I was at the Cov Cath Boone JV game last nite. The umpire called a Boone player out at the plate because he stepped on the plate. This was done prior to the pitch. The Boone coaches went nuts over this call of course. When they player came back to the dugout I heard him explain to the coaches what he did. He said he steps on the plate to help line him self up in the box, as part of his pre pitch routine. One of the other players told the coach 'yea I have seen him do this since he was called up' The umpire called him out for doing this. At end if game I heard umpire telling the coach I warned him not to do it twice and when he did it again I called him out. Is it a rule? Thoughts?

 

Now this call had absolutely no impact on the outcome of the game as Cov Cath run ruled Boone in 5, but still I am curious about this as I have never ever seen it called or heard that it is a rule.

Not correct, has to be stepping on the plate when contact is made, fair or foul, to be called out in that situation.

@Clyde

 

Thoughts?

Also, it is scored as an unassisted putout for the catcher. Not a strikeout or any other way you may think to score the play.

Agree. There is no violation unless making contact while foot is completely out of the box.

 

That said, if an umpire tells you 2x not to do something or he's gonna call you out, maybe not doing it for the rest of the game is a good idea? At a minimum, let your coach know what the umpire told you and let the coach have a discussion between innings about the situation.

Not correct, has to be stepping on the plate when contact is made, fair or foul, to be called out in that situation.

 

This is what I thought as well, but again no pitch was made, when he called the batter out. The umpire had a couple other rough calls last nite as well, but this one was by far the worst/stangest

Great point abt heeding the prior warning.

Not wise to ignore the umps. But, this ultimately sounds like more of a power trip by the ump exerting his "rule" over the teenager. If that's the case, IMO, wholly innapropriate for an umpire.

Strange all around. It's not a correct call by the umpire, but it's also one of the weirdest pre-pitch routines I've heard of a batter doing. I'm trying to visualize what the batter would do to "line himself up" by stepping on the plate, and it just seems weird. 35 years of baseball and I've never seen or heard of a batter doing that as a pre-pitch routine.

 

Either way, an umpire tells you not to do something and you keep doing it anyway, you should expect some consequences.

Strange all around. It's not a correct call by the umpire, but it's also one of the weirdest pre-pitch routines I've heard of a batter doing. I'm trying to visualize what the batter would do to "line himself up" by stepping on the plate, and it just seems weird. 35 years of baseball and I've never seen or heard of a batter doing that as a pre-pitch routine.

 

Either way, an umpire tells you not to do something and you keep doing it anyway, you should expect some consequences.

 

Yes it is a very strange one. You see guys lay the bat down, and do all kinds of stuff, but this one he takes his left foot as he is right handed batter, and touches the front corner of the plate to line himself up. I heard him explain his routine to coach and thought to myself why??? Either way no way should he have been called out. But, then again if ump did warn me twice not to do it, I would not have done it the third time to be called out.

There's a reason why that ump is doing j.v. games!!!! LOL!!!

Strange all around. It's not a correct call by the umpire, but it's also one of the weirdest pre-pitch routines I've heard of a batter doing. I'm trying to visualize what the batter would do to "line himself up" by stepping on the plate, and it just seems weird. 35 years of baseball and I've never seen or heard of a batter doing that as a pre-pitch routine.

 

Either way, an umpire tells you not to do something and you keep doing it anyway, you should expect some consequences.

 

Agree with everything here.......and I'm still trying to visualize his routine, STRANGE is an understatement.