Advice on balks

[JaxRolo]

I did a 12U game tonight and one of the pitchers was balking on 90% of his pitches.

The are supposed to get a warning and then enforce the rule.

These kids are just learning at this age.

Would you call the balks? They were all pretty obvious.

I called several and each time went and talked to the pitcher.

[kcfan102]

Call them.

They are 12 and learning. If you let them go, they won't learn.

If you don't call them, down the road they'll get to an umpire who won't and their coaches will get confused. "Well an umpire we had earlier didn't call that"

Help them learn and save your brethren (maybe yourself) some trouble in the future.

[mstaylor]

Call the elephant balks and talk to his coach about the more subtle ones or the technical ones.

[semper_fi_72]

I did a 12U game tonight and one of the pitchers was balking on 90% of his pitches.

The are supposed to get a warning and then enforce the rule.

These kids are just learning at this age.

Would you call the balks? They were all pretty obvious.

I called several and each time went and talked to the pitcher.

Call them.

As far as talking to the pitcher each time, watch you do not cross the line to coaching. Call it and if the coach needs an explanation, explain it to him. Let him coach his players and correct it.

I do 12U Travel Tournament Ball as well as PONY Mustang and Bronco and LL Junior games. I really am surprised at how few balks there are.

Some coaches want every little twitch called a Balk on the opposing pitcher and my response is that I will call a balk when I see it.

[JaxRolo]

I agree that I should call them. I was calling them on the first inning but the first inning took 1:05 to play. That was the longer inning ever! We have 1:50 time limit.

I know its not my place to coach. I was just trying to tell the pitcher what he was doing wrong.

[Umpire in Chief]

Call the elephant balks and talk to his coach about the more subtle ones or the technical ones.

Agreed. With 12 y/o if you look hard enough you will find a balk on every pitch.

[BrianC14]

I agree that I should call them. I was calling them on the first inning but the first inning took 1:05 to play. That was the longer inning ever! We have 1:50 time limit.

I know its not my place to coach. I was just trying to tell the pitcher what he was doing wrong.

YGTBSM. I'd have stopped calling them for sure. And then I'd have avoided the "coaching" issue by recommending that each team pair off and take up tennis. Holy schlamoley.

[Dragon29]

Call the elephant balks and talk to his coach about the more subtle ones or the technical ones.

Yup - Did a Bronco game (supposed to be DH; 1st game canceled due to poor field conditions from rain the previous evening) as BU last weekend; at the plate meeting, both coaches tell my partner they're OK w/this concept.

A couple of "don't do that"s issued by my partner - no need for anything else. Game went very smoothly. Mercy rule after 5.

:2cents:

[Stan W.]

Call every balk that everyone in the park can tell was a balk.....

Call very few of the balks that only the true baseball people would know...

Call none of the balks that only you know...

that was the advice I was given years ago when I asked about calling balks at the first year level that balks are called......

There are 30 some segments of balk offenses...........we umpires rarely call any more than 3-5 of them.....at any level

[JaxRolo]

Call every balk that everyone in the park can tell was a balk.....

Call very few of the balks that only the true baseball people would know...

Call none of the balks that only you know...

that was the advice I was given years ago when I asked about calling balks at the first year level that balks are called......

There are 30 some segments of balk offenses...........we umpires rarely call any more than 3-5 of them.....at any level

Well Put!!! Thanks:cheers:

[mstaylor]

I was doing a bad J V game tonight,scrimmage, so we were just warning the pitchers and giving a brief explanation. Late in the game I was on the bases and the pitcher started his wind-up and then picked to third. I came up with the balk call and advanced the runners. My partner asked if I was really enforcing the balk. I told him it was an elephant balk, we had to enforce it. The defensive manager said absolutely, no complaint.

[LMSANS]

I was doing a bad J V game tonight,scrimmage, so we were just warning the pitchers and giving a brief explanation. Late in the game I was on the bases and the pitcher started his wind-up and then picked to third. I came up with the balk call and advanced the runners. My partner asked if I was really enforcing the balk. I told him it was an elephant balk, we had to enforce it. The defensive manager said absolutely, no complaint.

I also had a bad JV game today. V F1 goes to his mouth and then the ball without wiping it off, I call time and tell him, "Don't do that." We continue, a couple of innings later the H F1 drops the ball while in the set. "Time! Balk!". No discussion necessary.:wow:

[mstaylor]

weds I did an awful varsity game, top of one, the pitcher hit the first four batters and a total of six. Dear God it was ugly.