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As part of my routine between innings I always (yes, always) brush the plate after the pitcher's last warm-up toss. After doing so, I quickly smooth out the area in front of the plate, and between the "boxes" with my foot. I go out to where the front of the boxes should be. 3 or 4 quick passes and it's done. Nobody even notices. It gives me a visual marker of where the front edge of the box should be. I do this plate brushing procedure every inning, whether or not there is a speck of dirt on it. I also brush the base that I am starting at if I'm on the bases - just a superstition, I guess.