Batter out of the box...

[mcrowder]

How are you seeing it? Foot on the ground at the same time contact is made - aren't you looking at the ball in most cases here? Twice in a short time is a LOT. I think I've had this once in the past 5 - and it was a stationary bunter standing on the plate when he hit the ball.

Originally Posted by mcrowder

How are you seeing it? Foot on the ground at the same time contact is made - aren't you looking at the ball in most cases here? Twice in a short time is a LOT. I think I've had this once in the past 5 - and it was a stationary bunter standing on the plate when he hit the ball.

How about peripheral vision? You always see more than you're seeing directly. It's just a matter of being able to process the two. You can still be watching the ball and catch the batter standing on home plate. If you're staring at your computer screen, is that your complete field of vision? NO, at the same time, even though you're looking at it, you can still see objects to the left, right, up, and down. Same thing.

[PeteBooth]

IMO, we need to get REAL here. We have had terrible weather in the East as have other parts of the country. In some games there isn't even a line that defines the batter's box to begin with and for those that do have lines, they are gone by the end of inning 1.

I agree with Garth and others. If you start looking at the batter's feet etc. ultimately it will detract from your primary responsibilities as a plate person.

Pete Booth

[johnnyg08]

I also wouldn't go hunting for this call unless it is very, very blatant. This is a call that just isn't that great of a rule, but they have to have a rule in the book to keep hitters in the box. Any umpire who has any credibility, will tell you to be looking at more important things in a game than where the batter's foot might be...Also, I would wonder how the top of the batter's box was still intact at the end of a game (could happend...but there's a lot of gray area here)...I would worry about other things...you're just going to get yourself in trouble if you keep making that call.

[RPatrino]

If you go 'hunting' for this call, you are probably missing lots of really important calls like balls and strikes. Your shelf life will be quite short.

In reality, you will only make this call if it is extremely obvious to everyone, including you.

[tibear]

The only time I call this is usually when the batter is bunting and the batter turns so early that the ball hasn't even left the pitcher's hand. I then take a quick look down(fraction of a second) to see whether the foot is completely on the plate, if so I then have a potential situation for hitting outside the box.

By doing this, I can see the complete pitch and KNOW where that foot is and whether it was planted or in the air when contact is made. Once the ball leaves the hand of the pitcher, I'm not looking down to look to see where the hitter's feet are.

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by BigGuy

How about peripheral vision? You always see more than you're seeing directly. It's just a matter of being able to process the two. You can still be watching the ball and catch the batter standing on home plate. If you're staring at your computer screen, is that your complete field of vision? NO, at the same time, even though you're looking at it, you can still see objects to the left, right, up, and down. Same thing.

THere was an article in some referee publication recently that claimed that the peripheral vision narrowed to 3 degrees when an umpire was (properly) tracking a pitch, as compared to the (approximately) 180 degrees it is normally. I haven't tested (duh!) this, but it is rather narrow. So, there are a couple of options:

1) The article is (substantially) wrong.
2) If you're using your peripheral vision to detect this, you're probably not tracking the pitch properly.

On the OP:

1) No official warning, but I have asked the batter if he could see the front line of the box okay.

2) Call it if you're *sure* it happened. It will be obvious

3) It's much more common at lower levels. So, it's not surprising that you've called it twice in your relativley short career. You'll call it less as you move up.

[mj]

Originally Posted by mcrowder

How are you seeing it? Foot on the ground at the same time contact is made - aren't you looking at the ball in most cases here? Twice in a short time is a LOT. I think I've had this once in the past 5 - and it was a stationary bunter standing on the plate when he hit the ball.

By short time I mean I have been umpiring at the HS level for 5 years. Both times the batter was at least 5-6 inches outside of the box.

Originally Posted by mj

By short time I mean I have been umpiring at the HS level for 5 years. Both times the batter was at least 5-6 inches outside of the box.

Let's take this one step further - Batter in the box takes his stride with left foot and clearly steps out. LH pitcher, sharp breaking ball, breaks into batter who then turns his body away, the ball strikes the knob of the bat and rolls foul. What do you call it. Foul ball, or out for stepping out of box. It sounds rather far fetched, but a lot of the plays in the case book are far fetched as well. A good example is the foul tip that rebounds back to the pitcher.

[LMan]

Originally Posted by BigGuy

Let's take this one step further - Batter in the box takes his stride with left foot and clearly steps out. LH pitcher, sharp breaking ball, breaks into batter who then turns his body away, the ball strikes the knob of the bat and rolls foul. What do you call it. Foul ball, or out for stepping out of box. It sounds rather far fetched, but a lot of the plays in the case book are far fetched as well. A good example is the foul tip that rebounds back to the pitcher.

6.06
A batter is out for illegal action when --
(a) He hits a ball with one or both feet on the ground entirely outside the batter’s box.
Rule 6.06(a) Comment: If a batter hits a ball fair or foul while out of the batter’s box, he shall be called out. Umpires should pay particular attention to the position of the batter’s feet if he attempts to hit the ball while he is being intentionally passed. A batter cannot jump or step out of the batter’s box and hit the ball.