Call the balks!!!

[goody14]

I had 4 last night in an 18-16 (not ages of players mind you...that was the score) JV "contest".

 

One kid had two start/stop balks with the second one causing a run to score.

 

I see the coach coming out to me...

 

Coach: "Sir, I don't think my pitcher or I understand why we are getting balked"

Me (looking at the pitcher): "Do you understand what you did"

F1: "Yeah, I started up and stopped"

Me: "Coach, I think he understands, let's play ball"

 

One of the easiest conversations of my life.

[treydawgmt]

I had two balks in a more "elite" tournament for 14U today.  Could have had about a dozen more.  All for the gorilla arm motion.  However, I gathered in the first game of the tourney I do most of these guys don't play FED based rules, or really understand them (or both), and since none of them were HUGE gorillas, I tried teaching.  Kinda backfired because by the end I really wish I had just called them.  And I NEVER do that, I usually just call the balks whenever I see them.  Don't know what made me teach and not call them.

[Jimurray]

Very good video. I have it on my iphone and watch it all the time.

How do you get the DVD to your iPhone? Have they done an app or whatever.

[JaxRolo]

Very good video. I have it on my iphone and watch it all the time.

How do you get the DVD to your iPhone? Have they done an app or whatever.

Secrets!!!

PM me

[mjr_2013]

Had another 5 yesterday, almost matched my record!

 

Record was set at 6 about a week ago.

[grayhawk]

Called one yesterday that I've never called before. With R1 and R2, LH pitcher steps and throws to F3 who is 15 feet off the bag and no play is being made on the runner. None of them had a clue.

[johnnyg08]

I was working a JUCO game last week and we called a balk for F1 rolling right through his stop.

Late in the game. Coach comes out…"this is a big situation, 95% of our umpires warn on this first."

I said, at this level the pitchers need to know the rules. There are no warnings at this level.

Coach: "This is a big situation…what do you mean no warnings"

I said: "If I were coach I'd take the out and a warning all day." Sorry, no warnings tonight.

Sad thing is that I actually believe the coach when he says that they get warnings 95% of the time.

[grayhawk]

We also had a no stop balk, batter hits the ball to F3 and I bet you can guess what happened next. This was LL juniors.

[Jocko]

Championship tourney game yday. F1 blows through his stop. I called it. From his bench I hear, "ya gotta come set!" Next pitch is a ball and DTHC asks, "why was that a balk?"

"Sorry, Ken, but the time to discuss that has passed."

"You mean I can't even ask for an explanation? "

"You can ask all you like, but right now, we're playing baseball."

Between innings I told him why it was a balk and why I wouldn't discuss it when he asked.

[charliej47]

We were taught that anything below 15yr to talk to the coach about it between innings if possible.  This is for the "technical" balks and then to start to call them.  So in most of my games if it is Freshman or JH, I will give a warning then call them.

 

I don't talk to the coach or F1 on balks at the Varsity level and above, I just call them.

[grayhawk]

We were taught that anything below 15yr to talk to the coach about it between innings if possible. This is for the "technical" balks and then to start to call them. So in most of my games if it is Freshman or JH, I will give a warning then call them.

I don't talk to the coach or F1 on balks at the Varsity level and above, I just call them.

Taught by whom?