You make the call

[JPRempe]

Originally Posted by NCASAUmp

Here's something that happened to me last year, and I want to see what you all think of it...

In this league, teams have a 2 over-the-fence home run limit. The team on offense has already hit one out. R1 is on third with 2 outs. B2 steps up and hits one over the fence. R1 trots home and touches home plate. As the batter rounds third, the pitcher says something unsportsmanlike that I didn't hear (but my partner heard it). Before the batter touches home plate (still 45 feet or so away), he starts yelling and cursing, heading towards the mound (ignoring home plate) to get ready to fight. I immediately eject him, and my partner ejects the pitcher.

So...

1 - Does R1 count?
2 - Does the home run count towards their limit?
3 - Does B2 count as a run?
4 - How many outs ya got?

I'd just like to see what everyone says to this.

1 - Does R1 count? Yes - scored before the ejection
2 - Does the home run count towards their limit? Yes- OTFHR was hit before the ejection
3 - Does B2 count as a run? Depends - Does the B/R have to touch all four bases in this league, or is the score automatically awarded when he went yard? (local rules will/can govern this answer)
4 - How many outs ya got? I have 2 outs, but again local rules can govern this play based on ejected players.

[NCASAUmp]

Originally Posted by JPRempe

1 - Does R1 count? Yes - scored before the ejection
2 - Does the home run count towards their limit? Yes- OTFHR was hit before the ejection
3 - Does B2 count as a run? Depends - Does the B/R have to touch all four bases in this league, or is the score automatically awarded when he went yard? (local rules will/can govern this answer)
4 - How many outs ya got? I have 2 outs, but again local rules can govern this play based on ejected players.

Sorry I've been silent all day, but I do tech support for a school district with a very hectic schedule from time to time.

To answer JPRempe's question, the league follows ASA very closely and only deviates slightly from the ASA championship rules. There are no local rules regarding home runs, other than the number of allowed OTFHRs.

Regarding the rules, I haven't been able to find anything that specifically covers ejections during a dead ball situation. All I've been able to find have been live ball situations (ie., flagrant collisions with great force). The only parallel I can draw from that situation is that play is in progress, and the player is called out AND ejected. However, it's a reverse logic, as the player was already out, and the ejection is the escalation of the penalty due to its flagrant nature. In my case, the player was ejected first, and then called out.

I hate falling back on the God Rule, but in this case, I believe it was warranted. And given this guy's history in the league, I have no qualms about nailing the guy to the wall for his attitude. Frankly, I would give anything to catch him in the act of using a banned bat, but I doubt that will ever happen. Cheating in co-ed recreational slow pitch softball is an ultimate low for a "sportsman."

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by NCASAUmp

...Frankly, I would give anything to catch him in the act of using a banned bat, but I doubt that will ever happen. ...

If he is using an altered bat painted to look like a legal bat, look for any evidence it has been repainted. For example, if the paint is chipped anywhere, look for a primer coat underneath. No bat manufacturer uses a primer paint under the finish paint (or so we have been told at our umpire clinics).