Batter out of box

[SanDiegoSteve]

In the Phils/Cards game on ESPN right now, everyone is focused on Chase Utley's bid to get a base hit in his 34th straight game. The camera focused on his back foot, which was set up completely out of the back of the batter's box.

Whoever the ex-rat is who's doing the color commentary explained what would happen if the catcher complained about the batter's back foot being behind the back line of the box.

If the catcher complained to the umpire, Adam Dowdy, about it, Dowdy would enforce the rule and make Utley get in the box. Otherwise, it is ignored.

The commentator went on to say that the next time that complaining catcher came up to bat, he would get plunked by the pitcher.

That's how they take care of that stuff in the bigs. In the lower level, this is supposedly not taught. This is one big reason you don't see it called in big people baseball, because nobody wants to get pegged in the ribs by a major league fastball (or any fastball).

Edited to correct umpire's name.