Catcher's Int on Illegally Batted ball

[UMP25]

Originally Posted by jkumpire

As a practical matter, how many times a year do any of us see the batter out of the box? How many times should we see it?

I probably call this 2 or 3 times each year, and it's always on the same type of play: a bunt. Usually it's on a bunt when the batter runs halfway to the mound before making contact; sometimes it's when the guy squares around so poorly that one of his feet is literally stationed behind the point of the plate when he makes contact. These situations are so obvious that it makes it easier to call it.