The Mariners hosted the Yankees on September 18, 2024 at T-Mobile Park.  In the bottom of the tenth, the Yanks led 2-1. Randy Arozarena was batting with Julio Rodriguez on third and Cal Raleigh on first and no outs. Arozarena, facing Ian Hamilton, struck out. In doing so, he lost control of his bat that flew in the direction of Rodriguez who was taking his lead in foul territory. Rodriguez avoided getting hit by the bat but was thrown out retuning to third by catcher Ausitn Wells. Umpire Jeremie Rehak made the call.

Double Play!

The M’s failed to score that inning and the Yanks won the game, 2-1.

Ruleball Comments

1. You can’t blame Rodriguez for getting away from the flying bat. But once he had avoided the bat, he appeared to be in no rush to get back to third.
2. “Time” was never called, and the ball was still in play.
3. Should the umpires have called “Time” to protect Rodriguez? The answer is “No.”  According to rule 5.12 and its subsections, umpires are allowed to call “Time” under the following conditions:  If weather, darkness, or similar conditions make immediate further play impossible; or when light failure makes it difficult or impossible for the umpires to follow play.
4. In the above play, neither of those conditions met the criteria for “Time” to be called.   “Time” should only be called when continuous action of a play ceases. When a player is injured in the middle of a play, the umpires must be sure that there can be no further action before they kill the play.
5. The rule also states that “Time” can be called when an accident incapacitates a player or umpire.” This aspect of the rule is an oversight in the OBR. It should read, “‘Time’ can be called when an accident incapacitates a player or umpire and there is no further play or when continuous action stops.”
6. This was not the first time Arozarena lost control of his bat. The Rays and Twins played at Target Field on June 10, 2022. In the top of the eighth inning the Rays had runners on first and third and one out when  Arozarena, facing Joe Smith, lost control of his bat up the first base line after he made contact with the ball. The ball subsequently made contact with the bat in foul territory before rolling into fair territory. The umpires correctly ruled the play a foul ball.
7. According to rule 5.09 (a) (8) Comment, “If a whole bat is thrown into fair or foul territory and interferes with a defensive player attempting to make a play, interference should be called, whether intentional or not.” The batter should be called out and no runners can advance.
8. If a bat breaks and part of it is in fair territory and is hit by a batted ball or part of it hits a runner or fielder, play shall continue, and no interference should be called. If a batted ball hits a bat in foul territory, it is a foul ball.
9. In the 2022 Arozarena play, the umpires ruled that the bat did not interfere with a defensive player from making a play.
10. If a batter drops his bat and the momentum of the bat makes contact with the ball in fair territory, the batter-runner should be called out for interference.  If a batter drops his bat and the ball’s momentum or backspin makes contact with the lying bat, the ball should remain alive and in play per rule 5.09 (a) (8). Plate umpire John Hirschbeck had to make this determination in the final play of Phillies’ pitcher Roy Halladay’s no-hitter in Game One of the 2010 NLDS.  On a 0-2 pitch, the Reds’ Brandon Phillips hit a tapper in front of the plate toward the first base line. The ball made contact with Philipps’ bat.  Catcher Carlos Ruiz pounced on the ball and from his knees fired to Ryan Howard for the out, giving the Phils a 4-0 win and preserving the no-hitter. Hirschbeck had multiple decisions to make. I spoke with him following the game. He said, “I had to determine if the momentum of the ball hit the lying bat on the ground or did the momentum of the bat make contact with the ball.” He added, “If the play was not completed because of Philipp’s position out of the Runner’s Lane, I would have had to call batter-runner interference on Phillips. At the time, the Runner’s Lane was restricted to the 45-foot, 3-foot wide box the last 45-feet between home and first. It now extends to the grass on the fair side of the foul line. Hirschbeck ruled that the momentum of the ball struck the lying bat, and there was no batter-runner interference because the play was completed despite Phillips being out of the Runner’s Lane.

Rich Marazzi

Rules consultant/analyst:  Angels, D’backs, Dodgers, Mets, Nationals, Orioles, Padres, Phillies, Pirates, Red Sox, Rangers, Royals, Tigers, Twins, White Sox, Yankees, YES, and NBC Sports Chicago.