Yesterday I was working a game up in Portland. I was in the field with nobody on base. The batterrunner either bunts or has a swinging bunt close to the plate. He dropped his bat unintentionally contacting the ball. The catcher removes his mask (traditional since legal in college) with his right hand and picks up the baseball with the same hand. I position myself for a call at first and I see the throw. Funny thing was the mask and ball both were thrown to first. The mask when much further than the ball. One of the oddest things I had ever seen. I did not know if he picked it up with that hand or thrown his mask on top of the ball. Either way seeing that mask flying to first instead of the ball was LOL funny.
My question is this... What if the bat contacts the ball after dropping? And What if the catch throws his mask on top of the ball stopping it from traveling?
Enjoy and enjoy the weather!!
Mother may I slug the Umpire,
ReplyDeleteMay I slug him right away,
So he cannot be here, Mother,
When the clubs begin to play?
Let me clasp his throat, dear Mother,
In a dear, delightful grip,
With one hand, and with the other,
Bat him several in the lip,
Let me climb his frame dear Mother,
While the happy people shout,
I’ll not kill him, dearest Mother,
I will only knock him out,
Let me mop the ground up Mother,
With his person, dearest, do;
If the ground can stand it, Mother,
I don’t see why you can’t too.
The Chicago Tribune 1886
Judging by the lack of comments, maybe a lot of people don't know what the calls would be. I know I didn't. I couldn't find in the rule book anything about the bat unintentionally contacting a batted ball in fair territory, although I'm sure it's there. I did find it on the Internet, though, and it looks like it's a no call. If that's correct, then kudos to the Babe Ruth umpire who made a correct no call in my son's game this afternoon.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the catcher throwing his mask on a fair ball is also a no call if it's unintentional. If he's using his mask to field a batted ball, however, it's a three-base award. Two bases for a thrown ball.
if the bat was "properly" placed on the ground, then it's nothing because when the bat hits the ground, it becomes a part of the field.
ReplyDelete