Exactly!

I don't see why this is so hard for people to understand. When the coach is giving the signs; whether the batter has ONE FOOT out of the batter's box or TWO FEET out of the batter's box ... what difference does it really make?

The game is halted until the sign giving is over, one way or the other. As long as the batter promptly gets ready at the completion of the sign giving, what difference does it make?

David Emerling
Memphis, TN

I don't think you watched the video very closely.

You can't just start your stopwatch whenever the batter is out of the batter's box. That is not what constitutes a delay.

It is only a delay when everybody is waiting for the batter and he is doing nothing other than taking practice swings, adjusting his gloves, or writing a letter.

I don't consider the time spent out of the batter's box, getting the sign, as a delay. That time is going to be spent one way or the other - even if one foot is in the batter's box.

Look at the video again and ask yourself this, "Is the batter getting the sign from the 3rd base coach? If not, is the battery ready to proceed?"

After the batter takes a pitch, do you really think the pitcher is going to pitch the ball immediately after the catcher throws it back to him?

No way!

The catcher is going to get situated ... look over at the coach ... watch the coach touch his ear, nose, ear, chin, nose, chin, ear. Generally, before that process is over, the batter is already back in the batter's box.

Seriously? You look at those 5 clips and you are convinced that the game would proceed had the batter not exited the box? You're seeing something completely different than what I'm seeing.

David Emerling
Memphis, TN

I agree with you. If <i>everybody</i> enforced this rule ... it would probably be easier for everybody.

The problem is this; baseball isn't generally played in this manner. It's not what they see on TV ... it's not what they do in practice ... it's very counter instinctive.

Keep one foot in the batter's box at all times for many players just seems so awkward and unnatural - that's why they don't do it.

I'm sure if it became a HUGE emphasis item and every umpire strictly enforced it, the behavior would change over a period of time. But it all seems so pointless to me.

Oh, it's not so much a bad rule as it is a misguided rule. If FED wants to really speed up a game, I can think of so many <i>better</i> rules than this lemon.

David Emerling
Memphis, TN

A batter who has one foot in the box gets his sign quicker than one out of the box. And a batter with one foot in the box does not take 2-3 practice swings after getting the sign. Try keeping the batter in the box and you will save some valuable game time.

Unless it's a timed game (and the HS games in this area are NOT), it's gonna take 7-innings one way or the other.

I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree whether taking the sign with one foot out of the batter's box is so much faster that it warrants admonishing each batter who fails to do it than those batters who have the <i>other</i> foot out of the batter's box, as well.

I attended another one of my sons' games tonight and I was, again, paying particular attention to this. I'm sorry, I just don't see it.

I *did* see a few batters waste some time out of the batter's box who were NOT getting any signs. They could have probably used a word encouraging them to get into the box. But getting the signs? ... pfft ... a non-issue from my observations.

David Emerling
Memphis, TN

I personally do not care what other umpires do. I let the batter's know to stay in the box and they listen. I think it is a lame excuse to worry about what others might do. I do not have that kind of energy. The rule is there for a purpose, enforce it. If a coach has a problem, you have the rules to back you up. It is really that simple.

Peace

i took 3 things from this video:

1) pitcher wasn't throwing a lot of strikes
2) make sure my jacket is properly tucked in and not 3 sizes too big
3) never wear grey ball bags

What is wrong with gray ball bags?

Peace

That would be great if life was that simple. I wish it were as you say. But it is not!

When there exists a hardened tradition within a certain region - an umpire defies that tradition at his own peril.

If you strictly enforced this rule as you have described in this area ... sure, you could show the coaches the rule and ... sure, you'd be technically correct. And when you turned your back there would be a lot of eye-rolling. And one of those set of eyes that will be rolling would be your partner's. And, if this practice of yours continued you will rapidly become quite famous amongst the coaches. You will be known as the "pissy umpire." They'll talk about you behind your back and you will get absolutely no support from other members of the umpire organization as they attempt to distance themselves from you. Your stock will rapidly plummet and it will almost certainly manifest itself in some way that you will almost certainly find disagreeable.

Unfair? Probably.

Reality? Absolutely!

Choices have to be made in an umpire's career. In <i>this</i> area, this would be one of the choices you would be forced to make in your umpiring style. You can adopt the, "My way or the highway" style -or- you can bend a little in order to maintain the general order and harmony.

And, it's not like you would be compromising your moral values or cheating. My gosh - it's a SILLY RULE that, in the final analysis, doesn't amount to a hill of beans. I've long since decided that it's not a "war" worth fighting. So I bend.

I'm not suggesting that everybody should ignore this rule. I think you should do whatever works. In this area, enforcing it <i>doesn't work.</i> Oh, sure, they'll do what you say ... but that's not what I mean by "working."

David Emerling
Memphis, TN

What you needed was a wider angle on the shot. If the pitcher is ready to go and the batter is out of the box, then that is when you start reminding the players to stay in the box. There were a couple of pitchs were the batter stepped out and did not take signs.

In my game yesterday, I had a couple kids doing there rituals after every pitch, I reminded them to keep a foot in the box and it eliminated the three practice swings after taking the signs. This rule is trying to eliminate the crap that goes on between the end of the signs and the batter getting into the box. the game was over in an 1:37.

5 pitches and you concluded <i>that</i>? :)

You tuck your jacket in? I'll admit, it does look a little big.

Is grey bad?

David Emerling
Memphis, TN

You're right, it is not a delay until the battery is ready. Only <i>then</i> is the batter delaying the game.

But, wouldn't he <i>still</i> be delaying the game if the battery were ready and he had only one foot in the batter's box? As far as the game progressing, having one foot out is as good as having both feet out.

The question that it really comes down to is this: WHY isn't the batter ready?

Is he getting the signs from the coach? That should be permitted.

Is he taking practice swings ... that should not be permitted.

* * *

Look at he videoclips again. There are 5 separate batters.

Clip 1 - This is the lengthiest out-of-the-box segment of them all. But *all* that time is spent looking at the coach as he goes through a particularly lengthy set of signals. You can see the coach doing this. The "practice swings" taken by the batter are really not practice swings at all, more of a nervous something-to-do while the coach goes through his signals. The game is not delayed because the batter is out of the box, it is delayed because the coach is giving signals. The very moment the coach is finished, the batter promptly walks into the box. The "extra" time expended between having one foot out and both feet out can be measured in fractions of a second. It would take longer to enforce the rule than to ignore it.

Clip 2 - The batter steps out, checks with the coach, and promptly steps back into the batter's box. As the batter steps back into the batter's box, the catcher is just beginning to get the signal from his coach regarding the next pitch. The batter is ready sooner than the catcher. No practice swings ... no fidgeting. Not one thing is done while out of the batter's box that can be remotely considered extraneous. He's doing nothing but looking at his coach. Total time out of the box - 8 seconds. Do you know of any pitcher that delivers the next pitch within 8 seconds after the previous hits the catcher's mitt?

Clip 3 - The batter is back in the box while the catcher is still standing up. Who's delaying the game now?

Clip 4 - Out and in. To say that this batter delayed the game would border on ridiculous.

Clip 5 - This is a bad example because the pitch is in the dirt. Although the catcher cleanly comes up with it, this is actually one of the "exceptions" listed under 7-3-1. Nonetheless, there really is no delay here. If you just watch the batter, you would think he is delaying the game. He even takes a practice swing. But, at the same time, if you watch the catcher, you will see he is still standing and is actually talking with the umpire. The batter steps into the box just as the catcher begins his squat. No delay.

David Emerling
Memphis, TN

What? JV teams don't have hit-and-runs? Delayed steals? Suicide squeezes?

This gives me a chance to brag a little. Houston High School (not Texas!) is a 5A school that is almost always ranked in baseball. They have one of the strongest programs in the nation. They are currently the Tennessee State champions.

The JV program is closely monitored by the varsity coach. In fact, the players are chosen by the VARSITY coach and then handed over to the JV coach. The JV coach does *not* pick the players. Everything the JV does mirrors the way it is done on varsity ... even down to the indicator in their signals. The JV program is taken very seriously and it is not dismissed in any way.

Houston High School routinely sends players off to Division I schools and it is very common to have at least one player sign directly to Pro Ball. Matt Cain, one of the starters in the Giant's rotation, was drafted #1 when he graduated. There have been others since.

In short, this is not a typical JV program. They are currently 10-0 and have been averaging 11-runs per game. And they play strong competition.

This team doesn't just have a STEAL signal. They have ...
1. straight steal
2. delayed steal
3. early break (runners on 1st and 3rd)
4. fake steal
5. one way steal (for left-handed pitchers)
6. extra large leadoff - draw a throw - one way BACK

The kids have notes written on their arms during the preseason - so they don't forget, until they become comfortable with the signals.

David Emerling
Memphis, TN

Dave it sounds like you care what coaches think. I do not care what coaches think. Let them roll their eyes; I want the game to keep moving. If the coaches choose to not comply, I have rules to convince them. Dave this is not much different as a football official and basketball official. There are sideline warnings and coaching box issues we have to deal with and I hear all the time "no one else enforces that." My answer is always, "Coach I do not care what they did before, but today this is how it is going to be enforced." You would be surprised how many fall in line. Most of the time I think that is a bunch of crap on there part anyway on their part. They are just seeing what they can get away and are testing.

Peace

On some matters - yes, I <i>do</i> care.

For instance, I want them to think I'm a good umpire.

If <i>you</i> want the coaches to think <i>you're</i> a good umpire, then you, <i>too</i>, care what they think. True?

I'll agree that when a coach says, "no one else enforces that," that he is frequently just being manipulative and it oftentimes isn't even true.

But, in <i>this</i> case, it would be <i>absolutely</i> true!

Did you see the umpire in the videoclip? That gentleman is a typical Memphis-area umpire. And the players you are observing are members of the region's most respected baseball program with an outstanding staff of competent coaches.

It's not about what ONE coach thinks ... it's about what they ALL think.

Believe me, if you grated on the nerves of EVERY coach in the area, you can stand on a righteous podium all you want and point to the page and paragraph in the book ... it won't do you an ounce of good. Your umpire career will be stagnant. If that's not important to you, then fine. You can be a crusading trailblazer with a righteous cause - and perhaps change the world.

Fair? Probably not.

Just a harsh fact.

David Emerling
Memphis, TN