Switching Batters Boxes in Pony baseball

[Pete in AZ]

I was asked by a buddy to help him in a Pony tournament a couple weeks ago. They played on a 90' field but everything else was supposed to be Pony rules. I'm on the plate for game 1 and the one team is toying with the other. The pitcher is having a hard time throwing strikes so the coach has the batters switch sides after a few pitches. The first one caught me but the next kid I stopped. The coach said that Pony rules allow it and told me I was wrong. I let it go for the next couple innings until they had a ten run lead and it was over. Can you switch batters boxes during the same at bat in Pony ball? Thanks!

[largeone59]

Yes, you can.

As long as you don't do it when the pitcher is about to pitch, it's legal.

You can switch as many times as you want between pitches.

[SAump]

I think a little preventive umpiring is in order here; something like a very suggestive word to the coach to consider and practice good sportsmanship. You do not want to become part of the situation either. So be careful that you don't reach too far. The power can become addicting and you might find your actions easily cross a line.

If he says anything in retort, put him in the dugout for the rest of the game. You gave him his warning, and he didn't comply, the PONY rules allow that. Maybe that will clear up his mind. Perhaps he can get a better look at the sitch from the dugout. Perhaps he will find a little more respect for YOU in the future. Be sure to include a report to the commish, after the game to avoid any political fallout.

Just MOHO.

[GarthB]

PONY is played under OBR with a few add-ons. I just checked a PONY rule book and there is no mention of this situation. However, if one was to consult the OBR....

[gxc]

If a batter switches boxes after the pitcher is on the mound with the ball and ready to pitch, the batter is out.

[mcrowder]

Originally posted by SAump
I think a little preventive umpiring is in order here; something like a very suggestive word to the coach to consider and practice good sportsmanship. You do not want to become part of the situation either. So be careful that you don't reach too far. The power can become addicting and you might find your actions easily cross a line.

If he says anything in retort, put him in the dugout for the rest of the game. You gave him his warning, and he didn't comply, the PONY rules allow that. Maybe that will clear up his mind. Perhaps he can get a better look at the sitch from the dugout. Perhaps he will find a little more respect for YOU in the future. Be sure to include a report to the commish, after the game to avoid any political fallout.

Just MOHO.

IMHO, this is one of the worst things an umpire can do - trying to enforce a rule that does not exist for the sake of "sportsmanship". Yes, this tactic is crappy sportsmanship, but we are not Emily Post, and trying to tell the coach that his team cannot do something that is completely legal is opening a can of worms you don't want.

[largeone59]

Originally posted by mcrowder

IMHO, this is one of the worst things an umpire can do - trying to enforce a rule that does not exist for the sake of "sportsmanship". Yes, this tactic is crappy sportsmanship, but we are not Emily Post, and trying to tell the coach that his team cannot do something that is completely legal is opening a can of worms you don't want.

I agree. We don't have the right to tell a coach how to run his team, whether we like it or not. You'd really be stepping on people's toes if you did that.

[bob jenkins]

Originally posted by PWL
In FED, they are required to pick a box they want to bat from and stay there for the duration of the at bat.

Not true. FED 7-3-3 is substantially similar to the OBR rule -- the batter can switch, except if F1 is in a position ready to pitch.

[Rich Ives]

Originally posted by gxc
I stand corrected. Calling the batter out for switching boxes is a Little League rule.

No it isn't. The LL rule is the same as the OBR (and PONY) rule.

[gxc]

Rich,

LL rule 6.06 - A batter is out for illegal action when -
(b) stepping from one batter's box to the other while the pitcher is in positon ready to pitch;

[BigUmp56]

gxc:

The point Rich was making is the wording of LL 6.06(b) is the same as OBR.


Tim.

[BretMan]

"Making a travesty of the game" is a phrase gets trotted out whenever something happens in a game that just doesn't seem quite kosher.

There is only one rule that has any kind of statement about "making a travesty of the game", and it doesn't remotely apply to this situation.

"Making a travesty of the game" is not a blanket rule that we can apply to any situation that seems odd, is out of the norm or that we just plain don't like.

[BigUmp56]

Originally posted by PWL
[/B]

Does Pony League have a rule about making a travesty of the game? If it does, I would enforce it.

The only rule in PONY about making a travesty of the game is for running the bases in reverse order for that purpose. 7.08(i)

Originally posted by PWL
Does the rule book say they can switch every few pitches, or as often as they want?

The rule is pretty clear that they can switch as many times as they want when the pitcher is not in contact ready to pitch.

Originally posted by PWL
Make the coach show you that one. If it doesn't make them stay in their original box.

How are you planning on forcing them to stay in their original box by rule if they switch while the pitcher is off the rubber?

Originally posted by PWL
Hell, if I was the opposing coach and my pitcher was walking them anyway, I'd have him drill a few in the head.

Great idea. After all, what's a concussion anyway to a teenager. They are after all easily replaced, or bulletproof.

Tim.

[mcrowder]

Originally posted by PWL
In FED, they are required to pick a box they want to bat from and stay there for the duration of the at bat. The exception being, if the defense brings in another pitcher and he decides he wants switch around. Say the batter is a switcher hitter and they replace a right hander with a left hander. He cannot switch just for the sake of switching. This was the way it was explained to me.

The rule is there, but I was told to grant this exception to the batter.

Back to creating rules from thin air I see.

Please find this exact rule in your book and post it here. If you're correct, I'll mail you money.

And he CAN switch just for the sake of switching, as long as he doesn't do it while the pitcher is ready to pitch.

[mcrowder]

Originally posted by PWL
Hell, if I was the opposing coach and my pitcher was walking them anyway, I'd have him drill a few in the head.

If anyone out there actually knows who PWL is, this statement alone is enough to prove he has no business being responsible for ANYTHING related to either baseball or kids in general. Hell, in some places, this mere suggestion is a misdemeanor, maybe worse.

It's bad enough you're a ridiculous excuse of an umpire... but to propose that a manager should tell his teenager to put another teenager in the hospital... unbelievable.