Balk before set

[DWDIII]

is it a balk when the pitcher hesitates before coming set?  Hands at side, pitcher starts to come set, hands almost touch then resets to start again. Looks very weird, a hesitation always looks odd but is that a balk?  He never came set, he  discontinued the movement before 

[Senor Azul]

It is a balk if a pitcher hesitates in or interrupts his motion to join hands to go to the set position. Here’s the OBR rule (no rule set was specified but this is the same for all codes):

5.07(a)(2)…  Preparatory to coming to a set position, the pitcher shall have one hand on his side; from this position he shall go to his set position as defined in Rule 5.07(a)(2) (Rule 8.01(b)) without interruption and in one continuous motion…

[Stk004]

39 minutes ago, DWDIII said:

is it a balk when the pitcher hesitates before coming set?  Hands at side, pitcher starts to come set, hands almost touch then resets to start again. Looks very weird, a hesitation always looks odd but is that a balk?  He never came set, he  discontinued the movement before 

You bet. 

[Jimurray]

1 hour ago, DWDIII said:

is it a balk when the pitcher hesitates before coming set?  Hands at side, pitcher starts to come set, hands almost touch then resets to start again. Looks very weird, a hesitation always looks odd but is that a balk?  He never came set, he  discontinued the movement before 

Once he does that, the only way to avoid a balk is to step off as it was part of the hesitation. Odds vary but not very good.

[DWDIII]

Thanks, I called the balk to send in the winning run in a 0-0 game and I was kinda second guessing myself the next day - thanks for the help

[Stk004]

1 minute ago, DWDIII said:

Thanks, I called the balk to send in the winning run in a 0-0 game and I was kinda second guessing myself the next day - thanks for the help

Bold move 

[Jimurray]

18 hours ago, Senor Azul said:

It is a balk if a pitcher hesitates in or interrupts his motion to join hands to go to the set position. Here’s the OBR rule (no rule set was specified but this is the same for all codes):

 

5.07(a)(2)…  Preparatory to coming to a set position, the pitcher shall have one hand on his side; from this position he shall go to his set position as defined in Rule 5.07(a)(2) (Rule 8.01(b)) without interruption and in one continuous motion…

 

You are correct that it (starting and stopping coming set) is a balk practically speaking in all codes. You will notice the OBR rule has no penalty and some violations of that particular rule are "do not do thats". But in OBR it is balked, one reference being Jim Evans as "common practice." FED balks anything that violates any of their pitching rules. NCAA actually only requires continuous motion of the hands and warns before calling an illegal pitch? My take, if a coach ever read the rules and protested the balk, say in the OP, the start coming set and stopping is a feint without a step and that is a balk in all rule sets.

[FleasOf1000Camels]

Similar to OP.

Pitcher is in preliminary position, pitching hand at his side, and glove hand on knee.  WITHOUT disengaging, he waves his glove in an obvious signal to his catcher to resend pitch signs.

Who, among us are balking this?

[noumpere]

42 minutes ago, FleasOf1000Camels said:

Similar to OP.

Pitcher is in preliminary position, pitching hand at his side, and glove hand on knee.  WITHOUT disengaging, he waves his glove in an obvious signal to his catcher to resend pitch signs.

Who, among us are balking this?

Why would anyone think this is a balk?   Even the FED has removed (or changed) this case.

[GPblue]

51 minutes ago, noumpere said:

Why would anyone think this is a balk?   Even the FED has removed (or changed) this case.

I had an older umpire call this in a high school playoff game that brought in a winning run.

[Richvee]

http://m.mlb.com/video/v1150533483/tbnyy-umps-call-balk-then-reverse-the-call/?query=Yankees+balk

 

[Stk004]

29 minutes ago, Richvee said:

http://m.mlb.com/video/v1150533483/tbnyy-umps-call-balk-then-reverse-the-call/?query=Yankees+balk

 

I know there's already discussion on this, but I see a balk in this clip. I don't see it as him asking to go through signs again, I see it as what's being described in the OP.

[Jimurray]

58 minutes ago, Stk004 said:

I know there's already discussion on this, but I see a balk in this clip. I don't see it as him asking to go through signs again, I see it as what's being described in the OP.

The OP is a lot more "blatant" in start to come set and stopped. This is more subtle and is in the grey area of allowing twitches and comfort motions while leaning or not leaning in to look at the catcher for signs. The rule itself does not balk the violation but "common practice" does if you think he actually started to come set and stopped. 

BTW, Lester did get away with one tonight. He was already set. A little motion before stepping off fooled R1 and had U1 pondering. Lester had R1 dead to rights but did not throw. No harm to the runner no foul.

[Stk004]

17 hours ago, Jimurray said:

The OP is a lot more "blatant" in start to come set and stopped. This is more subtle and is in the grey area of allowing twitches and comfort motions while leaning or not leaning in to look at the catcher for signs. The rule itself does not balk the violation but "common practice" does if you think he actually started to come set and stopped. 

BTW, Lester did get away with one tonight. He was already set. A little motion before stepping off fooled R1 and had U1 pondering. Lester had R1 dead to rights but did not throw. No harm to the runner no foul.

I saw the runner asking about that, with U1 saying "He stepped off."