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Batting out of order
This is from an actual game situation earlier this week.
Bottom of 2nd.
1st batter - #7 spot in lineup bats and gets on 1st safely.
Then, #9 spot bats. Sacrifice bunts, R1 moves to 2nd. Now we have R2, 1 out.
Next, #8 spot bats, draws walk. Now R1, R2, 1 out.
Now, before another pitch, the defensive manager calls time and informs me of batting out of order.
What is the proper ruling?
I'll fill in my ruling after a few responses.
Tim Cottrill
Who is out
Just a Suggestion for how to think on this ruling. Remember the importance of the proper batter is for two things. To determine if someone is out of order and to figure out who bats next.
In all situations when you have a out situation the Proper batter is called out regardless of who actually batted. In this situation #8 is not the proper batter because the last legalized proper batter was #9. The person who is out for #8 actions would be the batter who Follows #9.
Hope to see more discussion on the other points here or a better description of how things are handled.
Dan
The ruling on the field
OK, here's what I ruled at the time.
#9 did bat out of order, however, the first pitch to #8 "legalized" #9's at bat. So, the proper batter at that point would have been #1. As soon as #8 finished his at bat, and before the next pitch, the defensive manager informs me of the batting error. Since #1 was the proper batter, he is out. #2 would then be the proper batter. #8, who batted in the wrong spot was removed from 1st base. The runner at 2nd base stays put.
The important thing is to recreate the sequence of events 1 batter at a time.
Oddly enough the offensive manager didn't understand the rule and filed a protest.
Tim
Joined: 2007-06-13