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Call the balks!!!

Jocko

By Jocko
in Umpire Mechanics

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Jocko

Jocko

Posted
Posted

Doing a DH tonight. Im not nitpicking the small balks, but I'm definitely calling the obvious ones. No stop, start/stop, feint to 3rd, dropping the ball. I called maybe 6 in the nightcap. These kids just dont know how NOT to balk. I could've called 26 (estimate). But I GOTTA call the no brainers.

One of the HCs comments to me that I've called more balks tonight than any other umpire has all season. Not my fault they're not doing their job, Dave.

I said all that to say this.......FFS CALL THE BALKS!!!!! You're not helping ANYONE by ignoring them, and you're hurting the guy that follows you.

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Jocko
Jocko

Doing a DH tonight. Im not nitpicking the small balks, but I'm definitely calling the obvious ones. No stop, start/stop, feint to 3rd, dropping the ball. I called maybe 6 in the nightcap. These kids

BigUmpire
BigUmpire

New bumper sticker:   "I'm paid to call 'em not write 'em" - refump10    thanks @refump10

Mr Ump
Mr Ump

See a Balk, Call a Balk.....that is my motto.....we need to do our job so the coaches will do their job....seriously....

JaxRolo

JaxRolo

Posted
Posted

100% agree

This HS season I have called 15-20 balks.

All my partners combined- 2

Lala

Lala

Posted
Posted

The sad thing is that the coaches either don't see it (because they have no clue) or when they do, they don't actually coach the players on how to do it right.

  • Like 2
BillKen

BillKen

Posted
Posted

100% agree

This HS season I have called 15-20 balks.

All my partners combined- 2

I'm in the same boat...I'm averaging 2 a game...most of them for not stopping.  Our HS season is a week away from ending the regular season and I'm still calling them.  My partners have called 2 total in my games and both of those were with me.  I'm willing to bet my next game fee that the first runner on base will see a quick pitch with no stop in my next game.

blue23ll

blue23ll

Posted
Posted

100% agree

This HS season I have called 15-20 balks.

All my partners combined- 2

The 'made up' ones don't count, Rolando.

  • Like 1
BigUmpire

BigUmpire

Posted
Posted

Pitching is rhythm and repetition.

 

If a young pitcher gets into bad habits AND IS ALLOWED TO KEEP DOING SO at some point he will get nailed be a professional umpire AND depending how far along he is in his career he MAY not recover from this "awakening".

 

I have seen it many times.

BTW. You will have NO problem knowing who is this young man’s dad is when you start calling him for balks!

 

CALL BALKS in 10U and above!

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Jocko

Jocko

Posted
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Posted

I'm still frustrated about this. Every single balk I called was obvious. There were dozens more technical balk I couldve called but let go with an explanation and a dont do that. I mean for Pete's sake, one of my balks was on F1 coming set, and in one continuous motion, he separated his hands, wiped his face with his throwing hand WITH THE BALL IN IT, and came to a complete and discernable stop. :shakehead:

I'm not a balk hawk by any stretch. And I will give the benefit of the doubt to the F1. But c'mon. We are weeks into the season and this crap is STILL going on? And I'M the bad guy????

Maybe I am. But......

"THAT'S A BALK! TIME!"

JaxRolo

JaxRolo

Posted
Posted

I'm still frustrated about this. Every single balk I called was obvious. There were dozens more technical balk I couldve called but let go with an explanation and a dont do that. I mean for Pete's sake, one of my balks was on F1 coming set, and in one continuous motion, he separated his hands, wiped his face with his throwing hand WITH THE BALL IN IT, and came to a complete and discernable stop. :shakehead:

I'm not a balk hawk by any stretch. And I will give the benefit of the doubt to the F1. But c'mon. We are weeks into the season and this crap is STILL going on? And I'M the bad guy????

Maybe I am. But......

"THAT'S A BALK! TIME!"

"Time! That's a Balk!" :fuel:

  • Like 1
BigUmpire

BigUmpire

Posted
Posted

I'm still frustrated about this. Every single balk I called was obvious. There were dozens more technical balk I couldve called but let go with an explanation and a dont do that. I mean for Pete's sake, one of my balks was on F1 coming set, and in one continuous motion, he separated his hands, wiped his face with his throwing hand WITH THE BALL IN IT, and came to a complete and discernable stop. :shakehead:

I'm not a balk hawk by any stretch. And I will give the benefit of the doubt to the F1. But c'mon. We are weeks into the season and this crap is STILL going on? And I'M the bad guy????

Maybe I am. But......

"THAT'S A BALK! TIME!"

Sounds funny BUT they should thank you for "teaching" this young man the correct way to pitch.

 

BUT Don't wait for gift cards and kisses from the coaches and parents

  • Like 2
ALStripes17

ALStripes17

Posted
Posted

I know what you mean Jocko. I had a Dixie 13-14 yo game last night and a coach asked why his pitcher didn't get a warning first for a start/stop.

I looked over from HP and said "He had 2 years worth of warnings in Ozone (11-12 year olds."

Coach couldn't believe that 'school ball' aged kids didn't get warnings. I should have put him in timeout now that I think about it. And asked about his feelings :)

BalkHawk

BalkHawk

Posted
Posted

"THAT'S A BALK! TIME!"

"Time! That's a Balk!" :fuel:

Either one gets the job done! The FED actually calls for signaling 'dead ball' while voicing "that's a balk!"

This thread calls for an itemized list of every balk...

Kevin_K

Kevin_K

Posted
Posted

In one of my varisty games today, F1 licks his hand, grabs the ball, and toes the rubber. 

 

I call time and award the batter a ball and a rat voice from the hole in the ground known as a dugout squeaks, "You gotta be kiddin me.... you can't just warn him?"

 

Let me take that under advisement coach, and perhaps the next time their pitcher balks, I'll just warn him. I wonder how that might work out.

mjr_2013

mjr_2013

Posted
Posted

I called four balks in my first HS game of the season tonight... I only heard something on one, and a quick explanation settled it.

 

My partner wasn't helping at all though, so I asked him if he had any of them as well... "Well, I'm more of a softball guy, but it seems like you're getting them right."  :shakehead:  :meditation:  :givebeer:

  • Like 1
refump10

refump10

Posted
Posted

Wow!  you guys see a lot of balks.  I've only had about a dozen HS games so far, and I think we've only had two or three total.  For the most part, the pitchers we see are pretty clean.  I had one a couple of weeks ago where the pitcher set high (real high, glove barely got down to the bill of the hat).  Coach came out and calmly asked me what I have.  I told him the set has to be at or below the chin (stupid rule, I think, but I'm paid to call 'em not write 'em).  He got glassy eyed for a minute then started to say something, stopped and turned away.  I could hear him mutter as he passed his pitcher: "don't do that again".  Cracked me up.

charliej47

charliej47

Posted
Posted

 

I'm still frustrated about this. Every single balk I called was obvious. There were dozens more technical balk I couldve called but let go with an explanation and a dont do that. I mean for Pete's sake, one of my balks was on F1 coming set, and in one continuous motion, he separated his hands, wiped his face with his throwing hand WITH THE BALL IN IT, and came to a complete and discernable stop. :shakehead:

I'm not a balk hawk by any stretch. And I will give the benefit of the doubt to the F1. But c'mon. We are weeks into the season and this crap is STILL going on? And I'M the bad guy????

Maybe I am. But......

"THAT'S A BALK! TIME!"

"Time! That's a Balk!" :fuel:

 

We were taught to use the PRO calls as it is a delayed call in summer games.  When you do a lot of summer ball, you don't want to make the wrong call.

Mr Ump

Mr Ump

Posted
Posted

Pitching is rhythm and repetition.

 

 

 

If a young pitcher gets into bad habits AND IS ALLOWED TO KEEP DOING SO at some point he will get nailed be a professional umpire AND depending how far along he is in his career he MAY not recover from this "awakening".

 

 

 

I have seen it many times.

 

 

BTW. You will have NO problem knowing who is this young man’s dad is when you start calling him for balks!

 

 

 

CALL BALKS in 10U and above!

 

See a Balk, Call a Balk.....that is my motto.....we need to do our job so the coaches will do their job....seriously....

  • Like 3
  • 2 weeks later...
SoCal Lurker

SoCal Lurker

Posted
Posted

As my kid, who pitches, is getting older, I'm thinking he could use the balk video (Evans?) as a tool for understanding and working on his moves.  (He's a very cereberal player.)  Is there any reason to wait (like, is it about to be revised)?  And can anyone tell me where to get it?

JaxRolo

JaxRolo

Posted
Posted

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

LMSANS

LMSANS

Posted
Posted

As my kid, who pitches, is getting older, I'm thinking he could use the balk video (Evans?) as a tool for understanding and working on his moves.  (He's a very cereberal player.)  Is there any reason to wait (like, is it about to be revised)?  And can anyone tell me where to get it?

Jason spoke about revising a couple of years ago, but I haven't heard anything since then.  I would say it's still a good investment.

maven

maven

Posted
Posted

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

 

That explains a thing or two about your driving and your umpiring, Jax. :P

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