Twice in One Day
 

In back-to-back 16U plate games I did in an ASA tourney yesterday, including the championship game, I had double plays involving a strike-out/throw-out. What was unusual by both was that the batter struck out on a pitch in the dirt, then took off for first base. Despite my calling, "BATTER'S OUT! BATTER'S OUT!" the runner at first hesitated, then took off for second base, easily getting thrown out.

And I thought these 16U travel teams were well-coached! :D

uh oh:(
We don't call Batter's Out....

Is this a softball thing? Just curious. Cause I sure as heck do it in baseball, at all levels.

I've been told by 2 different baseball people (an assigner and a clinician) not to say it in baseball either. At most, hold the OUT signal a little longer. Also, in both, the only other difference I've been told is to not do the Leslie Neilson punch-out on a D3K - just a quick, "Strike three" mechanic.

You just let them run even if they are out?

Rita

Well, just goes to show that clinicians have personal preferences.

We do a loud, "Batter's out! Batter's out!" If we can stop the circus music from playing, all the better.

I say, "Batter out!", ONLY on an uncaught third strike when the batter isn't entitled to advance, and then ONLY if the batter does actually start to advance (beyond a couple of cursory steps toward first).

So, it's not, "Strike three, batter's out!". It's, "Strike three!", then pause, then read the batter, then emphasize that she's out if she continues advancing.

Unless i miss3d something in the last 40 days, in Asa we do can say batter's out as the pu. Just as .kr and jj. This assumes no right to 1b.

Yes. If F2 makes a play it is DMC.
This has been discussed exhaustively on the forum.

As others have said, simply say Strike 3.
Batter can run to 1B, even if they are out. Only time you kill it is if they try for 2B..

The Leslie Nielsen punch outs are usually reserved for a called strike three. And U3Ks are usually not in the strike zone. But if it is on a called strike because it popped out of the catcher's mitt, it won't just be an "excuse me, strike three", it will be more emphatic, and quite possibly a punch. Maybe just not with the running three-step punch.:D

Exactly

The only time I stop a batter from going to 1B is when it is only "Ball 3" or "Strike 2", and I may not be 100% correct in doing that either.

But then that's what I knew Manny was doing even though he hadn't specified that there were fewer than two outs.

So, no offense, but "duh!" It's always only "Strike three" but if she takes off and she's not entitled, it's "Batter's out! Batter's out!"

But that's for baseball. So you all are saying, one doesn't do it for softball?

Rita

That is correct. We do not do that in FPSB.

News to me.

I didn't think I had to specify, Rita, since the result of both situations was a strike-out/throw-out DP. ;)

I have never been told at any NCAA, ASA, or NFHS clinics I've attended that the "BATTER'S OUT! BATTER'S OUT!" is not an accepted mechanic in this situation. In fact, the CCA Softball Manual instructs the plate umpire to verbalize, "The batter is out," if she tries to advance to first.

I've used it for years in front of numerous tournament UCs, and they've never come up to me afterwards and critiqued me to simply signal the swinging strike.