stepping on the plate while bunting

[umped up]

Actally, 2 questions:

1. Is the batter out if he squares to bunt, makes contact and part of his foot is on the plate? I cant find this. I have a book " baseball field guide, an in depth illustrated guide to the complete rules of baseabll " by Dan Formosa & Paul Hamburger. It shows 18 ways a batter is put out and this isn't one of them. The reason I'm asking this was a few years back when I was playing ball in Phoenix, I was called out for this very thing. The tip of my cleat was touching home plate (according to him). I was out. Since I didn't know the rule, I just walked back to the dugout. We had a couple of ex pros on the team and they didn't argue the rule so I just assumed it was so.

I was in a small meeting when they handed out a little true false quiz and this was one of the questions. I said "T" but it was False.

2. When can a batter "not" switch in the batters box from L to R? Or can he do this whenever he feels like?

[Welpe]

1) Which ruleset? In FED, a batter touching the plate when he hits the ball is out. In OBR, his foot must be on the ground completely out of the batter's box to be out.

2) In both FED and OBR, he cannot step across the plate to switch when the pitcher is ready to pitch. Otherwise, he is free to switch as long as he isn't delaying the game.

[umped up]

1) Which ruleset? In FED, a batter touching the plate when he hits the ball is out. In OBR, his foot must be on the ground completely out of the batter's box to be out.

2) In both FED and OBR, he cannot step across the plate to switch when the pitcher is ready to pitch. Otherwise, he is free to switch as long as he isn't delaying the game.

Ok, so I guess it mentions nothing about the plate in that regard In OBR and that's what we play in the MSBL. So the umpire had it wrong with me.

I guess I just always believed the myth that a hitter cant switch sides once he has 2 strikes. I have no idea where this came from, I just remember hearing that back when and never thought to check it.

[Welpe]

What did the book say when you looked for these rules? :Cool2:

[umped up]

What did the book say when you looked for these rules?

That was the problem, it says nothing about touching home plate from what I could find. It just says the batter is out if he hits the ball while one or both feet are completely out of the batters box. I know somethings gotta be out there concerning the plate, I just haven't found it.

[Welpe]

To your credit, you did look. There is an axiom that is more or less true that anything not prohibited is legal. That gets dicey when it comes to some things such as unsportsmanlike acts but in this case it applies perfectly.

[ukce1861]

What did the book say when you looked for these rules?

That was the problem, it says nothing about touching home plate from what I could find. It just says the batter is out if he hits the ball while one or both feet are completely out of the batters box. I know somethings gotta be out there concerning the plate, I just haven't found it.

It's not only what the rule book says - it's also what it doesn't say. It doesn't say anything about stepping on the plate, so that tells you it's legal - as long as neither foot is completely out of the batter's box.

[yawetag]

We had a couple of ex pros on the team and they didn't argue the rule so I just assumed it was so.

Never trust an ex-player at any level knows the rules.

[umped up]

We had a couple of ex pros on the team and they didn't argue the rule so I just assumed it was so.

Never trust an ex-player at any level knows the rules.

True. Now that you say that, I remember on ESPN baseball tonight, Mitch Williams was talking about a situation with a lefty on the mound and Mitch was talking about the 40 degree plane. There is no 40 degree plane in the rule book but here he was on ESPN talking about it. He's a fricken pitcher in MLB and still thought there was one. Good point!

[mstaylor]

In order:

The rulebook does address stepping on the plate in OBR, it just doesn't mention the plate. Your foot has to be completely out of the box and on the ground when contact is made. So it is possible to be in the box and touching the plate and be legal. By the same token you can have a toe on the plate and have the rest of the foot outside the box and still be out. So in your case it is possible that the umpire did get it right. FED specifically mentions the plate and touching it at all makes you out. I believe NCAA is the same but I am not sure. I will concede to others that have an actual NCAA rulebook.

Switching boxes is as stated, just not when the pitcher is ready.

The 45 line is mentioned because it does exist, but it is in the interps, not the actual rulebook. You probably aren't old enough but one year they actually put a line on the mound during spring training to see if it made it better. It was a disasterbut the concept is still used. Thhe funny thing is it is not a 45 degree line, it is an imaginary line toward the 45 ft line. If you step closer to first than that line you are OK. If not, you have to go home.

Never trust old ballplayers to know the rules, see my 80/20 rule. If you want to see rules butchered, watch McGarver or Orel. Tim is an idiot that insists on critiquing umpires and spews crap. He doesn't even know catching rules. Orel knows pitching but he has a chip about umpires and it shows horribly.

[Welpe]

Joe Morgan is a bad offender when it comes to rules knowledge also but at least he knows baseball.

[mstaylor]

Joe Morgan is a bad offender when it comes to rules knowledge also but at least he knows baseball.

Good point, I started to mention him but he does a nice job actually talking baseball as long as he stays out of the rules. McGarver can't even do that.

[umped up]

Joe Morgan is a bad offender when it comes to rules knowledge also but at least he knows baseball.

Good point, I started to mention him but he does a nice job actually talking baseball as long as he stays out of the rules. McGarver can't even do that.

Wouldn't it be nice to have someone like Bruce Froemming in the box for an inning going over things. That would be interesting and a great opportunity for fans and players to get the perspective.

When I was living in San Franciso, I was working at Sky Park, an indoor parking facility (3 miles north of the airport) It's a total valet system. I had the opportunity to pick up Bruce Froemming from the airport in a nice vehicle of course. On the way back to our facility, we spoke at great lengths about baseball. I was still playing for my future at the time and he was trying to sell me on umpiring. I was like, yeah whatever. He said it was the best thing in the world to do. He talked about all the luxuries and all the spiffs that came with it. " It was a life that was unimaginable ". I got the pleasure to talking with him as the passenger in my car but at the time, I didn't realize what I had sitting next to me. I was 23 at the time and a raging baseball player, not at all interested in umpiring. Now, looking back......WOW.

I love his answer when asked about his eyesite: " The sun is 93 million miles away, I can see that ".

[Kevin Finnerty]

Joe Morgan is a bad offender when it comes to rules knowledge also but at least he knows baseball.

What?

Really?

You must be joking. Just for our sake, when you make a joke like that, use one of those winky faces, so everyone knows you're kidding.

[Kevin Finnerty]

Hint: Joe Morgan was never so much as granted an interview for a manager's job at any level. It's partly due to his phony character that switches off as soon as the camera lights go out, but it's also due his rather pedestrian knowledge of the game and to the fact that he is widely hated among professional baseball players.

"Sorry skycap, all I have is a hundred; I'll have to get you next time."

---Joe Morgan

[Welpe]

Let's put it this way, I've never heard anything he said from a baseball perspective that really made me question that. Maybe I just don't know baseball...or I haven't listened to him enough. :fuel:

[mstaylor]

I have never heard him say anything really stupid while discussing baseball, but I try not to pay attention to the announcers. Many of the games I watch are without sound, local watering hole, but I yet to find a single ex pro that had a clue about rules.

[Kevin Finnerty]

Let's put it this way, I've never heard anything he said from a baseball perspective that really made me question that. Maybe I just don't know baseball...or I haven't listened to him enough.

Anyone who has listened to that blathering, little fraud for five minutes has heard enough.

[Rich Ives]

That was the problem, it says nothing about touching home plate from what I could find. It just says the batter is out if he hits the ball while one or both feet are completely out of the batters box. I know somethings gotta be out there concerning the plate, I just haven't found it.

You haven't found it because it isn't there. The rule itself gives sufficient information to make the call correctly.