Can someone please tell me what dimension bats are legal for a modified-pitch league? In the years I've been playing, we've always used bats with normal-sized barrels, which were usually around a -5. The team I played last night clearly had a fast pitch bat - where the barrel started about four inches from the handle and put batters at a pretty good advantage due to the reduced weight and bigger sweet spot. I would imagine that those type bats are only for fast pitch, but maybe I'm mistaken...

Did not know they made special bats for MPL.

Have I missed something? Thought that the bat
being used only had to meet ASA standards.

glen

[Edited by whiskers_ump on Aug 14th, 2003 at 10:39 AM]

Speaking ASA

There is no such animal as a fastpitch, slowpitch or modifiedpitch bat. Any designation to that effect is that of the manufacturer, not a sanctioning body.

Rules regard all bats as just that, a bat. There are no restrictions on what bat may be used against any type of pitching as long as it has been deemed legal.

That's the way I see it also. Good for one ASA, good for all. Speaking of that - I wish I had a dollar for every bat I took out of games this past summer for not having the ASA legal marking, only to have the bat taken to the UIC and having it found to be on the "legal list". Why do we check bats if it doesn't count? It just delays the game. Have all bats checked by the UIC upon check-in. They won't sneak in any more illegal ones by doing that than they already do.

The checking of bats is a courtesy and preventive umpiring. Other than damaged bats, the only thing you really need to check is for banned bats that have not be recertified as all other bats are more than likely legal with the exception of a few new bats which have just been added to the list in the past month.

This year in our state tournaments, I took ASA's suggestion to heart and warned everyone that the penalty for using a banned bat would be an out and the player would be ejected for the TOURNAMENT.