Can a batter step across the plate to hit a pitch? For example in the case of an (attempted) intentional walk?
I heard what may be a ‘legend’ that such behavior became ruled out after a case of Babe Ruth stepping across the plate and hitting a home run on what was supposed to be an intentional ball.
I am not talking about changing batting sides; apparently that is permitted with some restrictions. There’s a YouTube video of a switch-pitcher and switch-batter trying to out-do each other.
No, you can’t. That violates Rule 6.06a and 5.09d.
6.06 A batter is out for illegal action when—
(a) He hits a ball with one or both feet on the ground entirely outside the batter’s box.
Don’t you get called out for that? Not just a strike?
Yes…
If your foot is touching the ground completely out of the batter’s box (touching any part of the line makes it OK) and you hit the ball you are out. You can however throw your bat at the ball. Lou Boudreau did this in 1948 when the opposing team called a pitch out when he (as player manager) had called for a hit and run. The bat hit the ball and rolled through the the vacated spot in the infield for a hit. It was that kind of year for Boudreau when he won the AL MVP and led the Indians to a World Series victory.
This is a rule that has traditionally been very loosely enforced-usually the batter’s box lines are all erased by the 2nd inning, and which ump is going to call someone out because one of their feet is barely outside it?
Henry Aaron was called out in a 1965 game when he stepped on home plate to hit a slow curve on to the right field roofin a game at St. Louis.
I remember listening to the game. The Cardinals announcers (I think Harry Caray was calling that inning) knew exactly what he did and mentioned that he stepped out even before the umpire called Aaron out.
Moved to the Game Room from GQ.
Colibri
General Questions Moderator
Historically (and unofficially), it has always been part of the job description for the lead-off hitter to spend some time really “digging in” at the back of the batter’s box to scrub out that back line so the ump doesn’t have an excuse to call guys out for scootching too far back in the box. I still teach my kids this rule, since Little League calibre umpires have a tendency to be micro managers who will spend more time whining about shit like that or how many bats you have with you in the on deck circle than they will actually officiating the frickin’ game.
Another point aling these lines is with regards to bunting technique. There are two basic schools of thought when it comes to bunting: squaring around or just pivoting on your toes. We only every teach pivoting for two key reasons. The first, most sensible reason is because it puts you in your normal hitting position, with the bat out in front of you at the contact zone, so all you have to do is “catch” the ball with your bat. Simple. The other reason we teach the pivot is because squaring around means taking steps with both feet in the batter’s box, such that you’re completely facing the pitcher and, in doing so, you run the risk of stepping out of the box (usually right onto the plate), in which case you are out as soon as you touch the ball. I’m a bit flabbergasted every time I see a guy in the MLB squaring around to bunt, since it’s so dumb – you would have thought a coach at some point might have fixed that.
Well, just to nitpick - what if the batter steps across the plate and stands in the other-side batter’s box?
That’s good only if the pitcher hasn’t assumed position, in other words between pitches. If the batter tries to do that during a pitch, he is in violation because the other side of the plate isn’t the batter’s box. He can choose either side, but not both. Rule 6.02b
As an umpire with over 15 years years of experience from little kids to NCAA ball, I can tell you that you rarely call someone out for stepping out of the box towards the pitch for just the reason you mentioned. I train umpires to not guess an out. However if someone steps in front of the plate between the batters boxes, you don’t need lines to know that someone is out of the box (i.e. squaring up for a bunt).
Also, related to throwing the bat at the ball. While it’s not illegal, I’ve also never seen it done. Interesting side note though. If you strike the ball and then throw the bat down the bat cannot hit the ball a second time in fair territory. But if the bat is thrown to the ground, and the ball rolls into it; that’s OK.
In every rule set I’ve ever umpired under, it’s illegal to change batters boxes while the pitcher is on the pitching plate (aka rubber). Not only that but I still think the stepping out of the batters box rule still applies. You are stepping out of the batters box you are occupying therefore you are out.