Catchers Box

[no97]

I've always loved the old school, triangular (okay, maybe it's a trapazoid) catchers box:

It screams baseball to me. Here's my question - when did it change to the current square box? Am I alone in my preferance for this triangular/trapazoidal look? I did find a story from June, 2000 about a catchers balk, and the square catchers box, but little else online discussing the new vs. old school boxes. I can buy the arguement that catchers are getting bigger, but would guess that MLB's answer to that would be to widen the square box instead of go back to the trapazoid, which would seem to be a natural answer.

Thanks in advance for thoughts and discussion,

Moose

[no97]

Am I alone in my preferance for this triangular/trapazoidal look?

So that's a yes? No one else cares/know's when the box was changed?

bump?

Moose

[Pharos04]

from bits and pieces i've been finding, the reason it as trapezoidal/triangular is because the lines are just an extension of the foul lines 9 feet from the plate. apparently in certain leagues it's still optional to use the triangular shaped one in lieu of the box one. personally, i've never actually seen a triangular one and it looks a little quirky to me. yet at the same time it seems to flow with the rest of the lines all scattered about the infield. it's intriguing as far as when it changed....still searching!

[no97]

I have submitted a question to Cubs.com for their mailbag segment as well. We'll see if we can get an answer to the date of the change...

Moose

It's good to see that someone else was at least interested in this!

[leopard88]

Frankly, I'm less interested in the shape (though I am curious to know about that too) than I am about finding out about why you never see catcher's balks called. I would love to see that rule enforced to some degree, just to make intentional walks a little interesting. Injecting even the slightest chance that a wild pitch would be thrown because the catcher has to stay put would be interesting.

I found this on an "Ask the Umpire" page on mlb.com

McClelland: It is a balk if the catcher doesn't stay in the catcher's box until the pitcher delivers the ball. If he were to step out of the catcher's box ? the little box behind home plate ? before the pitcher delivers the ball it would be called a catcher's balk. The runners would advance.

As a matter of fact, I have never seen it called, it's one of those things you just kind of let slide. But it is in the rule book, we haven't updated the rule book in a long time. If it was called recently, it would be by an umpire taking the rule book to the letter of the law and sometimes we have to kind of overlook some things to make the game run smoother.

[HedleyLamarr]

A Braves catcher was called for a "catcher's balk" a few years ago. I want to say it was either Javy Lopez or Johnny Estrada that was the guilty party.

I'm trying to think of what the purpose of the triangular catcher's box was, or what advantage was taken away with the creation of that triangular box.

As for the extended fair/foul lines, my only guess to that is in assisting check-swing calls for the corner umpires.

[philly97flyer]

I know in Little League, the games on tv anyway, they still use the triangle. You see catchers setting up WAY outside alot.

[WJMorris3]

A Braves catcher was called for a "catcher's balk" a few years ago. I want to say it was either Javy Lopez or Johnny Estrada that was the guilty party.

I'm trying to think of what the purpose of the triangular catcher's box was, or what advantage was taken away with the creation of that triangular box.

As for the extended fair/foul lines, my only guess to that is in assisting check-swing calls for the corner umpires.

WikiAnswers says it was Fernando Lunar (Maddux was pitching). But it also says that Brewers manager Davy Lopes had asked the umps to watch for the catcher's balk.

[whalersjets]

Off topic, but the Polo Grounds was awesome.

[SEMOSTLfan]

Frankly, I'm less interested in the shape (though I am curious to know about that too) than I am about finding out about why you never see catcher's balks called. I would love to see that rule enforced to some degree, just to make intentional walks a little interesting. Injecting even the slightest chance that a wild pitch would be thrown because the catcher has to stay put would be interesting.

I found this on an "Ask the Umpire" page on mlb.com

McClelland: It is a balk if the catcher doesn't stay in the catcher's box until the pitcher delivers the ball. If he were to step out of the catcher's box ? the little box behind home plate ? before the pitcher delivers the ball it would be called a catcher's balk. The runners would advance.

As a matter of fact, I have never seen it called, it's one of those things you just kind of let slide. But it is in the rule book, we haven't updated the rule book in a long time. If it was called recently, it would be by an umpire taking the rule book to the letter of the law and sometimes we have to kind of overlook some things to make the game run smoother.

I'm embarrassed to say that I was not aware of that rule before this moment. I always thought the catchers box was just something the grounds crew added if they felt like it, in fact when I played baseball in high school I don't remember most of the fields we played on even having catchers boxes.