There's No Cheating in Baseball.......

[grunewar]

Ted Lilly a cheater?

5/28 - Casey Blake accused [Lilly] of cheating on Thursday, trying unsuccessfully to persuade the umpires that the Chicago Cubs pitcher should have been cited for starting his windup on some pitches from in front of the rubber. "I know he doesn't have an overpowering fastball," Blake said. "I know he's trying to get as much of an edge as he can. But he moved in. "That's cheating. You've got to stay on the rubber."

Lilly did not hesitate to fire back. "Sometimes a batter will get in the box and he'll step out, and behind the box, and on the lines," Lilly said. "I don't think he's trying to cheat. It might not be intentional."


Now - I'm not sure about the pitching rubber thing, but do you enforce the batter's box? You see this kind of issue quite often in the pros when the first player up wipes it away....... cheating or just part of the game?

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by grunewar

Now - I'm not sure about the pitching rubber thing, but do you enforce the batter's box? You see this kind of issue quite often in the pros when the first player up wipes it away....... cheating or just part of the game?

At higher levels, if the catcher doesn't care, I don't care (within some reason). If the catcher points it out, I'll have the batter move.

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by grunewar

Now - I'm not sure about the pitching rubber thing, but do you enforce the batter's box? You see this kind of issue quite often in the pros when the first player up wipes it away....... cheating or just part of the game?

Yes and no. I'm with Bob for the batter establishing his stance. Some also complain that the batter steps out when he swings. That's generally not something either umpire can see if he's doing his job. If a LH batter is 3 steps toward 1B on a drag bunt and has both feet out of the box, I'll get that, of course.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by grunewar

but do you enforce the batter's box?

Enforce what about the batter's box? That could mean a lot of things.

[grunewar]

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

Enforce what about the batter's box? That could mean a lot of things.

"Sometimes a batter will get in the box and he'll step out, and behind the box, and on the lines."

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by grunewar

"Sometimes a batter will get in the box and he'll step out, and behind the box, and on the lines."

The lines are part of the box. Most times, the catcher will say something if the batter is OUTSIDE the box. If he doesn't, then I don't care. I have more important things to be watching for than the starting point of the batter's feet.

[MD Longhorn]

if we're still talking about MLB here, I don't think that happens that often. Being ON the lines is nothing anyway. If they are so far back they are actually out of the original box, a good MLB curve across the front of the plate is nearly unhittable.

In our games ... if I see someone not in the box before the pitch, I tell them to get in it. If that's what you mean by "enforce", then yeah.

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

If they are so far back they are actually out of the original box, a good MLB curve across the front of the plate is nearly unhittable.

It also can't be called a strike, since F2 will be too far back to get it before it bounces.

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

There is no crying, , in baseball either, .

MTD, Sr.