Out or Not??

[JRutledge]

Originally posted by Jim Porter

Well, technically, a batter doesn't have to be inside the batter's box when he hits the ball. It's just that he's not allowed to strike the ball with one or both feet on the ground entirely outside the batter's box.

A foot or even both feet can be in the air outside the batter's box. Nothing illegal about that.

The majority of a foot or the feet can be on the ground outside the batter's box. Just the tiniest sliver of a batter's heel touching the white line is enough to satisfy the rule.

As you can tell, the rule is designed in such a way that the batter would have to do something blatant or extraordinary to violate it. That's why it's such a rare call.

Sometimes, the Rules Committee did an excellent job of writing a rule. This one is an example of that, in my opinion.

You are right. I should have said completely out. That is in essence what I meant in the first place.

Peace