Cant sleep over it

Question
QUESTION: We had a runner on the way to third with 2 outs.  The 3rd baseman was off the bag to field the ball.  Since there was no one on 3rd he tagged the runner with his glove while the ball was in his other hand.  He was ruled out.  While our coach jogged over to discuss this with the umpires, the teams continued to switch up.  The umpire immediately told him he couldn't appeal since our team took the field.  The following inning, the coach who was EHing foul tipped for 3rd out and he threw his bat fairly hard into the fence.  This was done by other players throughout the season with no reprimands, but today, he was ejected.  We still had 10 players without him, but were forced to forfeit our playoff game.  Does this all seem right?

ANSWER: Hi Dee,

I'm sorry you're upset.

On the tag or lack of, that's not an "appeal" play w/ those restrictions but rather just asking a umpire if perhaps their partner had a better view and if that's the case would they mind asking their partner.  The fact that the defense left the field is not a factor.  Most likely since the b-r was going to 1st the other umpire really had no look whatsoever and the original call was going to stand anyways.

As far as throwing the bat, "fairly hard into the fence" this player is gone in my game, really don't care what other umpires did throughout the season.  The coach/player should absolutely know better and this is a dangerous lack of self-control.  That bat could go anywhere either on the throw or the bounce and I don't tolerate it in my game.  Too bad the coach was so selfish with only 10 at the game that HE CAUSED HIS TEAM TO FORFEIT.  This umpire in my opinion did the absolute right thing.

Mark

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for your response!  I know that throwing the bat is dangerous, and I can see why he got ejected, but we had 10 on the field and 2 on the bench.  He was EHing.  Why does it make our whole team forfeit?

Answer
Hi Dee,

Ok now we have more information, w starting a game batting 11 and any 10 playing defense (it's called using an EP) if any of the 11 are ejected the game is a forfeit unless you have a legal sub. At least 1 of those 2 on the bench needs to be a legal sub.  They cannot have been in the game in any capacity for any player other than the 1 who was ejected.  If they were, they are not a legal sub.  If they were not unless you have some local rule you are allowed to put a legal sub in for the ejected player and continue the game.

Mark