Another strange one, from a friend

[tcannizzo]

Originally Posted by Manny A

So to answer your questions, if a team doesn't have any bats to use, then a forfeit is warranted. What else are you going to do?

One option is put your lineup in there one at a time and take your chances by BB, HBP or being called out on strikes.

Hell, in a JV game, this would be an interesting bet.
Unless you squeeze your zone....

[chapmaja]

Originally Posted by tcannizzo

One option is put your lineup in there one at a time and take your chances by BB, HBP or being called out on strikes.

Hell, in a JV game, this would be an interesting bet.
Unless you squeeze your zone....

You have a point. Nowhere in the rules does it say that a batter must entered the batters box with a bat.

[Manny A]

Originally Posted by chapmaja

You have a point. Nowhere in the rules does it say that a batter must entered the batters box with a bat.

NFHS Rule 3-6-1: "Team personnel shall wear or use legal and/or required equipment. (1-4, 5, 6, 7; 3-2; 3-5-1)"

Yeah, while the book doesn't outright say the batter must enter the box with a bat, what I highlighted in 3-6-1 certainly implies it.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by Manny A

NFHS Rule 3-6-1: "Team personnel shall wear or use legal and/or required equipment. (1-4, 5, 6, 7; 3-2; 3-5-1)"

Yeah, while the book doesn't outright say the batter must enter the box with a bat, what I highlighted in 3-6-1 certainly implies it.

Yes, but where does it say a bat is required? Required equipment is listed elsewhere - a bat is not one of them. Specifications are layed out as to what a legal bat is vs an illegal one --- but no where is it required.

[Manny A]

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

Yes, but where does it say a bat is required? Required equipment is listed elsewhere - a bat is not one of them. Specifications are layed out as to what a legal bat is vs an illegal one --- but no where is it required.

Seems to me that all equipment listed by rule number right after the rule--1-4 (gloves/mitts), 1-5 (bats), 1-6 (helmets) and 1-7 (catcher's gear)--is considered required.

If you really want to play that game, where does it say a batter can't use TWO bats while batting? Would you allow it?

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by Manny A

Seems to me that all equipment listed by rule number right after the rule--1-4 (gloves/mitts), 1-5 (bats), 1-6 (helmets) and 1-7 (catcher's gear)--is considered required.

If you really want to play that game, where does it say a batter can't use TWO bats while batting? Would you allow it?

Hmmm.... the rule you cited (and, I assume, correctly quoted... didn't look it up to confirm) says "legal and/or required"

"and/or"

IOW, if they must use all required equipment, and if they use equipment (required or not) it must be legal.

No where does it state (nor would I infer) that all legal equipment is required to be used.

But, no point making a federal case out of what was basically a joke!

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by Dakota

Hmmm.... the rule you cited (and, I assume, correctly quoted... didn't look it up to confirm) says "legal and/or required"

"and/or"

IOW, if they must use all required equipment, and if they use equipment (required or not) it must be legal.

No where does it state (nor would I infer) that all legal equipment is required to be used.

But, no point making a federal case out of what was basically a joke!

More like all equipment used is required to be legal.

BTW, the warmed bats do not stay warm that long. For that matter, I doubt there was any positive effect on the bat whatsoever as it was a generally heated area within the can, not something restricting the heat to the bat with a wrap or directly propelled heat.

The bat probably wasn't warmed as much as it just wasn't as cold as it should have been.

[chapmaja]

Originally Posted by Manny A

Seems to me that all equipment listed by rule number right after the rule--1-4 (gloves/mitts), 1-5 (bats), 1-6 (helmets) and 1-7 (catcher's gear)--is considered required.

If you really want to play that game, where does it say a batter can't use TWO bats while batting? Would you allow it?

Don't each of those rules specify that it is required if it is actually required to be used.

A Catcher shall wear....

A batter shall wear a batting helmet.....

All fielders shall .....

Nowhere that I can find does it say a batter shall enter the batters box with a legal bat.

Yes, it does seem like strange wording, but in a legal sense, it doesn't say a batter is required to have a bat with them when they enter the box.

Lord knows, I really hope this never happens.

[Manny A]

Originally Posted by chapmaja

Don't each of those rules specify that it is required if it is actually required to be used.

A Catcher shall wear....

A batter shall wear a batting helmet.....

All fielders shall .....

Nowhere that I can find does it say a batter shall enter the batters box with a legal bat.

Yes, it does seem like strange wording, but in a legal sense, it doesn't say a batter is required to have a bat with them when they enter the box.

Lord knows, I really hope this never happens.

So, you would allow a batter to bat with two bats then.

This is the kind of thought-processing that a coach would use to argue with an umpire.

Frankly, I wouldn't tolerate a batter who comes up without a bat. If a coach really wanted to push the issue and argue there isn't an outright statement in the rules requiring a batter to use a bat, I would counter with the catch-all in 3-6-13c that says a player will not commit an unsporting act such as "behavior in any manner not in accordance with the spirit of fair play." Heck, it wouldn't be a stretch to say that a batter without a bat is taunting the pitcher.

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by tcannizzo

One option is put your lineup in there one at a time and take your chances by BB, HBP or being called out on strikes.

Hell, in a JV game, this would be an interesting bet.
Unless you squeeze your zone....

Ha ha! Yeah, there is no rule actually requiring the batter to use a bat! And, I'd bet there would be more than one runner on base in a JV game!

[chapmaja]

Originally Posted by Dakota

Ha ha! Yeah, there is no rule actually requiring the batter to use a bat! And, I'd bet there would be more than one runner on base in a JV game!

Depends on the JV game. My games today was two unevenly matched teams (43-0 total score, with the winning team only coming up 4 times to bat). They still would have won without bats in their hands because half the pitches they got were over the catchers head or bounced before the plate. Their pitcher made we wonder what the varsity pitchers at her school were like because she was good.

Today's game was so bad, in the last inning the winning team got a base on balls, and he told his runner just to keep running, knowing she would be thrown out at some point. After two overthrows she scored the final run. Half the outs called were for runners leaving early (intentionally).