Strange batting technique, legal?

[RKBUmp]

Just got back from nationals and we had a batter that had everyone scratching their head. UIC was going to try and watch her to see what he thought but they got eliminated before he had a chance to see her.

Lefty slapper, she would take normal stance, but on occasion as the pitch was coming in she would drop her left hand from the bat, take the bat with her right hand and bring the bat around behind her back, grab it with her left hand and then do a running one handed drag bunt. I really wish I had video of it because its hard to describe in exact detail. The first time she did it to me I had to stop and think about what the heck I had just seen.

Initially UIC from our descriptions said he thought there was probably nothing wrong with it. Later he said after thinking about it he may consider the bat being moved across the front of the body as a swing, which would result in any contact with the ball after that being a dead ball. Opinions?

[Linknblue]

Saw this once myself. Batter's team had a pretty good lead. Batter's attempt failed but I immediately went to her coach and told him he better stop her from doing it again. I thought she was "mocking" the game and the other team and I was going to have to remove her from the game if it happened again.

It happened fast and of course I was taken a bit off guard (Did I just see what I thought I saw moment.)

It stopped after one attempt.

[Manny A]

Originally Posted by RKBUmp

Later he said after thinking about it he may consider the bat being moved across the front of the body as a swing, which would result in any contact with the ball after that being a dead ball. Opinions?

I think the UIC is wrong, personally. Just because something doesn't look right, it doesn't make it illegal.

In order for a Strike to be ruled, the batter must make a bonafide attempt at hitting the pitch, correct? While not addressing this particular situation, that's one of the criteria to be used per RS10. If we were to consider moving the bat in front of the body as a swing, we would be calling Strike when a batter waves the bat up and down in front of her body just before the pitch reaches home plate.

Yeah, it's a weird technique. But don't look for something to outlaw weird.

[Andy]

I'm kind of surprised you haven't seen this before....

I have seen it a few times at the college level in the past, maybe 3-4 years ago, not so much recently.

Nothing illegal about it...I was told that it was designed to get the defense to relax when they saw the bat being dropped behind the back, thinking that the batter wasn't going to swing at the pitch. But, in order to do it effectively, you have to be pretty quick with the bat and the footwork has to be especially good to stay in the box.

I just think it was one of those things things that somebody tried, found out it didn't work as well as they thought it would and just kind of died....

[DaveASA/FED]

Saw and video taped this a few years ago. We had an advanced camp for our state folks and had a girl do this. I went on the field with a camera to get a decent shot of it, can't remember how good the video looked now will have to dig back into the old files and see. But coach and parents were conserned why we were taking video etc. till we finally told them "Cause we want to make sure everyone knows this is LEGAL and they don't give her any grief over it" they were all the sudden REAL cool with us taking video, even brought her up to bat again so we could get another view of it(this was a free practice tourney for the teams just to let us work with umpires so things were pretty friendly).

[IRISHMAFIA]

Wait a minute! Didn't I see an Illegal Swing List coming out?

Please, why in the name of anything would someone think there is some sort of restrictions on a swing?

The only remote thing that comes close to an illegal swing is a chop and AFAIC, the batter can do that all day, s/he is just out when they hit the ball.

[shagpal]

drag swing!

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

Wait a minute! Didn't I see an Illegal Swing List coming out?

Please, why in the name of anything would someone think there is some sort of restrictions on a swing?

The only remote thing that comes close to an illegal swing is a chop and AFAIC, the batter can do that all day, s/he is just out when they hit the ball.

[DaveASA/FED]

Originally Posted by shagpal

drag swing!

Someone named shagpal taking about a drag swing.....I'm going to leave this one alone!!!!!

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

Wait a minute! Didn't I see an Illegal Swing List coming out?

Please, why in the name of anything would someone think there is some sort of restrictions on a swing?

The only remote thing that comes close to an illegal swing is a chop and AFAIC, the batter can do that all day, s/he is just out when they hit the ball.

Well, you can't swing twice at the same pitch. I can see someone (OOO) going there on this one --- not that they'd be right.

[Andy]

Originally Posted by DaveASA/FED

Someone named shagpal taking about a drag swing.....I'm going to leave this one alone!!!!!

Haven't changed a bit, have you Dave???????

[KJUmp]

[QUOTE=Linknblue;851054]Saw this once myself. Batter's team had a pretty good lead. Batter's attempt failed but I immediately went to her coach and told him he better stop her from doing it again. I thought she was "mocking" the game and the other team and I was going to have to remove her from the game if it happened again.

What rule would support you taking that action?

What she was doing with the bat was not (by rule) illegal.

[DaveASA/FED]

Originally Posted by Andy

Haven't changed a bit, have you Dave???????

Well I left it alone this time.....used to I would have gone ahead and said what I was thinking!!!

Ok, no I haven't changed probably never will!!

[Manny A]

Originally Posted by Linknblue

Saw this once myself. Batter's team had a pretty good lead. Batter's attempt failed but I immediately went to her coach and told him he better stop her from doing it again. I thought she was "mocking" the game and the other team and I was going to have to remove her from the game if it happened again.

Wow. No disrespect intended, but you have a pretty low tolerance level on what you feel is "mocking".

Andy posted that this was a legitimate technique that was designed to catch the defense off-guard. The reason we don't see it is because of the rare likelihood of success.

To me, it's no different than a batter waving the bat up and down before the pitch comes in. While I might find that annoying, I certainly am not going to tell a batter's coach that she needs to stop doing that.

[Linknblue]

Guess "you had to be there". This girl was head and shoulders the best player on both teams. The team ahead had players batting left handed when they were right handed players which I can see...........but the attitudes were beginning to show and when this happened, for me, it was a bit over the top. She didn't do it again so no harm, no foul..............I just wasn't going to have the losers of the game being "showed up" is all.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by Linknblue

Guess "you had to be there". This girl was head and shoulders the best player on both teams. The team ahead had players batting left handed when they were right handed players which I can see...........but the attitudes were beginning to show and when this happened, for me, it was a bit over the top. She didn't do it again so no harm, no foul..............I just wasn't going to have the losers of the game being "showed up" is all.

No, we didn't have to be there. What the player did was legal and you have no choice, but to allow it or face a possible protest and lose.