I had a situation last night in a men's slow pitch rec. league that I have never seen before.
Batter hits a flyball to center that hits the ground. Runner, seeing that the center fielder isn't rushing to the ball, goes to second still carrying the bat. A sweep tag is attempted and missed, runner continues to third, still carrying the bat. Shortstop throws the ball, hits the runner in the back of the head, ball ends up in left field. Runner finally notices he still has the bat and drops it in foul territory between third a home ( by the way, his head was all right). My question, is there a rule out there saying you cannot carry the bat? and if so, where is it?
The bat was carried in a non threatening manner and did not interfere with the plays in any way.

Are you sure? :)

No rule about bat carrying that I know of, but the defense will always think so.

Maybe the hands were part of that bat, and he couldn't get them off his arms.

No rule I am aware of would prohibit carrying it.

ASA does not prohibit merely carrying the bat around the bases. Of course, if the bat interferes with the play . . .

In NSA, if the BR touches 1B while carrying the bat, he is out.

Can I add A "what if" .... What if on the throw to 3rd the ball hit the bat ?

<font size = 5> INTERFERENCE.

Speaking ASA.

It's nothing, unless it was intentional.

Call a foul ball and see what people do :)

Better yet call him for hitting the ball while out of the batters box!

Rule 8, Section 5, G, Exception 3 (p. 112, 2004) If the ball becomes blocked due to offensive equipment not involved in the game, the ball is ruled dead and runners are returned to the last base touched at the time of the blocked ball. If the blocked ball prevented the defense from making an out, the runner being played on is out.

True, ASA does not prohibit the batter-runner from carrying the bat, but running at 3B, the bat still in the batter-runner's hands would constitute equipment no longer involved in the game since its three bases after the time that the B-R used the bat to hit the ball. It's only involved in the game and the play at 3B because the B-R is holding it, and he has no business carrying it around the bases. Since the B-R is responsible for the bat interfering with the play at 3B while it's in his hands (as opposed to leaving the bat on the ground back at home and the defense throwing a ball that hits it lying on the ground), I'd call a blocked ball and call the B-R out if the bat prevented the defense from making an out.

Even if it was unintentional, that should have no bearing. Just like if the bat was in the on deck batter's hands.

Nope, not going to buy into this. The difference between the two are that the bat the runner is carrying WAS being used as part of the game and maintains the same status as a discarded bat. If it weren't for the bat in the runner's hand, that ball would never have been put into play.

If the defense cannot execute the play properly, tough.

FYI, USSSA has the same rule as NSA. If batter-runner reaches first with the bat in his/her hand, he/she is out automatically as if he/she had been played on at first. Play continues for everyone else.

I would have no problem if ASA changed it.

I can only guess that they believe allowing the batter to leave the area with the bat is safer then having the BR just let it go in mid-follow through.

As far as I'm concerned, the farther they take that bat away from me and the catcher, the better.

Then USSSA must have changed their rule this year cause they can carry their bat as far as I know .

USSSA has a rule change for 2004.
R8 Baserunning
4. A BATTER-BASE RUNNER IS OUT under the following circumstances.
G. When, after hitting a fair ball, and while the ball is still live, the Batter-runner carries the bat and touches first base or runs beyond first base while carrying the bat.

http://www.usssa.com/usssa/usssa-gen...1204.htm#rule8

I wonder what problem they were trying to solve with this change.