Chattering - Rules question

To tell the truth, I don't think anyone can say absolutely that anything is or isn't unsportsmanlike. This gets into the same area as wearing the hat or pants a certain way. I'm certainly not going to say that something is or isn't unsportsmanlike, but I'm allowed to have my opinion, and if I was an umpire, people would soon find out what that opinion was.

How might you interpret this situation based on:

b) No fielder shall take a position in the batter's line of vision, and with deliberate unsportsmanlike intent, act in a manner to distract the batter.

A batter is in the box waiting for a pitch and the 3rd baseman, playing in, suddenly bolts to his left and toward the batter as the pitch is being released?

Was he trying to distract the batter, I'd say yes. But was it unsportmanlike? Now you have a problem.

Runners are always doing things to try to distract the pitcher, but the rule is: 3) Call "Time," or employ any other word or phrase or commit any act while the ball is alive and in play for the obvious purpose of trying to make the pitcher commit a balk.

Is the runner trying to make the pitcher try to balk or just distract him?

How about when you see an infielder move behind a runner and kick dirt or slap his glove, distraction or unsportsmanlike conduct?

I wish I could help on this one, but I'm afraid this is one where each situation is so unique, you really have to be there to make a judgement. Of course if a player has an air horn and blows it at an opportune time, I'd call that unsportsmanlike conduct.

Here's a real example of how things can be misconstrued. I keep an air horn in my briefcase with my other scoring utensils. When I'm the official scorer, often I'll use the horn to signal a hit and its value. 2 blasts for a double, etc..

Every once in a while, someone will get their nose out of joint about it and complain. But, as soon as I tell them that I blow the horn (1) so everyone will know if it was a hit, (2) so everyone will know the value of the hit, (3) for both teams, and (4) don't blow it until the play is over, they shut up.

I have seen other people use a horn with the obvious purpose of taunting or distraction. Who's right and who's wrong?