Balk in the winning run?

[stl_ump]

Low level REC Ball game. Nothing on the line except the game itself.

Time limit has expired and and HT is up with the winning run on 3rd. Picher gets set and then shruggs his shoulders and lifts his arm to try and wipe the sweat from his face.

3rd base coach yells that's a balk and starts to walk on the field complaining. I (I'm PU) yell "GET OFF THE FIELD" He back tracks and asks for time and comes down to see me.

He says that's a balk. Right? I look him straight in the eye and say "Do you really want to win that way?" He pauses, and says "You're right. Sorry. I apologize." Two pitches later his runner scores on a wild pitch.

[yawetag]

Would you have called it a balk any other time?

[JaxRolo]

In Florida there was an Umpire that balked in a wininng run in a state HS championship game.

He will never call at the state level again.

[stl_ump]

Would you have called it a balk any other time?

Yep... but not a this age/skill level. Most of the runs scored were from walks and past balls and wild pitches. Not much skill involved in this game whether it be infielder, outfielder or pitcher.

[HokieUmp]

In Florida there was an Umpire that balked in a wininng run in a state HS championship game.

He will never call at the state level again.

Is that because the call was bad, or because the coach cried to all his friends, and up the state's chain-of-command?

(Arguably, this is rhetorical question, since I suspect I know the answer....)

[ukce1861]

From what I've heard about it, it was a very technical balk (if it was even a balk at all) and something the pitcher had been doing all game. Seems like it was having his hands together as he stepped on the rubber?

[sdix00]

From what I've heard about it, it was a very technical balk (if it was even a balk at all) and something the pitcher had been doing all game. Seems like it was having his hands together as he stepped on the rubber?

Not a balk at all.

[JaxRolo]

From what I've heard about it, it was a very technical balk (if it was even a balk at all) and something the pitcher had been doing all game. Seems like it was having his hands together as he stepped on the rubber?

You are right. I can't remember what it was but it was some very minor.

[TXUmp77]

Jax i was at that game and could not believe he did that, he called a great game but really went out of his way on that call, it didnt end the game as it was called on the home team top of 7th. But that put VT up by 1 then HT didnt score in bottom of 7

[HugoTafurst]

Would you have called it a balk any other time?

Yep... but not a this age/skill level. Most of the runs scored were from walks and past balls and wild pitches. Not much skill involved in this game whether it be infielder, outfielder or pitcher.

Hmmmmm despite my post supporting you on that other board, re-reading the situation on here, especially noting the underlined comment, makes me wonder if you wouldn't have been better off making the balk call and ending the game there, instead of risking it going to extra innings!!!. :) :)

[stl_ump]

Would you have called it a balk any other time?

Yep... but not a this age/skill level. Most of the runs scored were from walks and past balls and wild pitches. Not much skill involved in this game whether it be infielder, outfielder or pitcher.

Hmmmmm despite my post supporting you on that other board, re-reading the situation on here, especially noting the underlined comment, makes me wonder if you wouldn't have been better off making the balk call and ending the game there, instead of risking it going to extra innings!!!. :)

That thought did cross my mind but I was pretty sure that run would come in ("without my help") based on past performance by the DT. and beside, the worse it could have been was one extra inning. Then after that it's a tie.

[Stretch]

About 3 weeks ago I had a Legion Juniors AA game.

I am BU. We are supposed to play 7 innings. After 1 we are tied 1-1.

Going into the bottom of the 9th still 1-1, the HT has R1 and R3 with 1 out.

Left handed pitcher comes set. R1 breaks for 2nd. just as the pitcher

picks up his non-pivot foot. The pitcher panics and sets this foot back

down and tries to step off. (Start and Stop balk.) My partner and I both

yell "that's a balk!" and we award R3 home and R1 second. The VT's

head coach tells his pitcher, "I told you that runner on first meant nothing."

As we are heading to our cars, a couple of guys that are higher up in

the organization are busting our chops about the walk off balk. "How

can you make a call like that?"

"It was easy. That's a balk.....time that's a balk. You score and you second,"

I reply. One of the guys asked what he did and I show him. It was so ugly

it was an easy call. A horrid ending to a pretty good game though. Between

both catchers, they caught 6 guys trying to steal second.

Great topic especially with the rash of walk-off balks that MLB experienced.

[mhb14]

I had a 13 year old non-select CRAP Ball game two years ago. In the TOP of the 1st I left a balk go for the pitcher slightly turning his shoulder when looking at first. The runner was standing on the bag, there was no reason to call it. Well, the third base coach started going crazy about that being a balk. He called time and came out wanting the balk call. Now we had discussed in ground rules that we were not going to call ever balk we saw. The coaches actually asked for that. Well now the coach thinks that it would be better for me to call every balk I see. I pull both coaches together and they now agree that they want me to call every balk I see. I tried to explain to them that there were going to be a lot of balks if I did this. They said that they had taught there kids the correct way to pitch and that they would be surprised if I was about to call 5 balks.

Since we technically should have been calling all the balks anyways, I agree. So there aren't any in the TOP of the first since there was only one more pitch thrown that inning. In the bottom of the 1st, the first batter singles. Then the pitcher does not come set on the next two pitches and the runner is on third. The same coach who wanted balks is going nuts that I am making up balks. I can promise you, I wasn't. Then, the unthinkable happens, the kids is on the rubber and he drops the ball with a runner on third. Both the PU and myself called it right away and the runner scored. Well, the head coach of the home team was ejected about 10 seconds later. (He would later come back an appolgize but I'll get into that later).

I ended up calling around 45 balks in 4 innings. I let at least 20 more go. I wasn't trying to be a jerk (I'm sure it looked that way) but this was with me even trying to just call the obvious ones and leaving the others alone. One pitcher did not come set on 10 straight pitches. Even with me warning him that I was going to balk him, he wouldn't come set. It was horrible.

After the game, the HC I dumped came up and appolgized. He had read the rulebook and every balk I called was right. He shook my hand and that was the end of that.

[Welpe]

That is why I don't let the coaches dictate how I'm going to call the game. Sounds like it was a stinker no matter what you did though.

[mhb14]

That is why I don't let the coaches dictate how I'm going to call the game. Sounds like it was a stinker no matter what you did though.

I normally wouldn't let the coaches make decisions about anything like that but it was fall ball and in our association, fall ball is not taken very serious and the coach kind of agree on the rules on a game by game basis. It was out of my hands.

[semper_fi_72]

I was working a Travel Ball 13U Championshio Game.

Bottom of the 7th.

Score tied.

Bases loaded.

As F1 starts his wind up, R1 takes off like he is stealing 2B, even though he it is occupied.

Coach yells out for F1 to step off, who is in the middle of his delievery and stops dead.

Balk

Game over.

See a balk, call a Balk.

Doesn't matter what game or what it does to the game.

Don't give free passes.

[mstaylor]

I have seen a boatload of balks caused by coaches trying to get pitchers to step off.

[Welpe]

I had a walk off balk call in a tournament game when the LHP feinted to first. Oops.

[Typhoon]

U14 girls provincial championship game. (softball) score 0-0 TOP of 7th, R2, R3, 2 out HT decides to intentionally walk the batter to set up a force. Catcher stands behind LH batters box and calls for an outside pitch. On the pitch PU calls illegal pitch and scores runner from 3rd. HT fails to score in bottom of 7th inning. I was not on the field for this game but was part of the tournament crew. In the umpires room after the game I asked him what was the illegal pitch. He said the catcher was out of the catchers box. I said catchers box in softball extends to the edges of the batters boxes she was clearly inside that. He was primarily a baseball umpire and got games confused. Good thing that the coaches didn't know any better.

[Welpe]

Those are the little things that often get missed when primarily baseball umpires try and moonlight as softball umpires with the mentality that it's all the same.