No Batters Box ?

[ontheblack]

If a player asks me where the batter's box should be, I will tell her. The box is seven feet long by three feet wide. It begins six inches away from the side of the plate. It extends four feet forward and three feet back from the center of the plate.

Now, the player has been instructed. She has the exact same parameters to gauge the box as the umpire does, the same parameters for any game where the boxes are not marked out by nice white chalk lines.

A reasonable response and one that helps the kid. Thank you.

[tcannizzo]

Anyway slapper is pretty much out of the box and hits a change up, and we were going to score a load of runs. Blue calls her out, for being out of the box. Next at bat, she comes up with just the most insane amount of attitude. Mugging the ump, she puts on a full show.

Just before first pitch calls timeout. Proceeds to slooowly draw a batters box. Musta taken 8 minutes for her to draw just the perfect batters box. You could physically see blue's blood pressure go to atmospheric levels.

First pitch hit the dirt before it got to the plate. Blue calls strike. For some reason the pitcher did not realize she did not even have to deliver a pitch to get a strike call at that point. Serves up the second pitch, slapper hits into the outfield to drive in the winning runs. Of course she had to pause inside the batters box to make sure blue saw she was not out of the box even after the ball was long gone.

This is wrong on multiple levels:
Players don't "call" time. They request it and if granted, time is called by the umpire. If the umpire granted time and this kid went into her act, the umpire had the responsibility to call "batter up" or "play ball", IOW the time out is over.

Having beckoned the batter, she has 10 seconds to get ready for the pitch, after which the call is "Strike 1"; another 10 seconds "Strike 2", another 10 seconds "Strike 3" without any pitches being thrown.

Optionally, we have a possible USC and ejection opportunity.

[Fredegar]

We were playing 10U and had a slapper that was an experienced slapper for her age. But she had gotten off on her timing a bit and was getting very close to the front of the box.
...
Anyway slapper is pretty much out of the box and hits a change up, and we were going to score a load of runs. Blue calls her out, for being out of the box. Next at bat, she comes up with just the most insane amount of attitude. Mugging the ump, she puts on a full show.

Just before first pitch calls timeout. Proceeds to slooowly draw a batters box. Musta taken 8 minutes for her to draw just the perfect batters box. You could physically see blue's blood pressure go to atmospheric levels.

Are you serious? This is a 10U kid? What a little brat! By your own admission, she was correctly called out in her first attempt. Yet, the little princess is showing up the umpire and holding up the game? This kid needs a serious discussion about respecting authority, respecting her elders, and respecting the game. She's 10! And shame on her parents for not teaching her any better. Holy crap!

[GIMNEPIWO]

We were playing 10U and had a slapper that was an experienced slapper for her age. But she had gotten off on her timing a bit and was getting very close to the front of the box.
...
Anyway slapper is pretty much out of the box and hits a change up, and we were going to score a load of runs. Blue calls her out, for being out of the box. Next at bat, she comes up with just the most insane amount of attitude. Mugging the ump, she puts on a full show.

Just before first pitch calls timeout. Proceeds to slooowly draw a batters box. Musta taken 8 minutes for her to draw just the perfect batters box. You could physically see blue's blood pressure go to atmospheric levels.

Are you serious? This is a 10U kid? What a little brat! By your own admission, she was correctly called out in her first attempt. Yet, the little princess is showing up the umpire and holding up the game? This kid needs a serious discussion about respecting authority, respecting her elders, and respecting the game. She's 10! And shame on her parents for not teaching her any better. Holy crap!

Apples seldom fall far from the tree ...

[AlwaysImprove]

We were playing 10U and had a slapper that was an experienced slapper for her age. But she had gotten off on her timing a bit and was getting very close to the front of the box.
...
Anyway slapper is pretty much out of the box and hits a change up, and we were going to score a load of runs. Blue calls her out, for being out of the box. Next at bat, she comes up with just the most insane amount of attitude. Mugging the ump, she puts on a full show.

Just before first pitch calls timeout. Proceeds to slooowly draw a batters box. Musta taken 8 minutes for her to draw just the perfect batters box. You could physically see blue's blood pressure go to atmospheric levels.

Are you serious? This is a 10U kid? What a little brat! By your own admission, she was correctly called out in her first attempt. Yet, the little princess is showing up the umpire and holding up the game? This kid needs a serious discussion about respecting authority, respecting her elders, and respecting the game. She's 10! And shame on her parents for not teaching her any better. Holy crap!

Yep, serious. I may have thought she was out, or at least the call was within reason. That does not mean she thought so, or her parents thought she was out. I already pointed out, the umps in that town are known for serving up loads of home cooking. That already puts them in a questionable position.

I would not say she was a brat on a regular basis, definitely spirited. Perhaps it crossed over this time. She actually has grown to be a very smart, respectable kid that is now coming up on her last year of softball and will be attending a great university.

Anyway, all of that is neither here nor there for this post.

Umpire jumps out there and starts drawing lines, he is definitely putting himself in a bad position.

[AlwaysImprove]

Anyway slapper is pretty much out of the box and hits a change up, and we were going to score a load of runs. Blue calls her out, for being out of the box. Next at bat, she comes up with just the most insane amount of attitude. Mugging the ump, she puts on a full show.

Just before first pitch calls timeout. Proceeds to slooowly draw a batters box. Musta taken 8 minutes for her to draw just the perfect batters box. You could physically see blue's blood pressure go to atmospheric levels.

First pitch hit the dirt before it got to the plate. Blue calls strike. For some reason the pitcher did not realize she did not even have to deliver a pitch to get a strike call at that point. Serves up the second pitch, slapper hits into the outfield to drive in the winning runs. Of course she had to pause inside the batters box to make sure blue saw she was not out of the box even after the ball was long gone.

This is wrong on multiple levels:
Players don't "call" time. They request it and if granted, time is called by the umpire. If the umpire granted time and this kid went into her act, the umpire had the responsibility to call "batter up" or "play ball", IOW the time out is over.

Having beckoned the batter, she has 10 seconds to get ready for the pitch, after which the call is "Strike 1"; another 10 seconds "Strike 2", another 10 seconds "Strike 3" without any pitches being thrown.

Optionally, we have a possible USC and ejection opportunity.

Sure, sure, parse it how you like. She requested and was given time. I forgot, blue's in charge, no one cares, yawn.

Yeah, he could have gone with the strike 1, strike 2 approach, but while that part of it was playing out I think he was in a bit of a state of shock.

I doubt a 10 year old drawing a box after getting called for being out of the box would in general be seen as USC. You have a whole thread full of people that were driving to a conclusion that blue should jump out and draw the box for the girl, before I pointed out this was a backhanded challenge to blues previous call.

[tcannizzo]

Sure, sure, parse it how you like. She requested and was given time. I forgot, blue's in charge, no one cares, yawn.

You miss the point. If PU granted time to allow these shenanigans to play out, then we have a whole 'nother problem.

Yeah, he could have gone with the strike 1, strike 2 approach, but while that part of it was playing out I think he was in a bit of a state of shock.

Seriously? 8 minutes??? There is no way that should have been allowed to play out.
After 1m 30s, someone should have called for the paramedics.

I doubt a 10 year old drawing a box after getting called for being out of the box would in general be seen as USC.

You may be right here, but a 12 y/o or older would be yanked in a New York minute.
If it took her that long to draw a "box", how long would it have taken her to tie her shoes?

You have a whole thread full of people that were driving to a conclusion that blue should jump out and draw the box for the girl, before I pointed out this was a backhanded challenge to blues previous call.

Maybe you do, but I don't.

[freetacos]

tcan

"If PU granted time to allow these shenanigans to play out, then we have a whole 'nother problem."

You are so right. My mom always told me that when anyone started any shenanigans then I should head straight home...

ft

[AlwaysImprove]

tcan

"If PU granted time to allow these shenanigans to play out, then we have a whole 'nother problem."

You are so right. My mom always told me that when anyone started any shenanigans then I should head straight home...

ft

That is some sage advice. I suspect if mamatacos was there to help that poor blue out that day, he would have avoided getting into a sideways pissing match with a 10yr old.

[HugoTafurst]

MTR, Bret and UmpSteve (and maybe some others) eloquently expressed how I feel about the situation. No need for me to add anything.

And thanks for translating GAGA - I know many of those guys...

I would point out that there can be a difference between "when in Rome" and GAGA