Major League batters have been asked to speed it up, but they still step out of the box after nearly every pitch, prolonging the already marathon games. In addition, several times each week I see a batter call time when the pitcher is in his delivery which is clearly illegal according to this rule. The batter's legal position shall be with both feet within the batter's box. The lines defining the box are within the batter's box. The failure to enforce this rule clearly helps the hitter.
Umpires watch the batters break the rules and don t do a thing about it.
The catcher, without the ball in his possession, has no right to block the pathway of the runner attempting to score. The base line belongs to the runner and the catcher should be there only when he is fielding a ball or when he already has the ball in his hand. Many people in baseball are unaware of this rule. Players and announcers talk about the great play made by a catcher when he blocks the plate and makes the tag. When the bases are unoccupied, the pitcher shall deliver the ball to the batter within 20 seconds after he receives the ball.