Ending to the Brewers-Padres Game

[Lindsay]

Physically speaking, it is impossible to have any part of a foot in front of home plate and still be legal in accordance with 6.03—foot in front of the plate = always out.

 

I'm a visual learner, so...

[Umpire in Chief]

^^^ Nice graphic Gil

[maven]

They don't have to be on the ground, Both feet only have to be within the batters box.

Do you have an interp to support this claim? Intuitively, the batter's box is a 2 dimensional object on the plane of the ground. Hard to see how feet (or anything else) could be in the box but off the ground.

[Lindsay]

1.04

...The catcher’s box, the batters’ boxes, the coaches’ boxes, the three-foot first base lines and the next batter’s boxes shall be laid out as shown in Diagrams 1 and 2...

 

2.00 BATTER's BOX

The BATTER’S BOX is the area within which the batter shall stand during his time at bat.

 

*The Strike Zone is also described as "that area," though it is an established three-dimensional region.

 

5.09(a) [ball becomes dead and runners advance one base, or return to their bases, without liability to be put out when]

A pitched ball touches a batter, or his clothing, while in his legal batting position; runners, if forced, advance.

 

That's another 6.03 reference, yet...

 

Johnny Damon was HBP with his right foot off the ground (7/6/11)

Alex Rodriguez was HBP with a right foot barely off the ground (Wk Ending 6/11/11)

Mark Teixeira was HBP while his left foot was outside of the batter's box entirely (Wk Ending 6/11/11)

Rodriguez was again HBP while entirely airborne (Wk Ending 6/11/11)

Kevin Youkilis is HBP with his left foot in the air above the batter's box (7/5/08)

 

Santiago is HBP while entire airborne (4/24/08):

 

 

And then there's a player like Ichiro Suzuki, who occasionally flirts with a foot barely off the ground when he makes contact.

 

There is a reason 6.03 does not specify "ground," while 6.06(a) does.

[Thunderheads]

1.04

...The catcher’s box, the batters’ boxes, the coaches’ boxes, the three-foot first base lines and the next batter’s boxes shall be laid out as shown in Diagrams 1 and 2...

 

2.00 BATTER's BOX

The BATTER’S BOX is the area within which the batter shall stand during his time at bat.

 

*The Strike Zone is also described as "that area," though it is an established three-dimensional region.

 

5.09(a) [ball becomes dead and runners advance one base, or return to their bases, without liability to be put out when]

A pitched ball touches a batter, or his clothing, while in his legal batting position; runners, if forced, advance.

 

That's another 6.03 reference, yet...

 

Johnny Damon was HBP with his right foot off the ground (7/6/11)

Alex Rodriguez was HBP with a right foot barely off the ground (Wk Ending 6/11/11)

Mark Teixeira was HBP while his left foot was outside of the batter's box entirely (Wk Ending 6/11/11)

Rodriguez was again HBP while entirely airborne (Wk Ending 6/11/11)

Kevin Youkilis is HBP with his left foot in the air above the batter's box (7/5/08)

 

Santiago is HBP while entire airborne (4/24/08):

 

 

And then there's a player like Ichiro Suzuki, who occasionally flirts with a foot barely off the ground when he makes contact.

 

There is a reason 6.03 does not specify "ground," while 6.06(a) does.

Gil, ...

Could this whole thing also be a "time of pitch" consideration? Meaning, ...TOP he's in a 'legal position' but he's HBP while trying to avoid?

[HeadHunterLA]

Out all day long, not even close.

[Lindsay]

Gil, ...

Could this whole thing also be a "time of pitch" consideration? Meaning, ...TOP he's in a 'legal position' but he's HBP while trying to avoid?

Because 5.09(a) [re: HBP] specifically states, "A pitched ball touches a batter, or his clothing, while in his legal batting position," and we know the HBP is still honored if B1 is trying to avoid by jumping/leaving the ground, while not illegal (e.g., leaning over the plate) I don't think TOP can have a blanket application here, as 6.03 uses the exact phrase "batter's legal position."

So the question is does "legal batting position" mean something different than "batter's legal position"? If so, TOP could be relevant. I just haven't found an interp that finds those two phrases are fundamentally distinct. As such, I have to wager that 5.09(a), in referencing 6.03's language, demonstrates that 6.03 can be used outside of a TOP context.

[JaxRolo]

[noumpere]

 

 

That has to be one of your best posts Mr. Rolo.  Just in time for the Best Answer feature.  lol.

[JaxRolo]

 

 

 

That has to be one of your best posts Mr. Rolo.  Just in time for the Best Answer feature.  lol.

 

I put a lot of thought into that one!

[Umpire in Chief]

This is our call of the week. Great call tough non-routine situation and correct application of the rules.

[IABlue]

Great call, and a tough one to get.

 

Batter was in front of the plate = fair territory.