Foul or Dead

[greymule]

ASA. First, (1) dead ball and add a strike with less than 2 strikes is the same as (2) foul ball.

Second, the umpire was wrong to call the batter out. POE #23 Part A says:

"If the bat is in the hands of the batter when the ball comes in contact with it, and the batter is in the batter's box, it is a foul ball. If an entire foot of the batter is completely outside the batter's box, he is out. When in doubt, don't guess the batter out. Call it a foul ball."

As to your second question, Part B says:

"If the bat is out of the batter's hands (dropped or thrown) and it hits the ball in fair territory, the ball is dead and the batter runner is out."

Part B continues, "If the ball hits the bat on the ground, the batter is not out," and then specifies how then to determine fair or foul.

As I remember, Fed is the same, but with different criteria for determining whether a ball that rolls against a bat on the ground is fair or foul. I'll let someone else speak for Fed.