Blatant cheating (illegal bat)

[TWmccoy]

I umpired Monday night. Rec league, only ASA bats are allowed. During the 2nd game a guy comes up with an OG Freak 12. I asked the guy if the bat was legal in that league. He claimed it was and went as far as to show me the ASA stamp (the bat somehow had one). Guy gets a hit. Afterward I picked the bat up and quickly realized that the ASA "stamp" was actually a carefully placed decal the exact size, shape, and color of a real ASA stamp.

I told the guy his bat was illegal and he feigned ignorance.

I guess my point is, who DOES this? I ump a pretty lowly rec league. These are guys who have very little softball talent and don't know anything about bats. Then I get this one douche who tries to sneak a Freak 12 into ASA rec league.

This isn't the first time I've run into cheating like this either. Another time I saw a guy with some USSSA Combat painted to look like a Worth Toxic. Pretty elaborate just to cheat in league.

 

[etnstudios]

it just being league doesn't preclude individuals to only playing in said league.

 

[tonys1]

Bro, you're just a power hungry blue and this is why you guys get no respect. Putting an ASA sticker makes your bat approved.

 

[hitless45]

LOL

 

[hitless45]

We're allowed to use utrip bats in our asa leagues so doesn't matter here

 

[hitless45]

But of course, if an ump knows rhat a certain bat has been tampered with then boot the idiot out the game js

 

[TWmccoy]

Bro, you're just a power hungry blue and this is why you guys get no respect. Putting an ASA sticker makes your bat approved.

LOL. The sticker was indeed the right color, but it was still very obviously placed there (presumably by the bat owner).

Apparently these people think umps don't know which bats are legal and which aren't.

 

[Bobby Buggs]

How do you know he didnt buy the bat like that

 

[Eeyore]

Well I’ll say 90% of umps wouldn’t know any better. We played a rec coed Asa tournament this last weekend and one team was using a Utrip DC41. Our catcher noticed it and they acted like they had no idea it wasn’t allowed. I guess they used it their first three games and the umps said nothing. Best part is they started using the ASA version of the same bat (year and all).

 

[BigWhiffa]

i'll even go as far to say that most players in rec league don't know either. i see guys put utrip bats, old banned eastons, etc on the fence in the other dugout all the time in super rec leagues. there was a time when i'd of said something like when i was in my 20's. most of the time guys are like, my brother let me use his bat or i just bought it at ****s or something like that. 9 times out of 10 you can tell they ain't lying.

basically unless they are being asshats, i won't say anything.

We also get a lot of old guys who'll swing senior bats even though they aren't supposed to. same thing, unless they are jerks or something, i won't say anything. I will say something to the pitcher if its not me about it. they can be the ones to complain.

 

[tonys1]

LOL. The sticker was indeed the right color, but it was still very obviously placed there (presumably by the bat owner).

Apparently these people think umps don't know which bats are legal and which aren't.

Here anyway, umps aren't expected to know what is allowed and what isn't. Leagues expect players to be aware of that and call it to them. At that point, cue the clown music cause the ****show starts.

The only thing they do look out for is grip n rips cause those aren't allowed.

 

[tonys1]

How do you know he didnt buy the bat like that

Carl the defense lawyer.

 

[TWmccoy]

i'll even go as far to say that most players in rec league don't know either. i see guys put utrip bats, old banned eastons, etc on the fence in the other dugout all the time in super rec leagues. there was a time when i'd of said something like when i was in my 20's. most of the time guys are like, my brother let me use his bat or i just bought it at ****s or something like that. 9 times out of 10 you can tell they ain't lying.

basically unless they are being asshats, i won't say anything.

We also get a lot of old guys who'll swing senior bats even though they aren't supposed to. same thing, unless they are jerks or something, i won't say anything. I will say something to the pitcher if its not me about it. they can be the ones to complain.

I get that guys don't know bats. I see dudes bring USSSA bats to the plate fairly often. They don't know any better, and they're just grabbing whichever bat is handy. In those situations I just tell them to go get a different bat.

Monday's case was different. The guy was trying to use a USSSA bat with a fake ASA sticker on it. In the grand scheme of life I guess it isn't a huge deal, but I don't like people gaming the system like that. I'm probably the only ump in the whole district who would have even known that the Freak 12 isn't ASA legal and that the sticker was fake.

I just don't want to be left in the lurch if the guy drills a pitcher or something using a bat I knew was illegal in a league I'm umping.

 

[TWmccoy]

How do you know he didnt buy the bat like that

I don't, but when I see a cheater bat like that I just assume the user knows what he's swinging and is willing to deal with whatever ramifications arise from swinging such a bat.

 

[tonys1]

Normally wouldn't it be the other way around though and you'd expect a guy to bring an ASA bat in Utrip ball?

 

[TWmccoy]

Normally wouldn't it be the other way around though and you'd expect a guy to bring an ASA bat in Utrip ball?

Almost every league around here is ASA. The couple leagues that allow USSSA bats also allow ASA bats.

 

[bird25]

I don't, but when I see a cheater bat like that I just assume the user knows what he's swinging and is willing to deal with whatever ramifications arise from swinging such a bat.

We had a guy bring a senior centennial to coed rec. they used it the game before ours, so when a guy hits one out I asked the ump to check the bat.

He called the out and the guys started complaining that our bats were shaved etc.

Some people’s kids...

 

[Hiltz]

The only thing they do look out for is grip n rips cause those aren't allowed.

I had an ump threaten to toss one of my bats that had a built-up hockey tape handle taper. Since it wasn't a normal straight grip the bat was "modified".

 

[clementeunknown]

I had a team swinging a Worth Watermelon in my ASA league. We called it out and the umpire said "Its has a USA softball stamp so it's good". He actually thought the thumbprint stamp was the USA softball stamp. We didn't make a fuss about it since i had my 17 Watermelon in the bag. Fight fire with fire.

 

[dunkky]

what's wrong with people nowadays not following the rule/guidelines, etc...
This **** it attitude is everywhere.

I don't care if they are rec, below avg, or whatever. There's a guidelines, manager should have read the damn rules and informed their players. That's how it rolls.

Rest is all BS. so, what's next, they gonna bring classic M balls? Oh sorry, I didn't know???

 

[jbo911]

This is nothing new. Cheating is as old as softball. It used to just be with ringers though.

Tune down the equipment a touch and it won't matter anymore. Cheaters will stick out, and the game will be decent again.

 

[jhitman]

95% of the umps here don't even check the bats before games like the old days. The players police the bat used in games primarily and will call it to the attention of the Ump if necessary.

 

[TWmccoy]

This is nothing new. Cheating is as old as softball. It used to just be with ringers though.

Tune down the equipment a touch and it won't matter anymore. Cheaters will stick out, and the game will be decent again.

I agree. The bats are just too hot. ASA/USA and USSSA. All too hot.

I don't think USSSA's bat change taking place later this year will make a ton of difference. Especially if they continue to use Pro Ms.

I look at cheating two different ways. Guys who legitimately don't know any better and just bring a USSSA bat to the plate.... and guys who willfully subvert the rules and try to be sneaky with bats.

I realize that guys who play once a week won't even have a clue on legal/illegal bats. I'm pretty patient with those guys. If they come to the plate with a USSSA bat I just make them go get an ASA bat instead. I don't call them out. Putting an ASA sticker on a USSSA bat is pretty low rent though. Its calculated deception.

 

[TWmccoy]

95% of the umps here don't even check the bats before games like the old days. The players police the bat used in games primarily and will call it to the attention of the Ump if necessary.

When I ump I don't check bats before games.... but I notice immediately if guys come to the plate with USSSA bats. I've also seen the nazi umps who won't allow knobcuffs or other stuff on the handle... or who insist that the grip tape must be 12" high or whatever.

 

[TWmccoy]

what's wrong with people nowadays not following the rule/guidelines, etc...
This **** it attitude is everywhere.

I don't care if they are rec, below avg, or whatever. There's a guidelines, manager should have read the damn rules and informed their players. That's how it rolls.

Rest is all BS. so, what's next, they gonna bring classic M balls? Oh sorry, I didn't know???

Luckily the league supplies balls. .52 300 Tattoos. No one gets to sneak in weird balls.

 

[jhitman]

When I ump I don't check bats before games.... but I notice immediately if guys come to the plate with USSSA bats. I've also seen the nazi umps who won't allow knobcuffs or other stuff on the handle... or who insist that the grip tape must be 12" high or whatever.

We play ASA but since we are hitting the mushy 52's they allow us to use USSSA bats. The Umps here allow us to use knob cuffs too. They are pretty lenient here. We're lucky if we can get them to show up on time.

 

[jbo911]

I agree. The bats are just too hot. ASA/USA and USSSA. All too hot.

I don't think USSSA's bat change taking place later this year will make a ton of difference. Especially if they continue to use Pro Ms.

I look at cheating two different ways. Guys who legitimately don't know any better and just bring a USSSA bat to the plate.... and guys who willfully subvert the rules and try to be sneaky with bats.

I realize that guys who play once a week won't even have a clue on legal/illegal bats. I'm pretty patient with those guys. If they come to the plate with a USSSA bat I just make them go get an ASA bat instead. I don't call them out. Putting an ASA sticker on a USSSA bat is pretty low rent though. Its calculated deception.

Especially with a five cert swing. Its usually not hard to see who's who.

 

[D-ROCK13]

Couldn't tell you the amount of times a team has tossed me a stadium ball to pitch and then they get mad when I call em out
Couldn't imagine the crying if I called em out on an illegal bat

 

[dunkky]

I've also seen the nazi umps who won't allow knobcuffs or other stuff on the handle

Yeap, i was once a victim of that. those guys are not even half knowledgeable as ones from here, forum.

I don't mind, granpa shows up and want to stay active and make some bucks. And i can totally understand he doesn't know some of the simple rules or whatever as long as he is a decent human being. But some of them are just douche. It's good thing they provide more opportunities for old people, but sometimes, i wish they hire more younger ones because they are more uptodated with current bats and rules. And most of all, i found them more sincere and reasonable.

 

[etnstudios]

Couldn't tell you the amount of times a team has tossed me a stadium ball to pitch and then they get mad when I call em out
Couldn't imagine the crying if I called em out on an illegal bat

i never really mind this one because it should be an automatic out once it's in play