need help and rule reference ASA

[CelticNHBlue]

The fact that the 'substitute' (so declared and confirmed before the game) was listed below batter #7 is irrelevant to the discussion.

At the particular point in time when the defense makes the umpire aware of the situation, we have no opportunity for BOO because a pitch has been thrown to a batter (#9) who properly followed the previous batter (#8) on the line-up card.

We have had a substitute enter into the game, but we do not know for whom. My first question to the offensive coach is going to be, for whom is the substitue playing. They may want to say for no one, but that is not an option, they are in the game we can prove they are in the game as they are standing on second base. There are three results depending on whom the coach declares has been substituted:

1 - If they choose a player currently on a base (batter # 7 at third or batter #8 at first) I have an illegal player in the game (since the player and their substitute can not legally be in the game at the same time). I will be calling the starting player out and removing them from a base.

2 - If they choose batter #9 (currently at bat) I am removing this batter and replacing them with the proper batter (#1) who would follow the substitute, but the substitue is on 2nd base (having batted out of order) therefor we must skip their turn at bat and get the next batter in the line up.

3 - If they choose any other batter in the line-up, nothing changes and we resume playing.

In each case, the substitute is now reported and officially in the game.

Consequently, I ask what if this was not caught in this fashion, but instead batter #8 hit a home run so there is no one on base. When the 9th batter has had a pitch thrown to them, how do you know it was the substitute that batted improperly and not another legal offensive player just batting out of order?