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As someone who calls both sports, I never understand why umpires who only call one of the sports want to pretend the other doesn't exist.
Many people PLAY softball, but WATCH baseball, or umpire both. It causes confusion on the softball diamond or the baseball diamond when the players (or worse, the UMPIRES) don't know the difference. That said, I think it's important to know the differences.
In baseball (OBR, the pro book used by most amateur leagues), the pitch must be delivered in this situation and it WILL be called a strike. Here is the entire sitation:
6.02(c) If the batter refuses to take his position in the batter's box during his time at bat, the umpire shall order the pitcher to pitch, and shall call "Strike" on each such pitch. The batter may take his proper position after any such pitch, and the regular ball and strike count shall continue, but if he does not take his proper position before three strikes are called, he shall be declared out.
BTW, I've had the reverse happen in my lifetime. Working baseball, I had a runner hit with a fair batted baseball. In baseball, this is an out unless the ball is a declared infield fly. That was the only game I ever worked that went to protest.
While many of you have no interest in baseball or may dislike baseball, I think it is to your advantage to know the differences -- it can head off problems on the field. I've used the phrase, "that's the rule in softball, but not in baseball" before and it has worked well for me.
Rich
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