Down at Berliner this Weekend

[Tallmadge Force Gold]

We had several interesting plays and curious of the interpretations:

1. Left-handed slap hitter was using a team bat. It had a choke up ring that she moved up to the top of the grip. Imagine only one ring and it is placed at the top of the grip instead of at the knob. Is this an illegal bat? Altered bat? Legal bat?

2. Catcher makes snap throw to 3rd base. Throw hits the bat of the right-handed hitter (it was not ruled interference on the batter). Runner heads for home and slips, then gets tagged out. Live play and out or a dead ball and returned to the base?

3. Fly ball over the CF's head. Ball lands at the bottom of the loose (temporary fence). Player reaches for the ball and pushes it under the fence (accidentally). CF raises hands. Runner on first scored. Batter got to 3rd. Is this a ground rule double? Place the runners where umpire believes they would have gotten? Award bases based on location when the ball went out of play?

 

[Steve Sylvester]

Not an umpire but fairly competent in my understanding of the rules, but please correct me if I'm wrong.
1. USA definition of an altered bat is "When the physical structure of a legal softball bat has been changed." Probably up to the umpire judgment. Not sure of any cases on this, but I'd be interested in reading them.
2. If the batter was in the box and no intentional movement was made to hit the ball with the bat, then it's a live ball. If the batter was out of the box, the batter is out runner returns.
3. That's a tough one. If the CF admitted to accidentally pushing the ball under the fence, it should be ruled as a ball out of play, runners advance one past the previously occupied base. If the CF said it got under by itself ground-rule double.

 

[BretMan2]

1. I’m not sure which default rule set they’re using there this weekend. The ruling might vary depending on that. Generally, an attachment needs to be permanently fastened or taped to the handle. This could be an illegal bat, depending on the sanction.

2. If this wasn’t ruled interference, then it’s a live ball. Play on and get what you get.

3. If the fielder provided the impetus for the ball to go out of play, then it’s a two-base award for all runners, from the point of when the fielder last touched the ball. Where were the runners when the fielder touched the ball?