Pitchers Plate 2-1

Question
QUESTION: In the third Inning the same pitcher returns to the pitchers mound and takes his warm-up throws.He throws two warm-up    while doing so another player from his team walks onto the mound and steps on the pitcher plate/ mound rubber to talk of an issue with in the inning...would he now be the pitcher?

ANSWER: Kim:  Thank you for the additional information.

To make a pitching change, the coach or manager has to come out and tell the plate umpire of the change.  The plate umpire then tells the official scorer of the change, as well as the opposing team's book keeper.  This has to happen, whether the original pitcher stays in the game at another position, or not.

Players other than the pitcher are able to stand on the mound, can even be in contact with the pitcher's plate, while they have a meeting.  Meetings take place in dead ball situations, that is a called time out.

Without the coach making an official change through the plate umpire, anyone else throwing a pitch makes it an illegal pitch.

You had said this happened to you in a game recently?  What was the outcome of that situation?

Yours in baseball,

Rick



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: So there is no rule that reads that the Pitchers mound is a sacred zone? any player can walk on to the mound while the pitcher is warming up as long as the other player is not announce?By a Couch/Manager to the Umpire.

Answer
Kim:  There is no rule that establishes the Pitcher's Mound as a sacred zone.

Pitchers tend to think of it as their turf, and it is an unwritten baseball rule that opposing players don't come across the mound on the way to their dugout after making an out.

Defensive players also go around the mound on their way out and in, between innings.  That is a respect thing, it has no origin in a rule as such.

A while back Alex Rodriguez of the Yankees ran across the mound, after making an out, in a game against the Oakland A's.

The Oakland A's pitcher, Dallas Braden took offense, and the argument was on.  It wasn't against the written rules; but it was outside of the unwritten baseball rules, which have a larger than life profile within the game.  

Players can, but generally don't, stand around the mound area, to include the dirt, while a pitcher takes his warm up tosses.

Yours in baseball,

Rick