Hidden Ball Trick (Balk)

[ALStripes17]

Behind the plate for 11-12s last night, 1st year buddy on bases. Batter walks, pitcher gets set up in the stretch on the rubber and F3 starts screaming that the runner is out. F3 had gotten the ball from F1 while batter was going down to 1B. My partner didnt call the balk immediately but the runner began trotting to 2B.

I processed all that was going on and affirmed that it was a balk and that the runner is awarded 2B. Defensive teams coach comes out and asks why we didnt call it until the OTHC said something.

I looked at him and said "Because I couldnt believe a team would actually still try that." He laughed and returned to the dugout with no issues.

Rat?

[Thunderheads]

Balk!

[pnewton]

Had a remarkably similar sitch last season except coach wanted to argue that it was legal - only EJ I had for the season.  AC (now acting HC) came to talk to me between innings later in game and just said "You know, I tried to tell him we couldn't do that".

[grayhawk]

If they had executed it properly (F1 NOT on or astride the rubber) and gotten the out, I can hear the argument from OC already:

 

"But the ball is dead on a walk..."  

[ALStripes17]

True story.

The difficult part about this sitch is I was with a new umpire, and I was beckoning the on deck batter to come around to the other side so I never saw the ball exchange between F1 and F3. Partner didn't seem to have seen it either as he was HOK when pitcher toed the rubber haha

[Stan W.]

OP is what we used to call an "easy chicken"...............balk balk balk.........