Batting Out-Of-Order
At the pre game meeting, the plate umpire was given a lineup card showing only 10 players. By mistake, the plate umpire accepted the lineup card without closely examining it. As it turns out, the 10 players listed on the lineup were listed in slots 1 to 10, but there was no indication of a DP or FLEX because the team thought they could bat-around. However, in championship play, batting-around is not allowed.
During the subsequent championship play game, the team still thought they were batting-around and therefore batted the 10th slot player after the 9th slot player without reporting any changes to the plate umpire. While the 10th slot player was still at bat, the defensive team made a batting-out-of-order protest. What's the correct ruling? Back to Quiz
This is NOT batting-out-of-order. This is an unreported substitute.
Therefore, the correct ruling for an unreported substitute would be:
Substitute the slot 10 player into the game for the slot 1 player who must come out of the game. Keep the slot 10 player at bat with the same count. In this case, there would be no out because the unreported substitute did not complete their turn at bat.
Since the line up card listed the 10 players in slots 1 to 10 with no indication of a DP or FLEX, the team was in fact batting the first 9 slots, and then listing their substitute in slot 10. Therefore, when the slot 10 player (i.e., their substitute) came up to bat, the slot 10 player was really an unreported substitute for the slot 1 player, the next correct batter after the slot 9 player.
Unreported substitutes at bat become officially in the game after protested by the offended team and before they complete their turn at bat.
Had the defensive coach waited until the unreported substitute completed their turn at bat with a either a hit, walk, or hit by pitch, and was on base, then, before the next pitch, the defensive coach could protest the unreported substitute to the umpire, and, in this case, the unreported substitute would still enter the game, but would also be called out.
Therefore, with unreported substitutes at bat and batting-out-of-order situations, timing is everything because if the defensive coach waits for even a single pitch (legal or illegal) after the player gets on base, the defensive coach will then loose the opportunity to get an out. The protest to the umpire must be made at the correct time (i.e., during the penalty window which is after a turn at bat is complete and before the next pitch) in order to also get an out.
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