continue to put their head in the sand when it comes to this problem. I have often advocated for something similar to the FED bench restriction to deal with thrown bats, but to no avail.

[Rita C]

Originally Posted by Manny A

This situation has been debated within LL circles for many years. There is a document entitled "Little League Umpire School Rules Instruction Manual" (RIM) that provides additional guidance to instructors at the various LL umpire clinics beyond what is found in the LL rule book and case book.

Under rule 9.01(c) in the RIM, there is this Instructor Comment:

Situations such as throwing the bat and other potentially unsafe actions should be covered as follows: Warn the player and warn the other members of this player’s team. After the warnings highly recommend to the manager of the offending team that it is time to substitute for the offender until they are properly schooled in the proper method of discarding the bat after the ball is hit. While there is no easy solution to this problem ultimately the responsibility rests with the team manager for teaching the players the proper way to discard a bat.

That "guidance" causes a lot of angst amongst LL umpires. After all, what if the manager tells the plate umpire, "I don't want to substitute for my kid, Blue. He's my best hitter"? Should the umpire then eject the player or the manager?

Or suppose the manager does remove the player, but then the manager wants to re-enter him to bat in a critical point in the game? What authority does the umpire have to disallow that? The answer: None.

If Little League is anything, they are sticklers for safety. They have more rules dealing with the well-being of players (pitch count limits, headfirst slide prohibitions, etc.) than just about any other youth organization. But they continue to put their head in the sand when it comes to this problem. I have often advocated for something similar to the FED bench restriction to deal with thrown bats, but to no avail.

I've warned and ejected. I hate doing it. But I explain at the warning that it's my only option. Though last time, I came up to the coach with my lineup and asked him if he had a sub before I ejected. He quickly subbed.

Rita

[Manny A]

Originally Posted by Rita C

I've warned and ejected. I hate doing it. But I explain at the warning that it's my only option. Though last time, I came up to the coach with my lineup and asked him if he had a sub before I ejected. He quickly subbed.

Yeah, that sometimes works. But then what would you have done if the coach wanted to re-enter the kid? Would you have eject the player at that point? Or maybe eject the coach? Neither option is really a good one.

That's why I would prefer that LL incorporate bench restrictions (or as I called them years ago, "administrative removals") in the rule book to deal with these issues. That would give the umpire the authority to keep the kid out of the game.

[MD Longhorn]

My opinion ... LL has always been rather halfway-pregnant on this issue. The guidance they provide is completely without teeth. If you want to stop it, put it in the rules. If you don't, then drop it.

[Rita C]

Originally Posted by Manny A

Yeah, that sometimes works. But then what would you have done if the coach wanted to re-enter the kid? Would you have eject the player at that point? Or maybe eject the coach? Neither option is really a good one.

That's why I would prefer that LL incorporate bench restrictions (or as I called them years ago, "administrative removals") in the rule book to deal with these issues. That would give the umpire the authority to keep the kid out of the game.

In my case, there was no reentry possible. So I was safe.

Rita

[kylejt]

Warn, then eject is the dopey guidance. Like Manny has been advocating for many moons, we need to be able to bench the kid for the game, but not the next one (ejection).

I've given the manager a choice. "You do it, or I will". If that manager insisted on reentering him later, I'd find a manager in that dugout that wouldn't.

[jicecone]

By far the easiest way to handle this is stop the game after the play is over for 1 min. Approach the player and explain to him about throwing the bat. Next time up, remind him. it has work wonders many, many times.

We, as officials and coaches love to tell people what to do but, not take a few minutes to explain much. It easy to bark out orders. At this age, everyone on that field is a teacher.