Buerle - BALK!

[Thunderheads]

Not 100% sure how Angel Hernandez sees this better than u1, but ...it's still a balk. Buerle's been balking forever!

And, the radio announcers .....they're just as stupid as Harrelson for TV ....

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=11937109

[Thunderheads]

COME ON GUYS ...are we umpires or not?

Balk? No balk?

Let's go! :notworthy:

[Mr Umpire]

Balk. And, on the one they reference from earlier in the game was a balk too.

He goes too much toward HP IMO. Just b/c other crews don't call it, doesn't mean it isn't a balk. The announcers are a farce.

[jim knight]

Balk...

[Umpire in Chief]

Good call by Angel. You can see it really well in the slo mo replay that his motion is going forward (to the plate) while he steps to 1st.

Also you have to love the title of the video "Phantom Balk..."

[kcfan102]

*points* THAT'S A BALK!

[Umpete]

... You can see it really well in the slo mo replay that his motion is going forward (to the plate) while he steps to 1st...

Look at the video at about the 1:29 mark: Hernandez comes out from behind the plate after calling the balk and slaps his left leg. I don't know what that means, but he seems to be indicating that something that Buerhle has done with his stride leg is the reason for the balk. I would like to get an explanation from Hernandez. I have watched several Buerhle balk clips and I just don't see why they are called. I'm not saying that he's not balking - I'm just not seeing it. :HS

[mstaylor]

H eslides toward the plate and then steps to first, that is what he is calling.

[JaxRolo]

Balk!

I was BU and called one like that. After the game PU said I beat him to the call by a fraction of a second.

[yawetag]

I was BU and called one like that. After the game PU said I beat him to the call by a fraction of a second.

Did he echo you anyway?

[dumbdumb]

Found this little statement from some old articles. Probably a "lot" more balks were called which is probably why the idea died. Bet the umpires liked using the line.

"In fact, in a Major League spring training season years ago, the league had a 45 degree line drawn to aid the umpires in properly calling this a balk or no balk. No one liked it and the idea died".

This is from baseball digest. See the 4th dot.

http://books.google.com/books?id=7zEDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA60&lpg=PA60&dq=1974+balk+line+in+spring+training&source=bl&ots=jBbmOGOoTp&sig=a1S81YiFvJqDcGHaTUgYUSifyAo&hl=en&ei=QV2PTOG7EcX7lwfXyt2cAg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CBYQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=1974%20balk%20line%20in%20spring%20training&f=false

Playing rules committee voted against it, not umpires. There were no umpires on the playing rules committee back then (how convenient). However, now they have Larry Young on that committee, although I do not believe he could single-handedly get the 45 foot line re-instituted.

It seems like baseball sends out a new schedule for the umpires for the last month of the year. They already knew of Joe's crew balking Buerle earlier in the year. Baseball assigned Joe those games knowing about the earlier incident's, and knowing full well if Buerle used that same move the same result would happen again, so go blame MLB since they do the schedule. Joe has no say in where his crew does or does not go.

Edited September 16, 2010 by dumbdumb

[Umpire in Chief]

I knew they tried this, but I didn't know when . Thanks.

[noumpere]

Look at the video at about the 1:29 mark: Hernandez comes out from behind the plate after calling the balk and slaps his left leg. I don't know what that means,

It means it's a "no-step" balk. Any further discussion is grounds for immediate ejection.