Altered Bat? You make this call (or do you?).

[nc452010]

This is a serious question. The person who made this call is an awesome umpire (IMO) and someone I look up to. We talk from time to time on situations that occur at our games. This was one he made public.

I can't for the life of me understand this one, though. Can he cite "safety" as his reasoning? If so, under what rule can he do so?

I'm not questioning his call. I'm questioning how he got there.

Was the bat "hot"? Who knows? Can anyone (short of confiscating and testing it) say so, unequivocally?

IMO....if you can't answer that question in the affirmative, you have to let the equipment remain in play. OR.....cite a rule you're removing it under (and another for not removing the player).

Yeah....IMO....BIG can of worms.