Mr. EFL Answer Man

On EMDs and EFLs

Mr. EFL Answer Man:
 
I think my team batted exactly .300, .400, .500 Friday.  Is that an Edgar Martinez Day?  If you have all three feet on the foul line, is it fair or foul? If you have all three feet on the out-of-bounds line, is it fair or foul?  Which rule governs this?
 
— Legalist-at-heart  
 
​Dear Legalist-at-heart,​
 
First of all, you should know that this answer column is not my usual gig, though I imagine you are aware of this reality. When it comes to matters of the EFL, I am only a sojourner who has found a temporary place to rest while other, more thoughtful and eloquent members, are sojourning in their own new ways. Any answers I might provide will surely need to be screened by those who invented such EFL devices (i.e. Edgar Martinez Days, Chulks, etc.).
 
Secondly, I feel as though there might be an ulterior motive behind your questioning than seeking just a clarification on the specifics of an Edgar Martinez Day. 
 
In answer to your first question: yes, a day that results in an exact .300, .400, .500 day is still an EMD. And why wouldn’t it be? I feel as though this question you had already answered in your own mind, as it was a question over which there was little doubt about the answer. Asking it made sure that I, your Daily Updater, would notice the feat, and proclaim it loudly to the masses. So here you go: Well done, legalist-at-heart! Your excellent offensive day will surely propel you to a spot in the standings somewhere north of where you currently are, whether in actual placing or, if nothing else, in actual winning percentage points.
 
However, I feel your other questions are more poignant and perhaps more difficult to answer. If it were just baseball we were talking about, the answer would be easy. For in baseball, as you know, the line is always in – whether the ball is in contact with the line when it comes to rest or when a defensive player touches it. However, it is also in play when touched while in the air above the line and touched by a defensive player or a foul pole. 
 
But the questions you are asking must not be about baseball, or else they would not be asked (for the answers for those are clear and already known). No, it must be about something else more persnickety in terms of determining whether it is allowed or not. 
 
Are you asking whether it is ok to proclaim your own victories to others in the EFL? My answer to this is a resounding, “Yes!” You may not know this, but the acronym “EFL” has multiple meanings:
 
“Everyone is Family League” 
 
and
 
“Everyone is Fun League”
 
and
 
“Everyone is your Fan League”
 
We genuinely love to see and celebrate other’s accomplishments, on the baseball field and in life. So feel free to share your victories with others!
 
In fact, I think Mr. Temporary EFL Answer Man might ask everyone in the league this same question and use those answers for another Answer Man post:
 
What is your greatest accomplishment this season?
 
Send me (Jamie) an email sometime this weekend with your answer to this question, and together we will celebrate everyone, no matter where we end up in the standings.
 
Sincerely,
 
Mr. EFL (Extending Freedom to Laud) Answer Man