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Drag Bunt?


moblue
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What is a drag bunt as referenced in FED 7-3-1 exception c.?

Have you never seen or played baseball?

It's a bunt where the batter is running as he makes (or attempts to make) contact with the ball. In general, the batter tries to place the ball just past the pitcher and force F4 to come in to field the ball -- by the time that happens, a speedy runner will be at first.

Since the batter's momentum of trying to bunt the ball will take him out of the box, it's a valid exception to the "can't leave the batter's box" rule.

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I'll tell you what it's becoming a lost art. It can be such an effective tool especially given the way pitchers are no longer taught to field their position correctly. I've become such a huge fan of MLB TV and am thankful I now get to watch some games like the old Yankee's games. Forever I've heard of Mantle's unbeatable drag bunting and how he'd even attempt to drag bunt with 2 strikes. Now 50+ years later I'm in awe after seeing it for myself. If a kid today could learn how to do that he'd be incredible.

On an unrelated note this past weekend I watched the '56 WS including all but the first inning of Larson's Perfect game which there is apparently no video remaining of. They had Bob Costas interviewing Berra & Larson between innings and it was really something incredible.

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Have you never seen or played baseball?

It's a bunt where the batter is running as he makes (or attempts to make) contact with the ball. In general, the batter tries to place the ball just past the pitcher and force F4 to come in to field the ball -- by the time that happens, a speedy runner will be at first.

Since the batter's momentum of trying to bunt the ball will take him out of the box, it's a valid exception to the "can't leave the batter's box" rule.

What a great job of making someone feel like an ass for asking a good question... :)

Do you really get some kind of jolly out of such a smart ass response? I bet he will think twice about asking a question on this forum next time. :WTF

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I'll tell you what it's becoming a lost art. It can be such an effective tool especially given the way pitchers are no longer taught to field their position correctly. I've become such a huge fan of MLB TV and am thankful I now get to watch some games like the old Yankee's games. Forever I've heard of Mantle's unbeatable drag bunting and how he'd even attempt to drag bunt with 2 strikes. Now 50+ years later I'm in awe after seeing it for myself. If a kid today could learn how to do that he'd be incredible.

On an unrelated note this past weekend I watched the '56 WS including all but the first inning of Larson's Perfect game which there is apparently no video remaining of. They had Bob Costas interviewing Berra & Larson between innings and it was really something incredible.

Amen to that.

The other day I was wondering what became of smaller guys who would choke up on the bat and slap a key single here or there.

Or the term "spray hitter" - a guy that had such good skills at the plate that the scouting report would read: "Hits well to all fields." (Good luck with overshifting on this guy, right)?

And the era you're speaking of - even into the 1960s - these are guys that could and would play even if they were hurt. And in the offseason, they had regular jobs to supplement their baseball income - because it was necessary!

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LOL.... Bri,

I think his point was just leaving the batters box, meaning you can in FED, if you are avoiding a pitch; swinging and missing, thus you are carried out of box by the swing, trying a drag bunt or pitcher throws to a base. Otherwise you have to stay in the box and be ready to play. Now, I think your point is, if he is out of the box with his foot drag bunt or not, he is OUT if he makes contact with the ball. Now the ass part LOL....well I will let that one be..

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LOL.... Bri,

I think his point was just leaving the batters box, meaning you can in FED, if you are avoiding a pitch; swinging and missing, thus you are carried out of box by the swing, trying a drag bunt or pitcher throws to a base. Otherwise you have to stay in the box and be ready to play. Now, I think your point is, if he is out of the box with his foot drag bunt or not, he is OUT if he makes contact with the ball. Now the ass part LOL....well I will let that one be..

Yeah, so in other words, they're about as similar as a fish and bicycle. :wave:

(That's not aimed at you, by the way....)

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If a batter's foot touches the ground COMPLETELY outside the lines of the box while making contact with the ball--he is out by rule. Key word is that he has the foot DOWN when he makes contact--not just in the air when he makes contact.

And I'll go this far to say, since when is a drag bunt specifically limited to pushing the ball past the pitcher towards 2nd base?

I call a kid often with a particular team who can pretty much push his drag bunt just about anywhere that he tries to.

Only problem is I've nailed him a number of times with his left foot (LH hitter) already down and out in front of the box towards the line--negating a fantastic, textbook DB...

I sometimes almost feel bad inside having to do it except that there is no question that he was waaaay outside the box. He's never close..

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You're kidding here, right? :shakehead:

The OP specifically asked about 7-3-1 Exception c, "A batter shall not delay the game ... the batter must keep at least on foot in the box throughout the time at bat. Exception c: the batter attempts a "drag bunt."

I stand by my explanation.

If you have another, I'd like to hear it.

I don't know where the posts about "hitting the ball with a foot on the ground outside the batter's box" come from. I agree, that's illegal, and an out. But, that's rule 7-3-2 and has nothing to do with the OP.

Edited by noumpere
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Thank you everyone for your help. As to the sarcastic comments about never having seen or played baseball; I know what a bunt is, but I'm not familiar with the term "drag bunt." It sounds to me like what most hitters do when they try to bunt. Is it limited only to a LH hitter, or can a RH hitter also attempt a drag bunt?

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Thank you everyone for your help. As to the sarcastic comments about never having seen or played baseball; I know what a bunt is, but I'm not familiar with the term "drag bunt." It sounds to me like what most hitters do when they try to bunt. Is it limited only to a LH hitter, or can a RH hitter also attempt a drag bunt?

The comments weren't meant to be sarcastic, only to ask for the level of explanation needed.

As I learned the terms, only a LH can "drag bunt." That's because he "drags" the ball with him as he begins to move to first.

If a RH batter does it, or a LH batter bunts toward short, it's a "push bunt".

(I wouldn't make that distinction in the FED rule, though.)

And, it's different from a regulr bunt primarily in the distance the ball travels (or is meant to travel). On a "regular" bunt, the ball is menat to be fielded by F3 or F5 or F1 coming in -- the ball ends up in the imaginary box formed by the plate, the 45' mark, the mound and where the 45' mark would be on the third base line.

On a "drag" / "push" bunt, the ball is intended to go past F1 and be fielded by F4 / F6 near the umpire's B or C position.

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The OP specifically asked about 7-3-1 Exception c, "A batter shall not delay the game ... the batter must keep at least on foot in the box throughout the time at bat. Exception c: the batter attempts a "drag bunt."

I stand by my explanation.

If you have another, I'd like to hear it.

I don't know where the posts about "hitting the ball with a foot on the ground outside the batter's box" come from. I agree, that's illegal, and an out. But, that's rule 7-3-2 and has nothing to do with the OP.

And you know what - yes, you're correct.

I tend to forget that the FED rulebook has some rather silly things in it, especially w/ exceptions, and this is one of the sillier ones... I mean, look at exception (f) -(and now I am going to be sarcastic...) REALLY!?! wow, it's OK for the batter to leave the box when 'Time' has been granted? Wow, who wouldn't have known that? Gosh, otherwise, I'm making sure that the batter stays RIGHT THERE while the rest of us are milling around during the 'Time'. :clap:

I'm only mildy surprised that they didn't include an exception (i), that it's OK for the batter to begin running after he's hit the ball fairly. :nod:

So, good explanation from you. Well done, and thanks. :wave:

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  • 3 weeks later...

I would love to hear more about the FED rule in regards to "leaving the box" on a dragpush bunt. Had this situation tonight with a game I worked (PU) with a RH hitter who had two feet outside of the box and moving up the line at contact.

Edited by kwiggie
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Drag bunting is similar to slap hitting in softball. It is legal as long as the batter is in the box when contact is made. If one foot is on the ground outside of the box when contact is made then he is out and runners return to TOP bases.

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"Drag bunting" is not exclusively taking the ball past the pitcher toward F4. When I played and coached, we taught the drag bunt to right-handed batters, which involved them bunting the ball up the third base line. "Perfect or foul" was the criteria for a good drag bunt, meaning that the ball had better be within a few feet of the 3B line or go foul.

Drag bunting is basically bunting for a hit as opposed to sacrifice bunting where you're trying to just get the bunt down to move a runner.

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