Baseball lineup rules

Had this situation in my kid’s game today and I’m trying to figure out if there was a rule broken. I’m sure there was but can’t figure out how this situation should have been handled. Probably because I’m on no sleep.

1) Reynolds starts game at catcher, batting fourth.

2) Roberts starts game on mound. We use a DH for him, named Bigras, who bats fifth.

3) In the top of the sixth, Reynolds moves from catcher to pitcher, and Roberts is out of the game. Black enters game at catcher.

4) In the bottom of the sixth, Black bats in Reynolds’ spot even though Reynolds is still in the game at pitcher. Effectively the coach has taken Reynolds out of the batting order even though he’s still in the game, and basically named him as the guy the DH is hitting for.

This can’t be correct, can it? You can’t take a player out of the batting order mid-game if he’s still playing a defensive position, can you?

What should have happened here? Should Black, upon entering the game, become the guy who doesn’t hit? I’m scratching my head on this one.

 

I would assume you lose the DH and Black bats in that spot where Bigras was, but it would depend on your league's rules regarding the DH and if it only applies to the pitcher's spot or fielder's as well.

There's no reason for Black to bat in Reynolds' spot.

 

Ok thanks. Just needed confirmation I wasn’t going cuckoo.

 

Assuming National Federation rules ...
The substitution was Black for Roberts. Black enters the lineup in Roberts' spot and, if the DH is removed, hits fifth. Reynolds' shift in defensive positions has nothing to do with the batting order (and umpires don't care about defensive shifts, unless they involve the pitcher).

 

Perfect thanks.

 

What age and level is this? With my daughter’s softball, they didn’t start batting 9 until U16 rep. All 12 would bat, for better or worse.

 

U15 Elite in Ontario. I don’t think Baseball Ontario wants teams batting nine until U16, but the other coach was fine with it. We lost anyway lol.

 

So roughly on the same timeline. I never coaches at that age, but it was way easier to bat 12 - one less thing too think about. So much different from when I played.

Once we were batting nine it got ruthless. Some kids always played, and some of the bench kids barely played. Hard to get in a rhythm getting two ABs in three games. My daughter had her spot on D and in the order locked down but I thought it was crappy for some kids and families.

 

I'm mostly good with this rule, but ugh - last year we had a team which regularly played with eight players, while we played with 9 (And 12 in the lineup).

In a universe where you've got two or three studs, and then everyone else, it's such an advantage to not have to get through those bottom four kids in the lineup to get it back to your hitters again. The league didn't even make them take an out.

 

For sure. A couple of times they only had ten for tournaments, and even that made a huge difference. Kids get in a better rhythm. When it switched to nine it helped the team and helped those top hitters.