Scenario: 18U ASA Tournament last weekend, DD's first plate appearance in the semifinal game. She hits a double to left field, after the play is over the plate umpire calls time and removes the bat from the game, stating that it made a "rattling sound". The bat is a couple month old Louisville LXT and has no rattles.
I go out to the umpire to discuss with him, and state that all LXTs and Xenos make a distinctive "clack" sound when they are hit. I demonstrate this with her bat by hitting it against my hand, to no avail. Bat is clearly not broken. Opposing coach agrees. Umpire disagrees, stating that ASA rules demand that he remove the bat from play if he hears it making a rattling sound.
DD has to finish the game using a teammate's bat, which is a different size/weight than hers, because nobody else on the team uses the same size bat (33/24). Is there any way we could have handled it differently to keep the bat in play? The game was on a satellite field so no TD or UIC was available.
I go out to the umpire to discuss with him, and state that all LXTs and Xenos make a distinctive "clack" sound when they are hit. I demonstrate this with her bat by hitting it against my hand, to no avail. Bat is clearly not broken. Opposing coach agrees. Umpire disagrees, stating that ASA rules demand that he remove the bat from play if he hears it making a rattling sound.
DD has to finish the game using a teammate's bat, which is a different size/weight than hers, because nobody else on the team uses the same size bat (33/24). Is there any way we could have handled it differently to keep the bat in play? The game was on a satellite field so no TD or UIC was available.