Batter throwing the bat

[Chess Ref]

I know this has been talked about before. It must be my search forum skills suck because I can't find any threads on this.

Batter, after hitting the ball, throws her bat, and it hits the catcher and or the umpire.

It happened to my partner yesterday, twice. I've RS# read 52. It seems to be a stretch, but my partner was prepared to go with Interference.

Also someone want to point me in the direction "of making a play" definition.

[CecilOne]

Did the catcher have a play?

[Chess Ref]

Originally Posted by CecilOne

Did the catcher have a play?

Going with the ASA definition...not at the precise moment the bat lodged in her mask...(using exaggeration here).

It wasn't a malicious thing, but it was a pretty forceful thing.

[chapmaja]

This was a big issue so far for a couple middle school games I've umpired. My shin guards, as well as the catcher's shin guards have taken a beating as a result of improperly handled bats after swings.

I finally got to the point in one of my games, after the same batter carelessly released her bat, that I warned her personally, as well as the coach, that the next player who carelessly released her bat would be restricted to the dugout for the remainder of the game. Luckily she never came up again and we never had another issue. After the game, the coach came up to me in the parking lot and said "Tomorrow practice will be all dropping the bat after we hit it."

I try to be as nice as possible, even more so with middle school players who have only done Wreck League before, but at some point even I have to draw that line, and when the bat barely misses me, and goes in the air to the backstop, it is a little too much even for me.

[CecilOne]

Any throw in a dangerous manner in any direction, hitting anyone not needed, gets a verbal caution to the coach with me handing him/her the bat.
Next time, unless much less dangerous, RTB.

[Chess Ref]

Originally Posted by CecilOne

Any throw in a dangerous manner in any direction, hitting anyone not needed, gets a verbal caution to the coach with me handing him/her the bat.
Next time, unless much less dangerous, RTB.

Not trying to be difficult here, but is there a rules justification for the RTB ?