On-Deck Batter During Pitcher Warmups in Between Innings

[Mudder]

At a recent game, I was PU, 16 year olds, home team pitcher has a rep as being a very emotional player, aggresive player, but I've never seen him do anything dirty in the many games I've seen him.

He's warming up in between innings and the on-deck batter is not in the on-deck circle area, I'd say was standing maybe 10ft away from the plate watching the pitches come in working out his timing. I turn for a second to glance in the dugout, and I hear the on deck batter get plunked with a warm up pitch in the shoulder. Long story short pitcher says it slipped, I warned him, (and warned the batter to stay in the on-deck circle next time) batter was fine, and on the game went. In my mind I thought there's no way a pitch can get that far "away" from him, and he did have a reputation, and he never said much to the on deck batter for hitting him.

I don't usually let on deck batters stray too far out of the on deck circle during warm ups, but in this case I said nothing. Now I've heard some pitchers don't want on-deck batters anywhere near the plate when they're warming up, in fact I've heard it to cause bench clearing brawls.

How strictly do you enforce the on deck batter staying in the circle during warmups?

[UmpJM]

Mudder,

I'm pretty strict about it and often mention the Christensen-Molina incident to the on-deck batter - in a friendly way, of course.

http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/news/020205christensen.html

JM

[semper_fi_72]

They stay in the on deck circle or near the dug out.

Enforce it strictly and you won't have these problems.

[grayhawk]

Agreed - I am strict about it. That's why I stand where I do between innings which is on the side of the field the offense's dugout is (on the grass on the base line extended). This allows me to:

1. Make sure the first batter doesn't get too close.

2. Make it easier to let the batter know how many warm up pitches are left.

3. Make it easier to communicate to the coaches if there is more than 2 batters swinging bats between innings.

4. Ensure I am not in the line of fire.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Good for the pitcher! (I didn't say that out loud did I?)

I never let the first batter of the inning time the pitcher from anywhere other than his own on deck circle. Period. If he comes down toward the plate area trying to time the pitcher, I point out that in the big leagues if he pulled that stunt, the pitcher would put the next one in his ear hole, and then I send him back to his circle. That usually gets the job done.

[NCAAump2]

Agreed. Keeping the batter in the on-deck circle eliminates all these problems. That's what they are there for.

[Jimurray]

Agreed - I am strict about it. That's why I stand where I do between innings which is on the side of the field the offense's dugout is (on the grass on the base line extended). This allows me to:

1. Make sure the first batter doesn't get too close.

2. Make it easier to let the batter know how many warm up pitches are left.

3. Make it easier to communicate to the coaches if there is more than 2 batters swinging bats between innings.

4. Ensure I am not in the line of fire.

#3. I haven't had to enforce that rule so it's citation was cloudy. Is it FED 3-1-j and the OBR preparing to enter the game cite.

[JaxRolo]

I don't know if warning the pitcher is the right thing here. You don't actually know what happened.