Ground Rules/Pre-Game Coaches' Conference

[Steve M]

Originally Posted by NCASAUmp

Yeah, but too many coaches/players have figured that out. They bring out 12 bats for inspection, pull out 3 hot bats when you leave the dugout, and put 3 other bats back in the bags.

I'm all for telling the coaches to take EVERY bat out of EVERY bag found in the dugout. I won't reach into the bags to verify, but all I have to do is tap the back of the bag to tell if there's something else inside.

I don't buy that "oh, we won't use that bat today" crap. Just wait until the 4th or 5th inning when they're down by 5, and it magically appears.

But that's a whole different topic for another thread.

And I'm all for doing what Fed baseball is doing beginning this year - no inspection. The responsibility belongs entirely to the team. Use an illegal bat? OK, I have a book rule to handle that. ASA and all the other sanctioning bodies want us to inspect the bats - it's a worthless as background checks.