Baseball Rules Corner

Baseball Digest, Nov, 2000 by Rich Marazzi

Hitters must always keep feet within the batter's box

THE BATTER'S BOX AND THE RIGHTS and restrictions of the batter proved to be the subject of one of the season's more violent umpire-player disputes on July 15 at Fenway Park where the Red Sox hosted the Mets. The two main characters in this well-publicized drama were Red Sox center fielder Carl Everett and plate umpire Ron Kulpa

As Everett was about to take his first at-bat of the game in the bottom of the second inning, Kulpa advised him to keep both feet in the batter's box. The night before, Mets' reliever Dennis Cook was banished after hitting Everett with a pitch, Cook complained that Everett's wide-open stance took him beyond the batter's box lines which measure six by four feet.

Apparently Kulpa's antennae was up when Everett stepped to the plate. But the ump's dose of preventive medicine launched Everett into a rage.

Mets' catcher Mike Piazza, who had the best seat in the house, recalled, "The umpire said, 'Carl you've got to get in the box before the first pitch. Then he (Everet) drew a line and said, `As long as I'm on the line I'm in.'"

With a 2-2 count, Kulpa again indicated that Everett's foot had crossed the line of the batter's box and drew a proper boundary with his foot as Boston manager Jimy Williams jogged out onto the field.

But before the Boston skipper could get there, Everett had been ejected after exchanging words with Kulpa. The Red Sox slugger then went ballistic and lost control. He slammed down his helmet, bumped Kulpa, and then head-butted him, causing the umpire to grab the bridge of his nose.

Everett's actions led to a 10-game suspension, handed down by Frank Robinson, vice-president of on-field operations for major league baseball.

The purpose of restricting a batter in the batter's box is so that the batter doesn't gain an unfair advantage in many situations. For instance, a batter could get a running jump to first base on a drag bunt; he could move back several feet to keep a catcher at a greater distance from second base during a steal situation; or he might purposely initiate catcher's interference.

Problems regarding the turf lines of the batter's box have existed in baseball virtually since the game's inception. The rule makers and arbiters as far back as the 19th century were concerned about setting restrictions for the batter. Prior to 1874, a batter had to stand with either his forward foot or his back foot on a line drawn across the center of the home plate area. If a batter struck a pitch without having a foot on the line, the umpire simply called the resulting blow "no hit" and called the batter back to the plate. There was no other penalty.

The 1874 season introduced a 6-by-3 rectangular batter's box. The dimensions were increased to the present 6-by-4 box in 1886.

Rule 6.06(a) relates to the rights and restrictions of the batter. It reads, "A batter is out for illegal action when he hits a ball (fair or foul) with one or both feet on the ground entirely outside the batter's box." It should be noted if any part of the batter's foot touches the outline of the batter's box, the batter is in violation of the rule if he hits the pitch. Also, if a batter has one foot in the air outside the box and one foot inside the box this is perfectly legal.

Perhaps the most classic case concerning the rule under discussion involves home run champ Hank Aaron.

Playing for the Milwaukee Braves against the Cardinals at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis on August 18, 1965, Aaron hit a Curt Simmons wide offering out of the park. But umpire Chris Pelekoudas, who judged that Aaron had violated 6.06(a), nullified the four-bagger.

Thus Aaron retired with 755 homers rather than 756. "Aaron was running on the pitch," Pelekoudas said later in defense of his call. "His left foot was at least three feet out when he swung."

On July 28, 1991, Yankee center fielder Bernie Williams was victimized by 6.06(a) when leading off in the bottom of the third inning against the Angels. Bernie bunted a ball foul and was ruled out by ump Ken Kaiser for making contact with a foot on the ground outside the batter's box.

Carl Everett wasn't the first batter who was admonished about his position in the batter's box. In the May 24, 1991 game between Cleveland and Milwaukee, plate umpire Steve Palermo warned the Indians' Albert Belle about standing with his right foot outside the box. In protest, Belle walked to the left of the plate and defiantly stood there for about 30 seconds ignoring Palermo's instructions to get back in the box.

Sensing a potential ejection, Indians' skipper John McNamara wisely discussed the problem with Palermo with an eye on keeping his temperamental outfielder in the game. The meeting was brief since it was clear that Belle had a foot completely outside the box. It was the third consecutive night that Belle had been warned of his illegal position in the batter's box.

It appears that in most big league parks, the inside vertical line (closest to home plate) of the batter's box is not outlined. This leaves the umpire in a position of judgment as to whether or not the batter is properly in the box at least six inches away from home plate.