[PeteBooth]

Originally posted by David Emerling


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.

David we do not HAVE to wait until the coach is done giving the signs. That's the point of the rule. As far as one foot in the box it DOES speed up the game. The player simply turns, gets the sign and is ready to hit. If he is COMPLETELY out of the box, it will take longer.

We should not have to wait 1 or 2 minutes in between pitches and IMO, an umpire is NOT nit-picken should he/she enfore the rule.


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.

David, talk is "cheap" and the fact is if you "mention" it and nothing happens then what. Also, the rule applys to BOTH teams. IMO it's being a good Official to do some preventative umpiring in inning one so that the game has a "flow" to it.

Why! Suppose the game is tight and the threat of rain/darkness is imminent, by not following the rule IN THE BEGINNING you have allowed one team to take an unfair advnatge over another not intened by the rules.

The problem is with umpires who do not enforce the rule in inning one and now all of a sudden start enforcing it in inning 5-7. IMO, it's the same as a PU who in the late innings starts to "shrink" / widen his/her zone and a pitch that was a strike/ball in innings one through 4 is now the opposite.

You can give all the warnings, talks you want but until you ACTUALLY penalize the team will they get it. I raised 4 kids and i could talk to them until I was "blue in the face" it's only when I ACTED ie; grounded them or took the keys away, then they "got it"

As mentioned, Do some Preventative Umpiring and let both temas KNOW that we are here to play baseball and not a reading assignment on what the coaches signs are.

By the way I do not know if it will come to fruition, but there is talk that MLB might adopt the FED ruling about B1 keeping one foot in the box so that guys like Nomar and Jeter do not delay the game.

Keep the Game moving

Pete Booth