Batter's Box Question

[MIZFKU]

And just on the topic of making that call as an official...Can't we all agree that it's a very tough call to make unless something extraordinary happens? My eyes are tracking the pitch. I don't have an extra one to peak down at his feet. It would have to be clear as day with a little help from a partner. My point is, these TV announcers are constantly looking for inconsistencies and rarely stop to think about the priorities of the umpire.

[MrUmpire]

Originally Posted by MIZFKU

It would have to be clear as day with a little help from a partner.

I would never go to my partner on a batter's box issue.

[UES]

I would never go to my partner on a batter's box issue.

While I agree with you for the most part, I think MIZFKU brings up a good point about tracking the pitch. One of the reasons for getting help on check/half swings is because it is impossible to have "one eye on the pitch and the other eye on the swing". Doesn't that same line of thinking apply to a play like this... ie, you can't have one eye on the pitch location/bunt attempt and the other eye on the batter's foot out of the box?

Now, I know that a base umpire positioned 90+ feet away isn't likely to see where that foot is in relation to the semi "wiped out" lines of the batter's box but I think you can see the point we're trying to make here. Unless you're looking for something like that (ie, you know that particular batter likes to drag bunt a lot), this is an extremely difficult call for the plate umpire to make... not to mention its usually the batter's FRONT foot (the fartherst part of the batter's body away from the umpire) that tends to be outside the box on plays like this.

Don't get me wrong, as a PU, I'm probably not going to get help on a play like this because I'd probably be putting my partner in a tough position because if the call does get changed, then one of us is likely going to have an EJ from the opposing coach. BUT, as a point of discussion amongst us umpires, is it necessarily a bad thing to get input from your partner in case, by chance, he happend to actually see the foot outside the box at the point of contact? Unless of course you're that special umpire who can have one eye look one way and the other look in a different direction Just something to think about...

[UMP 64]

The announcer must have been Tim McCarver. Sounds like one of his brilliant comment about a game he says he played?

[MIZFKU]

Thanks UES. I agree with all of you. I'm never going to my partner to say "Hey, I think he stepped out of the box. What do you have?" But it was just the idea of it. That's a call I'm never making unless I have been tipped off on a certain batter. And it's my hope that young umps learning the trade may read a conversation like this and pick up on some subtle mechanical hints. TWO EYES ON THE BALL....HEAD STATIONARY!!!

[Matt]

Originally Posted by MIZFKU

That's a call I'm never making unless I have been tipped off on a certain batter. And it's my hope that young umps learning the trade may read a conversation like this and pick up on some subtle mechanical hints. TWO EYES ON THE BALL....HEAD STATIONARY!!!

Never generalize. This call can be made in more than a few circumstances.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by Matt

Never generalize.

Now that's funny.

[Matt]

Originally Posted by UES

One of the reasons for getting help on check/half swings is because it is impossible to have "one eye on the pitch and the other eye on the swing".

WTF?

Originally Posted by UES

not to mention its usually the batter's FRONT foot (the fartherst part of the batter's body away from the umpire) that tends to be outside the box on plays like this.

That's when it's the EASIEST for PU to make the call. Foot, pitch, and bat are all parallaxically close.