hogtyed wrote:Got a bur in your bonnet, UmpSteve? You can do both behind the plate. I know you can. If not, maybe you should look for another hobby. As an umpire you should know when a slapper makes contact you look where their foot is. Besides, when the ball is contacted, we don't need the umpire to call a ball or strike. That part is obvious.
Not with any confidence.
The rule doesn't prohibit the batter to be out of the box after making contact with the ball, it says while making contact with the ball. If you are watching the pitch up until the time the bat and ball make contact, how can you be sure the foot was on the ground completely outside of the box at the same moment?
I'm not saying it is impossible, but unless the pitch is on the low side to the point that the pitch takes your line of sight toward the ground, I believe you are going to have a difficult time insuring the contact with the ball and ground COMPLETELY outside of the box is just going to be a guess.
And umpsteve and I have been there, also, for over 70 years total