Expert: Brian Flaspohler - 6/2/2006

Question
I'm a scorekeeper for our Mustang League team, and we had a boy called out twice for flinging his bat (inadvertently) after getting a hit.  One was a single, the other a triple, before he was called out by the umpire.

Is it a hit and then out?  Is it a simple out?  Or is it an out without an at-bat (for batting average purposes)?

Answer
Paul,

There really is no penalty in the rulebook for throwing a bat.  However, if throwing the bat was in the umpire's judgement, hindering the ability of a fielder to make a play, then I would rule that it was an out on interference.

It would count as an at bat, but no hit.  No runners would advance on the play.

Hope this helps!

Brian