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Thu Jul 14, 2005, 09:23am
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My question concerns the use of bat chokes. Thos are those rubber pieces batters put on the bat handles and slide down to rest on the safety knob. It then tapers up to give the handle a flared look. My interpretation of the bat rule says the use of these would be considered an altered bat since these pieces didn't originally com with the bat. Has any other place in the country made a ruling on these? I umpire ASA only-SP & FP.
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Thu Jul 14, 2005, 09:57am
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Before these were officially deemed illegal by ASA, I saw a good number of these cause the bat to slip out of batters hands on a solid swing. This item is a safety hazard - not sure why they were even invented.
__________________
"Many baseball fans look upon an umpire as a sort of necessary evil to the luxury of baseball, like the odor that follows an automobile." - Hall of Fame Pitcher Christy Mathewson
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Thu Jul 14, 2005, 10:02am
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If the original bat has a legal safety knob, and this doesn't change the characteristics of that knob, this isn't altering the bat; adding the cushion to minimize the sting doesn't change the physical structure. It is the same as adding a second layer tape to the grip, which is legal, as long as it still leaves the flare.
If this is added to a bat which doesn't have a legal safety knob, or is used to change the shape of the knob so that it no longer complies (flare or cone grip), then it is an altered bat.
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Fri Jul 15, 2005, 01:35pm
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Sounds to me like the grip described takes away the perpindicular angle between the knob and the bat, which makes it illegal.
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