Other WSL ruling on picking up bat in play

[Hustlers0211]

On deck when a teammate hits a single, runner on second makes for home. Lady umpire makes her way up the line but the bat is right on the third base line. She makes no attempt to kick it out of the way so I go to help out. She warns me to stay off the field of play. Is there a penalty for moving a bat off the field? If so is it a dead ball out? In this case who is out the runner comming in? Just want to know the rule.

 

[shotcaller]

not a penalty

not a penalty unless you get into a play.I will usually try to kick the bat out of the basebath if i can because i dont like stepping on them any more than anyone else does.

 

[Hustlers0211]

That is what I thought but she made it very clear to me that this would be an infraction and that she would have to make an out call of some sort. She did not make it clear of who would be out. The runner had not made it to third when I was going for the bat so I would not have been close to the play. Thanks for the ruling.

 

[MrEye]

I'd say when in doubt stay out of there, especially if there's a chance of a close play - at ANY bag. (You don't want to get in her line of sight).

That being said, I love an on deck batter that is always thinking about the safety of the runner, catcher and me. I wouldn't yell at you, unless there was a runner coming home and a chance of a play there.