Quote:
Originally posted by PeteBooth
Originally posted by smoump
Penalty reads "for failure of the batter to be ready within 20 seconds after the ball has been returned to the pitcher, the umpire shall call a strike. If the batter leaves the batter's box, delays the game, and none of the above exceptions apply, the plate umpire shall charge a strike to the batter".
Should I read this as "if he leaves box AND delays the game? Another words, he can leave box as long as he doesn't delay the game?
Situation: 3-1 count, pitch is a strike, but my timing is deliberate, he begins his advancement to first thinking the pitch was a ball. Once he hears it was a strike, he is already out of the box.
Solution a) he left box, additional strike batter out.
Solution b) tell batter to return to box, 3-2 count.
What do your great minds think!! I personally would do b, but am I miss applying the rule?
The Purpose of the rule is to speed up the game and not allow the batters to do their Jeter like nuances. If you go back a few years, the rule was real stringent and in the situation you brought up we would charge a strike to the batter.
However, the FED realized that the rule needed to be amended and get back to the real purpose which is to speed up the game.
IMO it's a simple rule. If you judge that B1 is delaying the game by being out of the box and none of the exceptions mentioned in the rule are prevalent, call a strike, if not leave it alone.
Also, do some preventative umpiring, meaning if you see batter's completely out of the box taking signs from their coaches, instruct them right then and there that it will not be tolerated. Keep one foot in the box, get your sign and let's play ball.
Pete Booth
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I could never really quite understand how simply having one foot in the batter's box speeds things up. If the batter is not ready, for whatever reason, whether ONE or TWO feet are out of the batter's box, the game cannot commence.
I never badger batters about having one foot in the batter's box when taking their signs because I could never understand what difference it makes. We're all going to have to wait until the coach is done giving the signs, one way or the other.
On the other hand, I *will* mention it to the batter if he's one of these guys that likes to go through a lengthy, out of the batter's box ritual, after every pitch. But if it's just a matter of getting the signs from the coach, I could really care less where his feet are.
The delay stems from the signs ... not the feet location. Making him keep a foot in the batter's box while taking his signs isn't going to have any substantial effect on the progress of the game. But insisting that it be done in a specific way *will* have the effect of making the umpire appear as a nitpicking nag.
David Emerling
Memphis, TN