Bat Testing Issue

[NCASAUmp]

I definitely agree with the other respondents - this is above and beyond the domain of the umpire.

As much as I want to see bat doctors hang by their toes on a flag pole in Death Valley in the middle of July, I seriously doubt that these girls are going out on their own and getting their bats rolled/altered. Maybe their parents are doing it, maybe their coaches are doing it, who knows? But I think the punishment is misguided here.

Secondly, as said earlier, the compression tester only finds bats that are out of compliance. It does not detect WHY that bat is out of compliance. There will always be variations in manufacturing, and it's entirely possible that a well-used bat can break-in at above specified limits. Should the player get blamed for this? Not without some other evidence that the bat was altered.

Lastly, why go so far as to eject? Why not just remove the bat? Why is that so hard? Even at Nationals, if a bat is tested and fails before the game starts, it's removed. That's all. Doesn't matter if it's youth ball, men's/women's ball or senior ball, it's just removed.

Those of you who know me well know that I can appreciate the desire to take a strong stance against bat doctoring. I hate it, and I hope it never infects the youth game as it has the SP game. But I think this is going way beyond reason, and I, as an official who only calls the game in front of me, would not want any part of it.

Run. Run like hell.