I wish I could get a consensus about a call from throwing a bat. I know that it is a judgement call, but if the umpire determines that there needs to penalty, is the only choice an ejection or can the batter be called out? My posts have gotten a lot of views, but at present only one response. Please help
Randall - I would warn a player initially and if it happens again, you then have that option to call dead ball batter out. I would enforce that myself when either blatant or someone (incl. myself) gets hit after the warning. Hope this helps.
It does help and it makes sense. But I can find no rule that speaks to it
USA Softball rules, which SSUSA follows when a rule is not spelled out in the SSUSA rule book, states: “When a player throws the bat intentionally in anger, the player should be ejected. Should the bat slip from the batter’s hands, there is no penalty unless the discarded bat prevents the defense from making a play on the ball, and then interference should be ruled. There is no penalty when a player carries a bat to first base or any other base. Should the player use the bat to prevent a defensive player from making a play, then interference should be ruled.”
So in terms of calling an out, the batter would be out if the thrown bat interfered with the defense making a play. Also, if the batter is ejected for throwing the bat in anger, and the offense does not have a replacement for the batter’s place in the batting order, the batter would be out.
For example, I can think of a few time while umpiring when the batter threw his bat between the catcher and batted ball to block or slow the catcher’s path to the ball. That would be interference, an immediate dead ball, the batter called out and all other runners sent back to the base last occupied.
