O.K. umpires help me out with this one.

A slapper is running through the box and is attempting to bunt the ball...Most all the time the batter holds the bat with two hands...But in the case the batter runs slighty towards 1st base while running out of the box and reaches back for the ball with the bat, and drops the bat in mid air
in hopes that the ball will contact the bat...Or maybe tosses the bat towards the ball as it is approaching. Either case the bat is out of the batters hands during contact of the ball....What is the call and rule #?????
Thanks!!!!

There's no rule in the book that states the bat must be in the batter's hands when making contact with a pitch. However, if the batter's foot is in contact with the ground outside the batter's box when the bat hits the ball, OUT.

Bob

For NCAA the rule is 11:17. For ASA the rule is 7:6(D). For NFHS the rule is 7:3:2. For USSSA it is 8:7.

I believe this subject came up before.
I only saw this happen once in a men's
fast pitch tournament game. I was the
plate umpire and when the batter literally
tossed the bat at the ball, I had no clue
what to do, so it ended up a "no call".
Later between innings, I conferred with
the base umpire and we both agreed that
nothing illegal had been done. As far as
we could discern he had not stepped out
of the box when the bat made contact.
A really risky maneuver if you think about
it; a double hit and he would have been out !
Never saw it again; and that was almost
20 years ago !

Reminds me of a play that happened a few years ago to another ump in our association.

In SP, with a 3-1 count, the batter could see that the pitch would be short, so he dropped the bat and started toward 1B. The bat was lying motionless across the plate, and the pitch hit the bat with the batter already several steps toward 1B.

I don't know how the ump called it, but whatever the call was, one team protested, so somebody sent an inquiry to ASA. Unfortunately, I don't remember how ASA responded. I guess, according to 7-6-D, the batter should be out.

As long as the pitch hit the bat before the ground or plate....or don't we want to go there again??? ;)

Ha! Yes, the pitch hit the bat directly.