Don't pick up that bat!

[MD Longhorn]

Low-key, low level social adult co-ed slowpitch last night:

Runner on 2nd, ball driven to left center. Runner rounds 3rd and will coast home. There may be a play at 2nd. LCF comes up and FIRES the ball... home instead of 2nd! Runner will be safe by 5-6 steps, easy. Dumb throw, fielder.

Runner stops, oblivious to the throw coming in to the "I-play-catcher-because-they-make-me-and-I-bat-12th" female catcher. Stops literally a centimeter short of home, picks up the bat, and looks over to 2nd to see if his batter's going to be safe. Poor catcher reaches around the runner, and somehow manages to glove the ball - the force of the throw thwacks her glove into the runner's leg, still a centimeter off the plate.

PU was stunned into silence. F2 says, "Look, I caught it - did I get him?" PU says, "Yes you did! He's out!!!!" The runner probably STILL doesn't know what happened.

[SRW]

A centimeter, huh?

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by SRW

A centimeter, huh?

Well, I was BU, and didn't go get a ruler. But he couldn't have been more than the width of the black away from touching the black.

[drh898]

Which bring up another question, I always try to kick the bat out of the way. Should I or not? And does it make a difference whether it is in the Wed. rec league or FP club play?

[NCASAUmp]

Originally Posted by drh898

Which bring up another question, I always try to kick the bat out of the way. Should I or not? And does it make a difference whether it is in the Wed. rec league or FP club play?

My $.02 is that if you're PU and you see the bat in a hazardous area, while I understand the compulsion we all have to move something that's in a bad spot, we should leave it. If you pick it up and throw it somewhere else, you're now responsible for having put it there. If someone gets hurt as a result of the bat being there, it's your butt in the defendant's chair, having to explain to the jury why you shouldn't have to pay Joey's medical bills and lost wages after he broke his leg (despite having signed that waiver before the season started).

We live in a society that loves to sue over anything, including cases that fall into the "sh!t happens" bin.

[Skahtboi]

Originally Posted by NCASAUmp

My $.02 is that if you're PU and you see the bat in a hazardous area, while I understand the compulsion we all have to move something that's in a bad spot, we should leave it. If you pick it up and throw it somewhere else, you're now responsible for having put it there. If someone gets hurt as a result of the bat being there, it's your butt in the defendant's chair, having to explain to the jury why you shouldn't have to pay Joey's medical bills and lost wages after he broke his leg (despite having signed that waiver before the season started).

We live in a society that loves to sue over anything, including cases that fall into the "sh!t happens" bin.

Dave is correct on this one, as far as I am concerned. Don't mess with the players' equipment. You can do a search and find where this has been discussed many times before on this forum.

[MD Longhorn]

I agree - leave the bat alone. You don't KNOW that the place you move it to is any better than the place you're moving it from. You could move it from a baseline and end up having a thrown ball hit it and change the play dramatically. Plus the litigious thing already mentioned above.

[NCASAUmp]

And furthermore, do you really want to kick someone else's $400 bat? Some players are real alpha males about their equipment, safety-be-damned.

[Steve M]

Originally Posted by drh898

Which bring up another question, I always try to kick the bat out of the way. Should I or not? And does it make a difference whether it is in the Wed. rec league or FP club play?

Along with the other answers that have been given, this discarded bat is covered by rule. I don't touch players' bats or balls and most of the time, I don't want them touching mine.

[drh898]

Thank you. You've changed my way of thinking.

[U of M Sam]

Leave the playing equipment alone (discarded bat, catchers helmet, etc).
Although please be certain to maintain control of your equipment during the game.

[BretMan]

Just saw a clip on ESPN from yesterday's Mets fiasco. As the Marlins were lighting them up in the first, there's a play at the plate.

It sure looked strange seeing the plate umpire make a safe signal with his mask in one had and A BAT IN THE OTHER!

I guess it's not technically "moving" a bat if you just pick it up and carry it around with you...

For the record, put me down in the "don't touch player's equipment" camp.

[NCASAUmp]

Originally Posted by BretMan

I guess it's not technically "moving" a bat if you just pick it up and carry it around with you...

Yeah, and what certainty do any of us have that holding the bat is any better? What if the on-deck batter is a little too close, and you call the runner safe?

*clock*

Oops, sorry, guy.

[NCASAUmp]

Originally Posted by bkbjones

Mi tambien.

You mean "yo tampoco."

Sorry, 7 years of Spanish classes...

[Skahtboi]

Originally Posted by NCASAUmp

You mean "yo tampoco."

Sorry, 7 years of Spanish classes...

Donde usted ve esto?