Moving the bat

[EsqUmp]

Here is what we say about bat removal. I apologize ahead of time if this level of common sense offends anyone's sensibilities.

BAT REMOVAL
• After hitting a ball, a batter may drop her bat into a position near home plate that might subsequently interfere with a play at the plate. When possible, umpires may safely, carefully and cautiously remove a bat without interfering with play.
• Three criteria should be used in deciding whether to clear the bat:
• Is it necessary? If there is a possibility of a play at the plate, you must
determine....
• Is the bat available? If the bat is close enough and you can get it, you must
then determine...
• Is it possible? Is it possible to get the bat, move it and get back into proper
position for the ensuing play at the plate?
• If the answer to all three questions is "Yes," then clear the bat.
• The proper technique for clearing the bat will allow you to keep an eye on your responsibilities and move the bat safely away from the immediate area of the plate. When grapping the bat, keep your head up and watch the runner round 3rd base. There is always the possibility of a missed base, obstruction, or a coach's assist.
• Grab the bat firmly with your hand, point the handle or barrel toward foul territory and slide the bat along the ground. The bat should never leave the ground.
• Slide the bat far enough so that it cannot be in the way, including if players adjust. Sliding the bat rather than picking it up and throwing it also minimizes risk of injury to an on-deck hitter who may be coaching the approaching runner.

[RKBUmp]

Now what about the catchers helmet which is generally laying somewhere in the general vacinity also? You going to move it too?

[EsqUmp]

Originally Posted by RKBUmp

Now what about the catchers helmet which is generally laying somewhere in the general vacinity also? You going to move it too?

yes

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by EsqUmp

yes

Break my catcher's mask and you can pay for it, sir.

[Rich Ives]

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

Break my catcher's mask and you can pay for it, sir.

It broke when you dropped it, not when I moved it.

[EsqUmp]

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

Break my catcher's mask and you can pay for it, sir.

Give me a break. I really hope you're joking. PS: Tell your catcher she can't drop her equipment and obstruct the runner.

[EsqUmp]

Gotta love it:

For the most part, people are advocating leaving the bat alone, saying they have never had a problem. I'm not sure how they are defining "problem" but I'll take their word for it.

What I'm saying is that I know thousands of umpires who move the bat and none of us have had a "problem." Unless you consider someone saying, "thanks for getting the bat out of the way" a problem.

So why are those who don't move the bat so adamant that those who do move it are wrong? Is it a "that's baseball" argument? I love that one.

Why don't you all ask your associations to put it in writing NOT to move the bat? I can't wait for someone to say that not everything has to be put in a rule book or a manual. After all, it's not like ASA kills trees telling us to make sure we keep a stand-by plumber and electrician

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by EsqUmp

So why are those who don't move the bat so adamant that those who do move it are wrong?

Besides the other common sense issues, simply because is it not why the umpire is there. No matter how you want to pose it, if the umpire needs to do anything which draws their attention away from the game they are umpiring, it is something the umpire shouldn't be doing.

The players are there to play their game on their field with their equipment, let them play the game on their field with their equipment.

Then there is always the question of why is the PU hanging around the plate while there is an on-going play.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by EsqUmp

Gotta love it:

For the most part, people are advocating leaving the bat alone, saying they have never had a problem. I'm not sure how they are defining "problem" but I'll take their word for it.

Fair question.

I've never seen (while umpiring or observing umpires):
A) A thrown ball hit a discarded bat.
B) A runner or fielder trip over a discarded bat.
C) A play affected in any way, positive or negative, by a discarded bat (other than, of course, the batted ball hitting a bat or a discarded bat hitting a batted ball ... which is surely outside the scope of what we're talking about here)

I do want to ask ... which of these problems have you seen happen that you and your association is trying to avoid by moving the bat?

What I'm saying is that I know thousands of umpires who move the bat and none of us have had a "problem." Unless you consider someone saying, "thanks for getting the bat out of the way" a problem.

So why are those who don't move the bat so adamant that those who do move it are wrong? Is it a "that's baseball" argument? I love that one.

Another fair question. I have witnessed all of the following (all as observer / UIC, never as umpire):

A) Umpire missed SOMETHING while either moving to the bat or reaching for the bat (and yes, this can be fixed with increased training) - "something" includes more than one obstruction, one obviously missed base that I and everyone but him saw - that one resulted in an ejection eventually, one ball that was thrown out of play and the umpire incorrectly ruled where the runners were when the ball was thrown. Probably others in this category that I don't definitively recall right now.
B) One threatened lawsuit that was settled. Bat was expensive. Player's father claimed bat was broken when the umpire tossed it aside into the pole of the fence. He didn't throw it hard - but it was enough to give at least a shred of validity to the possibility that the player's father was right. The league paid for the bat.
C) One innocuous discarded bat was picked up and thrown aside, hitting an on deck batter who was behind the umpire watching the play. (Worse on this one, there was never any potential play at the plate - no runners on, typical single to right - no need at ALL for the umpire to even think about the bat ... but he did.)
D) One discarded bat was picked up and tossed, landing on and breaking the snap on a discarded catcher's mask.

[charliej47]

Originally Posted by RKBUmp

Now what about the catchers helmet which is generally laying somewhere in the general vacinity also? You going to move it too?

There have been times when I have kicked the helmet out of the way.

[RKBUmp]

Originally Posted by charliej47

There have been times when I have kicked the helmet out of the way.

I have to, but not on purpose. Was watching a play and didn't see the helmet and kicked it.

I did not hear the story directly from the umpire it happened to so cannot verify its truth, but I was told we did have parents locally that filed a claim against an umpire for a damaged bat. The umpire tossed the bat out of the way and it hit the chain link fence. Parents said it had broken the bat and filed a claim for damages.

[HugoTafurst]

Originally Posted by EsqUmp

Here is what we say about bat removal. I apologize ahead of time if this level of common sense offends anyone's sensibilities.

BAT REMOVAL
• After hitting a ball, a batter may drop her bat into a position near home plate that might subsequently interfere with a play at the plate. When possible, umpires may safely, carefully and cautiously remove a bat without interfering with play.
• Three criteria should be used in deciding whether to clear the bat:
• Is it necessary? If there is a possibility of a play at the plate, you must
determine....
• Is the bat available? If the bat is close enough and you can get it, you must
then determine...
• Is it possible? Is it possible to get the bat, move it and get back into proper
position for the ensuing play at the plate?
• If the answer to all three questions is "Yes," then clear the bat.
• The proper technique for clearing the bat will allow you to keep an eye on your responsibilities and move the bat safely away from the immediate area of the plate. When grapping the bat, keep your head up and watch the runner round 3rd base. There is always the possibility of a missed base, obstruction, or a coach's assist.
• Grab the bat firmly with your hand, point the handle or barrel toward foul territory and slide the bat along the ground. The bat should never leave the ground.
• Slide the bat far enough so that it cannot be in the way, including if players adjust. Sliding the bat rather than picking it up and throwing it also minimizes risk of injury to an on-deck hitter who may be coaching the approaching runner.

Pretty thorough. Which organization published that?

I think it again comes down to "when in Rome".

As far as the groups and clinics I've been to, the subject either has NOT been specifically addressed our the advice was to leave it alone.

To be honest, I think it is more the concern for appearance of favoritism (which like it ir not I have seen under the silliest of circumstances), than it is the safety issue.
The bat is legally there and its being there our not being there can affect the play. If you move it, you have given one team an advantage (possibly).

That's my take.
If I find myself worrying for the people who wrote that directive, I'll consider moving the bat.