Blue: Don't toss the bat

[SRW]

Link to a Denver Post Article regarding an ump who tossed a bat away from home plate area.

[CecilOne]

I have, as taught, stopped moving bats or anything else. I yell a warning to any runner coming home when a bat might be in the way.

[Skahtboi]

Another reason why we are taught, and continue to be taught, not to handle player's equipment.

[CLBuffalo]

If the bat had been left in the base path and runner coming home had tripped, fell and broke something the umpire would still be sued, probably for deliberately putting the runner in harms way by inaction or some such thing.

I do pick up bats in the base path but I don't toss them. I hold onto them with my free hand and at my side until the play is over. If I have to make a call I let the bat drop to the ground beside me.

The only time I don't pick up the bat is if the runner coming from 3rd is so close to home that I might interfere with her if I try to get the bat. In that case I yell to the runner to look out for the bat and point to it.

For those in this group who think this is NOT a litigious society, this lawsuit and its reinstatement prove otherwise.

[Andy]

One of my mentors told me a long time ago not to handle bats, helmets, etc., during the game. not only to avoid situations like this one, but to avoid the appearance of favoritism.

If I pick up Team A's bat and hand it back to a coach after the half-inning, but I don't do it for Team B for whatever reason, now Team B can think that I am "favoring" Team A.

Yes, I realize this sounds silly, but I think we have all seen how warped little coach's minds can work sometime.

So maybe I will come off as a jerk for not helping out with the bats and helmets, but as long as both teams think I'm a jerk, it's all good.

[gsf23]

I don't pick up bats and throw them, but if I see a potential play at home coming and a bat is in the way I will kick it to the side. Never had a problem with it and never hit a player kicking it.

[mcrowder]

I've always been more worried about someone suing me for damaging one of their $500 bats than the chance that I might hit someone. Never really considered that a possibility, but nonetheless, the most I'll do (if time permits and the bat is right in the basepath or on the plate), is step in front of it and drag my foot so that it ends up behind me. I don't kick it - just drag it a yard at most.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by mcrowder

I've always been more worried about someone suing me for damaging one of their $500 bats than the chance that I might hit someone. Never really considered that a possibility, but nonetheless, the most I'll do (if time permits and the bat is right in the basepath or on the plate), is step in front of it and drag my foot so that it ends up behind me. I don't kick it - just drag it a yard at most.

You just don't touch the equipment. If a bat is in the way, it is the ODB's responsibility to clear it, not the umpire's. If that is an issue for the team, they shouldn't drop their bat. The rules allow for them to carry it away from the plate area.

Years back, I use to be one of those who kicked it out of the way, but how do you know the bat isn't moving to another position which could be equally as dangerous or interfere with the play. A discarded bat is part of the game, a bat moved ANYWHERE is not.

[EdJW]

First, for him to suggest that girls don't have to simply drop the bat it not truthful. In NJ, umpires for PONY, NSA, ASA, Babe Ruth, et al call a girl out if she does not just drop the bat. So, any legal investigation of a bad situation would concur that the girl had to drop the bat, without any liability to the girl.

Second, where Irish is right, an umpire should not take any proactive action like picking up and throwing a bat that could injure someone. That is outside the umpires duties, and it exposes an umpire to legitimate liability should something go wrong.

[DSUAUmpire]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

You just don't touch the equipment. If a bat is in the way, it is the ODB's responsibility to clear it, not the umpire's. If that is an issue for the team, they shouldn't drop their bat. The rules allow for them to carry it away from the plate area.

Years back, I use to be one of those who kicked it out of the way, but how do you know the bat isn't moving to another position which could be equally as dangerous or interfere with the play. A discarded bat is part of the game, a bat moved ANYWHERE is not.

Agree with Mike and the majority of everyone here, we as an association stress to our umpires to leave equipment alone. Althought I do have to admit that as a young umpire (long time ago) I did use the classic 'kick' the bat out of way technique, picked up the bat and handed it to the next batter, or even took them to the dugouts between innings, I was a very helpful little batboy.

[blueskysblue]

Interesting ! So, NJ has amended all those different formally published rules? In ASA (and NFHS, as well), the batter can actually carry the bat all the way around the bases, as long as there is no interference with any play as a result.

Over the past several years, I have weaned myself from picking up any equipment while play is live. I will, on occasion, pickup the catcher's head gear, if the play is dead; and I will at times pick up a bat, after the end of an inning, and hand it to a base coach passing by.

I can just see the umpire, during civil suit deposition: "Mr. Umpire, did you see the bat lying on the ground next to home plate when my client was running home?"
"Yes, I did".
"Mr. Umpire, did you consider moving that bat away from the base path?"
"No, that's the job of the on-deck batter".
"So, Mr. Umpire, you are actually delegating the safety of the game participants during a contest you are officiating to a 12, 13, 14, etc. year old player?"
"Well . . . ."

Recently, in a HS baseball game, a defensive coach yelled from the dugout, "Blue, get that bat out of the on-deck circle before my catcher breaks a leg!"

I had not realized the on-deck batter had returned into the dugout, for whatever reason, leaving a bat lying on the ground, in the on-deck circle.

Easily handled: I called Time until the bat had been removed.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by blueskysblue

Interesting ! So, NJ has amended all those different formally published rules? In ASA (and NFHS, as well), the batter can actually carry the bat all the way around the bases, as long as there is no interference with any play as a result.

Over the past several years, I have weaned myself from picking up any equipment while play is live. I will, on occasion, pickup the catcher's head gear, if the play is dead; and I will at times pick up a bat, after the end of an inning, and hand it to a base coach passing by.

This is how it should be handled:

Atty: Mr. Umpire, did you see the bat lying on the ground next to home plate when my client was running home?
Umpire: No, sir, I did not
Atty: Why not?
Umpire: Because I was watching the play.
Atty: Why were you watching the play and not concerned with the bat?
Umpire: That is the purpose of my being on the field and the instruction received from the association under whose rules this league chose to play.
Atty: "Mr. Umpire, did you consider moving that bat away from the base path?"
Umpire: What bat would that be? As I previously stated, I was watching the play.
Atty: If you are not responsible for the bat, who is?
Umpire: I would think that would be the owner of the bat, sir.
Atty: So, you expect the owner of the bat to come back to pick it up after they use it? Are you just going to ignore the bat they leave on the ground?
Umpire: Sir, the player doesn't need to drop or leave the bat. That's just what she has been instructed to do by the coach, not the umpire.
[/QUOTE]

[U of M Sam]

My simple practice when working as PU (of course some apply when I am BU):
DON'T:
Throw bat (maybe slide out of way with my foot when runner coming to plate provided I have time)
Pick up bat and hand to batter
Touch players even when they are injured (I am not a doctor but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express) :>)
Throw ball back to pitcher (let catcher throw ball)
Pick up catchers helmet after it's thrown on field
These are all I think of at this point. I am very professional while umpiring and have not had a problem with practices listed.
Sam

[blueskysblue]

Outstanding, Mike!

[Smiley]

Last night had runners advancing home while a bat was lying in the base path. I said to the runners, "Watch out for the bat". The catcher stepped over and picked up the bat. I thanked her.