What are the calls?

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Batter bunts. Ball hits just above handle of bat and is deadened to the extreme that it then hits the end of the bat (still in batter's hands). Ball goes fair in front of plate. Runner beats throw to first. In the game where I saw this, the plate ump did not see the double hit. The coach did not appeal the call and the catcher did not say anything. The runner was simply safe at first. Both the first and second hits happened with the batter still in the box.

In another game: batter swings at pitch and the ball first hits handle of bat. Then, as the swing continues, the ball also hits the barrel of the bat (usually this only happens in whiffle ball). The ball went on a line to the first baseman. The hitter was called out. Neither the plate ump, nor the batter, nor any of the coaches or players ever made mention of the double hit. What should the calls have been.

 

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Assuming the batter is still considered in the batters box, I believe it is a dead ball foul in both situations. ?If the batter is completly out of the batters box on the second hit, it's and dead ball and the batter is out in both situations.

 

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If the ball never hit anything but the bat, it is a live ball. Technically there was seperation from the bat, but when it happens that quickly it really isn't perceivable.

 

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ASA Rule 7. BATTING, Section 6. THE BATTER IS OUT, paragraph K. When the batter hits a fair ball with the bat a second time in fair territory.

EXCEPTION:

1. ?If the batter is in the batter's box and contact is made while the bat is in the batter's hands,

EFFECT: Foul ball, even if the ball is hit a second time over fair territory.

Now of course, the umpire has to see it happen to make the call.

 

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I would say the field ump would have this call. He/she would be in a better position to see it. Unless the home ump could hear the double contact.

We had a lefty/slapper that this happened to twice this year. She bounced the ball off the ground and on the follow through she made contact a 2nd time. She was called out both times.

 

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Ah. That's a different story if it hits the ground in between. In both of the cases I saw, though, the ball hit the bat twice while the bat was in the batter's hands and while the batter was still in the box. Once on a full swing and once on a bunt. On neither occasion was the double hit acknowledged by the ump or pointed out by the catcher or anyone else. From what I'm reading, though, it should have been called a foul ball, even though the ball went fair both times?

 

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Whether the ball hit the bat first, then the ground, then the bat a second time, or hit the bat twice while still in the air, doesn't change the call. It's still a foul ball.

I can't honestly recall seeing a ball hit twice, while the batter is still holding the bat, before the ball hits the ground in between. I do see "double hits", usually on bunts, where the ball goes straight down and back up into the bat, two or three times a year.