Does this look like a balk to you?

[mazzamouth]

What do you think?.....I think the Angels got away with one there...looks like his front leg was coming down, which means he is committed to go to home.

http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=9294887&c_id=la

[Thunderheads]

What do you think?.....I think the Angels got away with one there...looks like his front leg was coming down, which means he is committed to go to home.

http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=9294887&c_id=la

I've got a balk.

AND .... Martin is safe at second on the game ending play........

[Mr Umpire]

Since when did a leg coming down commit a pitcher to the plate? As long as he steps to the base and has made no movement toward HP, I have no balk. He didn't touch the ground in front of the rubber b/c that would commit him to HP since it would be considered stepping toward HP.

I don't see the leg coming down as a commitment to throw to the plate as long as it goes straight up and straight down without touching the ground.

I have no balk.

[Umpire in Chief]

I'm with Mr Umpire. its a nifty move, but I saw no forward motion.

Martin may have been safe...:rollinglaugh:

[mazzamouth]

Since when did a leg coming down commit a pitcher to the plate? As long as he steps to the base and has made no movement toward HP, I have no balk. He didn't touch the ground in front of the rubber b/c that would commit him to HP since it would be considered stepping toward HP.

I don't see the leg coming down as a commitment to throw to the plate as long as it goes straight up and straight down without touching the ground.

I have no balk.

once your leg starts coming down, that motion is associated with going to the plate.... Of course i got this rule interpretation from Jim Evans at his Clinic... maybe he was wrong.

[Mr Umpire]

once your leg starts coming down, that motion is associated with going to the plate.... Of course i got this rule interpretation from Jim Evans at his Clinic... maybe he was wrong.

Not to argue but what about a LHP move to 1B. Doesn't his foot come down before throwing to 1B. And, it is on the HP side of the rubber. And, it was a straight up/straight down interpretation? Not coming down toward HP b/c F1's foot is not allowed to land in the same place where it started from?

I still don't think "they got away with one". 4 umpires agreed it was not a balk and no one questioned it. The offensive manager did not come out to even question it. Runner didn't argue it. It seems they all agreed it not to be a balk.

Seems interesting to me.

[Umpire in Chief]

I just don't see up/down as committing any direction.

I saw no motion to the plate, no leaning, nothing other than the turn on the pivot foot looked awkward.

[spiritump]

Igot balk

[mstaylor]

The link I got was the game ending play at second. What am I missing?

[Umpire in Chief]

Try this one:

http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=9294747

[mstaylor]

I would go with a balk. He went up and down but stopped his foot just before he touched down, then made a terrible spin move. If he had landed where he was coming down then it would have been a balk consequently it committed him to the plate. Simply think of the fact that is associated with his pitching motion.

[Mr Umpire]

Lifting the leg and putting it down is always associated with pitching motion. Which is why a good move is so deceptive, it involves looking very similar to pitching but isn't.