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Show 1 ONE-BASE HITS I 1 I S By JACK SIMPSON The Catcher's Box. Few ball players, and especially catchers, know they are restricted to a certain territory behind the home plate. The catcher's box fs triangular in shape formed byi the extension of : the foul lines as the sides, the corner of the- plate nearest the catcher as the apes.. A line ten feet from the corner of the plate connecting the extended foul lines marks off' the catcher's bos. The catcher is supposed to work In this box and can be penalized' Just the same as the pitcher if lie operates outside out-side of it at certain times. The pitcher, pitch-er, during an exciting part of the garner might forget himself and' start his windup before the catcher has returned re-turned to his box and given him his signal thereby charging the- catcher with committing a balk. Catchers must be alert at all times to help a pitcher when the going Is rough to prevent these situations. How often have you noticed a catcher catch-er step up in front of the home plate to receive a legally pitched ball on which a baserunner is stealing home? He committed two offenses a balk and an interference. The balk was made when he stepped out of his box to receive the ball and the interference interfer-ence was made when he prevented the batter from hitting the legally pitched ball. The baserunner on third scores and all baserunners advance one base on the catcher's balk, while the batter is granted first base on the interference. interfer-ence. The proper play for the catcher to make in the above situation would be to remain in his box until he received re-ceived the ball and then he had a legal right to step up and block the runner off the plate. If the batter interfered inter-fered with the catcher blocking the runner the latter would be declared out for such interference. When a pitcher is intentionally passing a batter the catcher must remain re-main directly behind the plate and not move out of this position prior to the time the ball leaves the pitcher's hand. If he does, all baserunners are enlitled to advance one base. This rule was made to prevent a catcher from aiding a pitcher to give- the batter bat-ter an intentional pass. |