Baseball double-switch question

Factual Questions
1

In this thread about a year ago, it was established pretty clearly that a slot in the batting order is assigned to a player, not his position. (i.e., if two players swap positions on the field, they do not also swap spots in the batting order)

In that same thread, the double-switch was discussed as a way to (sort of) get around this. Since my question involves a subtle point regarding this, let me set the stage carefully.

Say I’m Bob Brenly, and I managing my Diamondbacks in a game at home. Here’s my starting lineup/batting order:


1. SS Womack
2. 2B Counsell
3. LF Gonzalez
4. 3B Williams
5. CF Finley
6. RF Bautista
7. 1B Grace
8. C  Miller
9. P  Schilling

As I understand it, here’s a typical double-switch: Going into the bottom of the 7th, Curt Schilling is due to lead off. He’s getting tired, and I’m planning on pulling him anyway and replacing him with Byung-Hyun Kim. Turns out that Mark Grace is having an off night, and I want to replace him with Erubiel Durazo at the same time.

Rather than sending Kim out to lead off in the 7th, I send Durazo out in the 9th position. The instant I do that, Schilling has been subbed for, and is out of the game. If the order gets around to position 7 in that inning, Kim bats there (subbing for Grace). If it doesn’t, the team takes the field in the top of the 8th with Kim pitching and Durazo on 1st. In stepping on the field, Kim subs for Grace and takes the 7th slot in the batting order. This may lead to one less pitcher at-bat during the game, and hence has some potential benefit.

Now, for my question. :slight_smile:

Suppose I perform a double substitution going into the top of an inning. Same starting lineup, but at the end of the 7th Tony Womack and Damian Miller both come down with acute food poisoning or something, and I have to replace them both. Rod Barajas takes the field at catcher, while Jay Bell lines up at shortstop.

As I understand it, there’s no reason to assume or require that Barajas will automatically bat 8th (for Miller), and Bell 1st (for Womack). Do I have to tell the umpire now which one will take which batting order slot? Or can I wait until we’re at bat and P1 or P8 comes up, choosing then?

2

You have to tell the umpire right away where you want the players to bat. If you do not go up to the umpire and tell him which player is batting in which position, the umpire automatically assumes that the substituted players are batting in the slot occupied by the replaced players.

If a pitcher is involved, normally the manager goes to the umpire first and says “I’m taking out the pitcher and the first baseman, and the new firstbaseman is batting 9th and the new pitcher is batting seventh.”

When it happens between innings, the manager usually goes out to the umpire and tells him that he has made substitutions and where they are batting.

If nobody tells the umpire that a sub is in the game and the sub takes the field or comes up to bat, then the umpire just writes him down as being in the game.

To indicate a sub, the umpire points to the new player. If it’s a defensive replacement and the guy is staying in the same spot in the order, the umpire points to him and then waves his arm up and down to indicate “same place”
If there is a double switch, he points at the two new players and then makes a criss-cross motion with his arms.

Although you may hear a player’s name announced on the PA system, he is not officially in the game until the umpire points to him or if he takes somebody’s place on the field or at bat and a pitch is thrown.

3

This site may help:
http://baseball-almanac.com/rule3.shtml
3.03 A player, or players, may be substituted during a game at any time the ball is dead. A substitute player shall bat in the replaced player’s position in the team’s batting order…

…When two or more substitute players of the defensive team enter the game at the same time, the manager shall, immediately before they take their positions as fielders, designate to the umpire in chief such players’ positions in the team’s batting order and the umpire in chief shall so notify the official scorer. If this information is not immediately given to the umpire in chief, he shall have authority to designate the substitutes’ places in the batting order…

4

If nothing else, you could just wait to sub them out until necessary. It might mean that you’ve got a puking benchwarmer, but what would that matter, if you’re going to sub him out before he does anything, anyway? For that matter, does a “benchwarmer” even need to be on the bench at all?

5

Thanks a lot, guys! Sounds pretty clear-cut. :slight_smile: